What You’ll Learn about Android in This session:

Introducing Android

To know where Android fits in with other mobile technologies, let’s take a minute to talk about how and why this platform came about.

Google and the Open Handset Alliance

Now a days, Google and the Open Handset Alliance has announced availability of Android platform source code to everyone under the new Android Open Source Project worth no cost (For Free). It is representing first truly open and fully featured mobile application platform, which has enabled people to create a mobile device without any kind of restrictions, they can build applications that run on Android-powered devices, and thus they can contribute to the core platform.

Getting Started with Android

Cheap and Easy Development

If you hear somewhere “Cheap and Easy” is a benefit, then it should be with mobile development.Wireless application development, has been quite expensive compared to desktop development with its expensive compilers and preferential developer programs. Here, Android breaks the tradition. No need to bother about any cost (even virtually) for developing Android applications. Its all free.

Being familiar with Eclipse

“Hello, World” application is the most traditional way. We’ll not make another way here & let’s just go by it. Here are some of the features offered by the Android Development Tools (ADT) in Eclipse. We can develop, compile, package and deploy any Android applications.

Features provided by ADT plug-in :

  • The Android Project Wizard : It will generates all the necessary project files This is the most advantageous thing I like about any IDE for developement.
  • It provides resource editors which is Android-specific. It also includes Graphical Layout editor for creating beautiful UI (User Interface) for you application.
  • Android SDK (Software Development Kit) and AVD (Android Virtual Devices) Manager
  • The Eclipse DDMS perspective : To monitor and debug Android applications
  • Android LogCat logging utility for generating the logs inside application.
  • Android Hierarchy Viewer layout utility : It represents any class or controller in a understandable tree layout with all methods’ list
  • You can enable “Build Automatically” to build your application when you change some code.
  • This is not end yet. It also provides Application packaging tool. Moreover Code-signing tools which are useful for release deployment.
  • It includes ProGuard support for code optimization and obfuscation

Getting Started with Android1

Why a developer should go for Android:

  1. Android is the open source mobile platform. The reason behind interest of Developers of Android application is its so easier & simpler development kit which is capable of writing a feature-full application.
  2. It is based on tried-and-true open standards .
  3. No costly obstruction to enter with for developers: Fees, none. (However a benign charge is taken to publish on third-party distribution platforms  such as the Android Market (AKA Google Play Store) which is not so much when you are going to be rewarded with rich & beautiful application in market. Every smart phone will have your developed application installed in it which is no less than a big reward. To pay is worth here.)
  4. Android developers have many options for distributing, monetizing & putting it to the commercial level.

In the next section, we’ll take some of these features for a spin. Click here for next session.