Synopses & Reviews
Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide: is an introductory Android book for programmers with Java experience. Based on Big Nerd Ranch’s popular Android Bootcamp course, this guide will lead you through the wilderness using hands-on example apps combined with clear explanations of key concepts and APIs. This book focuses on practical techniques for developing apps compatible with all versions of Android widely used today (Android 2.2 - 4.2). Write and run code every step of the way – creating apps that catalog crime scenes, browse photos, track your jogging route, and more. Each chapter and app has been designed and tested to provide the knowledge and experience you need to get started in Android development.
Write and run code every step of the way — creating apps that catalog crime scenes, browse photos, track your jogging route, and more. Each chapter and app has been designed and tested to provide the knowledge and experience you need to get started in Android development.
"Big Nerd Ranch provided the training we needed to get hundreds of engineers building skillfully on Android. This book is a great distillation of that training and will be a huge help to anyone looking to ramp up as well." – Mike Shaver, Director of Mobile Engineering, Facebook
"…a must-have for the developer just starting in Android or ready for more advanced techniques. I was impressed with this book’s content and clarity of presentation. The authors explain simple and complex Android topics with equal ease." – James Steele, author of The Android Developer's Cookbook
Synopsis
Since its launch in late 2007, the Android platform has experienced exponential growth. Starting with just a single handset and carrier, the platform has grown to include dozens of devices on all major carriers worldwide. With the introduction of several new phone and tablet devices in 2010 and 2011, the future for Android and its developer community is bright indeed.
Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide takes you on an easy to follow tour of the Android mobile development platform. Chapter by chapter, we'll lead you through the wilderness with hands-on examples. Write and run code every step of the way, starting with simple programs, then enhancing them with sophisticated features. You'll write applications that catalog crime scenes, browse photos, track your jogging route, and more. Each example has been carefully crafted and refined through real-world instruction at Big Nerd Ranch's Android Boot Camp to be succinct, engaging, and enlightening. With these chapters and their exercises, you will pick up a working knowledge of the key concepts and APIs needed to make compelling apps. You'll also discover helpful techniques for using the Android development tools to their fullest.
Synopsis
Are you a programmer looking to get started in Android development?
Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide will lead you through the wilderness with hands-on example apps combined with clear explanations of key concepts and APIs. Write and run code every step of the way - creating apps apps that catalog crime scenes, browse photos, track your jogging route, and more. Each chapter has been carefully designed to provide the tools and knowledge you need to dive into Android development. Better still, the material has been tested and refined in Big Nerd Ranch’s popular Android classes.
Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide is an introductory Android book written for programmers with Java experience. The topics covered include:
Android SDK versions and compatibility
Activities, Fragments, and their lifecyles
Layouts, resources, widgets, and drawables
Dialogs
Displaying Lists with ListFragment
Option menus, context menus, and the Action Bar
Saving and loading local files
Taking pictures and handling images
Explicit and implicit intents and tasks
Navigation using ViewPager
Styles and themes
Debugging Android apps
Using HTTP & background tasks
Web services, web browsing, and WebView
Audio playback using MediaPlayer
Creating Local services
Broadcast intents and notifications
Custom views and touch events
Maps and tracking the user's location
Using databases with SQLite
Content providers
About the Author
BILL PHILLIPS is a senior Android instructor and software engineer at Big Nerd Ranch. He developed the materials for Big Nerd Ranch's acclaimed five-day Android Bootcamp alongside Brian Hardy. Bill has a passion for understanding things deeply and helping others do the same. In his spare time, Bill likes to read and play piano.
BRIAN HARDY is a lead software engineer and instructor at Big Nerd Ranch, where he has developed training materials for Android, iOS and Ruby courses. When not teaching or building mobile apps for consulting clients, Brian enjoys riding bicycles and playing records from his extensive collection.
Table of Contents
1. Your First Android Application
2. Android and Model-View-Controller
3. The Activity Lifecycle
4. Debugging Android Apps
5. Your Second Activity
6. Android SDK Versions and Compatibility
7. UI Fragments and the Fragment Manager
8. Creating User Interfaces with Layouts and Widgets
9. Displaying Lists with ListFragment
10. Using Fragment Arguments
11. Using ViewPager
12. Dialogs
13. Audio Playback Using MediaPlayer
14. Retained Fragments
15. Localization
16. The Action Bar
17. Saving and Loading Local Files
18. Context Menus and Contextual Action Mode
19. Camera I: Viewfinder
20. Camera II: Taking Pictures and Handling Images
21. Implicit Intents
22. Two-Pane Master-Detail Interfaces
23. More About Intents And Tasks
24. Styles And Includes
25. XML Drawables And 9-Patches
26. HTTP & Background Tasks
27. Loopers, Handlers, and HandlerThread
28. Search
29. Background Services
30. Broadcast Intents
31. Browsing The Web & WebView
32. Custom Views and Touch Events
33. Tracking the Device's Location
34. Local Databases with SQLite
35. Loading Asynchronous Data With Loaders
36. Using Maps