Learning Android™ Application Programming will help you master modern Android programming by building a fully functional app from the ground up. Working with the Android 4.3 toolset, you’ll solve real-world problems faced by every Android developer and learn best practices for success with any mobile development project.   Ideal for developers who have little or no Android experience but have basic Java experience, this tutorial teaches through carefully structured exercises that address the entire development process. Leading Android developers James Talbot and Justin McLean guide you through building a real biking mobile app that can handle everything from mileage tracking to route planning. Each chapter builds your knowledge, step-by-step, and in the end you will have a complete, working app. Along the way, you’ll gain hands-on experience with writing code that can run on the widest spectrum of devices while still leveraging Android’s newest features. You’ll also discover proven solutions for the occasionally messy realities of Android development, from inaccurate sensor data to inadequate device battery life–pitfalls that most other Android books ignore.   Learn how to Set up your Android development environment on Windows or Mac operating systems Quickly create a simple, working app that demonstrates basic Android principles Master core building blocks, such as Activities, Intents, Services, and Resources Build a functional user interface, and then make it more intuitive and usable Professionally style your Android app Make your app location-aware Integrate social networking features Build highly efficient threaded apps Integrate database support to read and write data Make your app run faster, while using less memory and power Efficiently test and debug your app Easily internationalize your app for multiple countries and languages Sell your app through Google Play and the Amazon AppStore Get all of this book’s sample code at www.androiddevbook.com/code.html.   Register your book at informit.com/register to gain access to the Bonus KitKat Chapter. Download the free version of this book’s On Your Bike app from Google Play today.

Table of Contents:
Preface xix Acknowledgments xxi About the Authors xxiii   Chapter 1: An Introduction to Android Development 1 Understanding the Android Difference 2 Building Native Applications 2 Understanding the History of Android 3 Using the Android User Interface 8 Understanding Android Applications 10 Introducing Google Play 10 Summary 12   Chapter 2: Kicking the Tires: Setting Up Your Development Environment 13 Installing the Java JDK and JRE on Windows 14 Installing the Eclipse IDE on Windows 16 Installing the Android SDK on Windows 19 Installing and Using Java on a Mac 24 Summary 27   Chapter 3: Putting On the Training Wheels: Creating Your First Android Application 29 Creating an Android Application 29 Running Your Android Project 32 Working with Lint in an Android Project 37 Understanding the Android Project Files 37 Summary 50   Chapter 4: Going for Your First Ride: Creating an Android User Interface 51 Refactoring Your Code 51 Implementing Strict Mode 54 Creating a Simple User Interface 55 Understanding the Activity Lifecycle 68 Making an Android Device Vibrate 72 Saving User Preferences 74 Summary 80   Chapter 5: Customizing Your Bike: Improving Android Application Usability 81 Refactoring Your Code 82 Improving the Setting Activity 88 Action Bars and Menus 94 Using Notifications 101 Creating a Database 107 Summary 122   Chapter 6: Pimping Your Bike: Styling an Android Application 125 Refactoring Your Application 126 Understanding Screen Differences 126 Making Your Application Resolution Independent 129 Using Configuration Qualifiers 132 Using Styles and Themes 149 Summary 162   Chapter 7: Are We There Yet? Making Your Application Location Aware 165 Refactoring Your Code 165 Finding the Device’s Location 169 Dealing with Inaccurate Location Data 190 Storing GPS Data 196 Displaying GPS Data 209 Summary 220   Chapter 8: Inviting Friends for a Ride: Social Network Integration 223 Refactoring Your Code 223 Integrating Photos into an Android Application 224 Sharing Content with Friends 242 Summary 248   Chapter 9: Tuning Your Bike: Optimizing Performance, Memory, and Power 249 Refactoring Your Code 249 Running Your Application as a Service 250 Improving Battery Life 267 Speeding Up Databases 278 Summary 284   Chapter 10: Taking Off the Training Wheels: Testing Your Application 285 Refactoring Your Code 285 Testing with JUnit 286 Testing with Android JUnit Extensions 299 Testing Services 310 Using Monkey Testing 313 Running Tests Automatically 316 Testing on a Wide Range of Devices 323 Summary 325   Chapter 11: Touring France: Optimizing for Various Devices and Countries 327 Refactoring Your Code 327 Going International 329 Accommodating Various Dialects 342 Handling Various Language Formats 344 Enabling Backward Compatibility 348 Building for Various Screen Sizes 352 Using Fragments 355 Summary 361   Chapter 12: Selling Your Bike: Using Google Play and the Amazon Appstore 363 Building Your Media Strategy 363 Employing Advertising in Your Application 369 Using the Amazon Appstore 373 Summary 376   Index 377