Professional Android Application Development

by Reto Meier

A hands-on guide to building mobile applications, "Professional Android Application Development" features concise and compelling examples that show you how to quickly construct real-world mobile applications for Android phones. Fully up-to-date for version 1.0 of the Android software development kit, it covers all the essential features, and explores the advanced capabilities of Android (including GPS, accelerometers, and background Services) to help you construct increasingly complex, useful, and innovative mobile applications for Android phones.What this book includesAn introduction to mobile development, Android, and how to get started.An in-depth look at Android applications and their life cycle, the application manifest, Intents, and using external resources.Details for creating complex and compelling user interfaces by using, extending, and creating your own layouts and Views and using Menus.A detailed look at data storage, retrieval, and sharing using preferences, files, databases, and Content Providers.Instructions for making the most of mobile portability by creating rich map-based applications as well as using location-based services and the geocoder.A look at the power of background Services, using threads, and a detailed look at Notifications.Coverage of Android's communication abilities including SMS, the telephony APIs, network management, and a guide to using Internet resourcesDetails for using Android hardware, including media recording and playback, using the camera, accelerometers, and compass sensors.Advanced development topics including security, IPC, advanced 2D / 3D graphics techniques, and user-hardware interaction.Who this book is forThis book is for anyone interested in creating applications for the Android mobile phone platform. It includes information that will be valuable whether you're an experienced mobile developer or making your first foray, via Android, into writing mobile applications. It will give the grounding and knowledge you need to write applications using the current SDK, along with the flexibility to quickly adapt to future enhancements.

Genres: Programming

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2008

About the author

Reto is an experienced software developer with over 10 years experience in GUI application architecture, design, and development. He’s worked in a number of industries, including offshore oil & gas and finance, and is now a developer advocate at Google.

Always interested in emerging technologies, Reto has been involved in Android since the initial release in 2007. In his spare time he tinkers with a wide range of development platforms including WPF and Google’s plethora of developer tools.

Reviews

[Juha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for learning basics of Android

[Allisonperkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more - at times the information is really good, like the "working in the background" section. However most of the book feels like bits and pieces were cut and pasted into place. Thus author seems to repeat himself often, especially early on. What's worse, the repetition doesn't reinforce any major points of the platform either. I'm left guessing that the book was rushed to print before it was fully edited.

There is some good information here though. And this gives a solid glossing over many of the major themes of Android - which makes this a decent compendium. So if you are looking for an overview of simple GUI development, general, small applications, and some talk about background processes and communications and some of the hardware you could do a lot worse.

However, you could also go to the Android development website and get the same information there as well.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent set of information, but not well organized for experienced programmer and not clear enough for a beginner. If you are new to Android AND Java, you are better served with a Java Programming book first. This is also for Android 1.x and is now supplanted by version 2.X

[Demian · Rating 4 out of 5]

good so far, only 1/4 of the way into it

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book for programming for Android.

[Levent Bayindir · Rating 4 out of 5]

a reference book for android.