Android Apps for Absolute Beginners

Cover......Page 1
Contents at a Glance......Page 3
Contents......Page 333
About the Author......Page 338
About the Technical Reviewer......Page 339
Acknowledgments......Page 340
The Weapon: Android, the Innovative Mobile Code Environment......Page 4
The Formula for Success......Page 5
Operating System and IDE......Page 6
Dual Monitors......Page 7
Preliminary Information: Before We Get Started......Page 8
Some History: What Is Android?......Page 9
Advantage Android: How Can Android Benefit Me?......Page 10
What’s Covered......Page 11
Preparing for Liftoff: SDK Tools to Download......Page 12
Java......Page 13
Eclipse......Page 14
Summary......Page 15
Your Android Development IDE......Page 17
Java, XML, and How Android Works......Page 19
Screen Layout Design......Page 20
Graphics and Animation Design......Page 21
Content Providers......Page 22
The Future of Android......Page 23
Summary......Page 24
Installing Java, Eclipse, and Android......Page 25
Java SE and JRE: Your Foundation for Application Development......Page 26
Eclipse IDE: The Development Environment......Page 27
Android SDK: The Android Tool Kit for Eclipse......Page 31
Android Development Tool: Android Tools for Eclipse......Page 32
The Android Environment Within Eclipse......Page 36
Updating the Android SDK......Page 37
AVDs: Smartphone Emulators......Page 39
USB Smartphone Drivers: External Devices......Page 41
Developing on 64-Bit Computing Platforms......Page 42
Summary......Page 44
Introducing the Android Software Development Platform......Page 46
Understanding Java SE and the Dalvik Virtual Machine......Page 47
The Directory Structure of an Android Project......Page 48
Common Default Resources Folders......Page 49
The Values Folder......Page 50
Leveraging Android XML (Your Secret Weapon)......Page 51
Desktop Clocks......Page 52
Bitmap Images......Page 53
Alternate Resource Folders......Page 54
Launching Your Application: The AndroidManifest.xml File......Page 55
Launching Eclipse......Page 56
Creating an Android Project......Page 57
Inspecting and Editing the Application Files......Page 60
Setting a Variable Value in strings.xml......Page 64
Running the App......Page 65
Adding an Application Icon......Page 66
Summary......Page 70
Android Framework Overview......Page 72
The Foundation of OOP: The Object......Page 73
Some OOP Terminology......Page 74
The Blueprint for an Object: The Class......Page 75
Providing Structure for Your Classes: Inheritance......Page 80
Defining an Interface......Page 81
Bundling Classes in a Logical Way: The Package......Page 82
An Overview of XML......Page 83
The Anatomy of an Android Application: The APK File......Page 84
Android Application Components......Page 85
Android Activities: Defining the UI......Page 86
Broadcast Receivers: Announcements and Notifications......Page 87
Content Providers: Data Management......Page 88
Android Intent Objects: Messaging for Components......Page 89
Android Manifest XML: Declaring Your Components......Page 90
Summary......Page 92
Android View Hierarchies......Page 94
Nesting Views: Using the ViewGroup Class......Page 95
Setting Up for Your Screen Layout......Page 97
Using Linear Layouts......Page 98
Using Relative Layouts......Page 109
Sliding Drawers: Expanding Your UI......Page 113
Using Padding and Margins with Views and Layouts......Page 116
Summary......Page 117
Using Common UI Elements......Page 119
Adding an Image Button to Your Layout......Page 120
Adding a Text to Your Layout......Page 130
Adding an Image......Page 131
Using Menus in Android......Page 133
Creating the Menu Structure with XML......Page 134
Defining Menu Item Strings......Page 135
Inflating the Menu Structure via Java......Page 138
Making the Menu Work......Page 140
Displaying an Alert Dialog......Page 144
Summary......Page 149
An Introduction to Graphics Resources in Android......Page 150
Implementing Images......Page 151
Using Bitmap Images in Android......Page 152
PNG Images......Page 153
Frame-based or Cel 2D Animation......Page 154
Tween Animation in Android......Page 163
Using Transitions......Page 169
Creating 9-Patch Custom Scalable Images......Page 173
Adding a VideoView Object......Page 179
Adding the Java for Video......Page 181
Summary......Page 184
Listening for and Handling Events......Page 185
Event Callback Methods......Page 186
Handling onClick Events......Page 187
Implementing an onClick Listener for a UI Element......Page 188
Adding an onClick Listener to an Activity in Android......Page 189
Touchscreen’s Right-Click Equivalent: onLongClick......Page 197
Keyboard Event Listeners: onKeyUp and onKeyDown......Page 200
Adding the Java for Keyboard Events......Page 201
Adding the XML for Context Menus......Page 204
Adding the Java for Context Menus......Page 206
Controlling the Focus in Android......Page 211
Adding the XML for Focus Control......Page 212
Adding the Java for Focus Control......Page 216
Summary......Page 218
An Overview of Android Content Providers......Page 219
Databases and Database Management Systems......Page 220
Android Built-in Content Providers......Page 221
Defining a Content Provider......Page 224
Creating the Content Providers Example Project in Eclipse......Page 225
Defining Security Permissions......Page 226
Adding Data to the Contacts Database......Page 230
Querying a Content Provider: Accessing the Content......Page 233
Appending to a Content Provider: Adding New Content......Page 239
Modifying Content Provider Data: Updating the Content......Page 245
Removing Content Provider Data: Deleting Content......Page 250
Summary......Page 255
What Is an Intent?......Page 257
Android Intent Messaging via Intent Objects......Page 258
Explicit Intents......Page 261
Implicit Intents......Page 262
Using Intents with Activities......Page 263
Writing the Digital Clock Activity......Page 268
Wiring up the Application......Page 271
Sending Intents......Page 273
Using Intents with Services......Page 276
Creating a Service......Page 279
Implementing Our MediaPlayer Functions......Page 283
Wiring the Buttons to the Service......Page 284
Running the Application......Page 285
Using Intents with Broadcast Receivers......Page 286
Creating the Timer User Interface via XML......Page 287
Creating a Timer Broadcast Receiver......Page 288
Configuring the AndroidManifest.xml file  Tag......Page 290
Implementing our Intent......Page 291
Running the Timer Application via the Android 1.5 Emulator......Page 296
Summary......Page 297
Widgets: Creating Your Own Widgets in Android......Page 298
Location-Based Services in Android......Page 300
Google Maps in Android......Page 301
Google Search in Android......Page 304
Shared Preferences......Page 305
External Memory......Page 306
Device Administration: Security for IT Deployments......Page 307
3D Graphics: Using OpenGL ES 1.x in Android......Page 308
SoundPool......Page 309
MediaRecorder......Page 310
Summary......Page 311
A......Page 312
C......Page 315
E......Page 317
G......Page 318
I......Page 319
L......Page 321
M......Page 322
O......Page 323
R......Page 325
S......Page 326
T......Page 327
V......Page 328
Z......Page 329