Android for Absolute - Beginners Getting Started with Mobile Apps Development Using the Android Java SDK.

Get started as a mobile app developer and learn the art and science of Android app development. With no assumed knowledge about programming languages or Android required, you will gain the key skills for constructing fully functional Android apps for smartphones, tablets, and other devices. You will also build a solid foundation in the Java programming language and the business of creating and releasing software for Android. Along the way you’ll get comfortable with Android Studio - the best way to write modern Android apps - before diving into your first Android code. The author spends plenty of time explaining how to build a robust UI with widgets, menus, layouts and more. These components will be the basis of your Android apps and so are covered in depth. Having grasped the basics, you’ll move onto what will make your app stand out: sound, music, images, animations, and notifications. Taking these elements and combining them with phone features like calling and sensors, will take your apps to the next level. The final part of the book covers services, events, intents, receivers, files and databases, essential sources of information and functionality for users and your app. In addition, you'll see how to protect your users and their data with permissions and security in examples throughout the book ---------------------- What You Will Learn:--- Get started with Android and build your first apps with it Install and use the Android Studio IDE Set up and manage the app development life cycle Master the basics of Java and XML required to create Android apps Discover the strengths and features of the Android APIs and device capabilities ------------------------------ Who This Book Is For:- Total beginners who have little or no exposure to software development. This book is also useful for developers who are completely new to Android. Table of Contents About the Author About the Technical Reviewer Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Get Android, Get Started Chapter 1: Introducing Android Working with Android: The Best Parts Working with Android: The Challenges Understanding Android’s Heritage and How It Affects You Understanding Android’s Future What to Expect for the Rest of This Book Detailing More of the Remaining Chapters Chapter 2: Introducing Android Studio Understanding What Is Meant by Integrated Development Environment, or IDE The History and Provenance of Android Studio Downloading the Android Studio Installer for Your Platform Working with Android Studio Versions Understanding How Android Studio and the Android SDK Work Together Preparing for Android Studio Choosing Desktop or Laptop Hardware for Android Development Choosing the Operating System for Your Computer Continuing with Downloading the Installer Installing Android Studio on Windows Installing Android Studio on macOS Installing Android Studio on Linux Continuing with Android Studio Setup After Installation Working with Alternatives to Android Studio Eclipse IntelliJ IDEA Tools That Target Multiple Operating Systems and Mobile Platforms Traditional Platform-Agnostic Development Tools Chapter 3: Your First Android Application, Already! Creating Your First Android Virtual Device Creating Your First Android Application, Already! Getting Your First Code Written Getting Ready to Run Your Application Installing (Additional) SDK Packages Running Your Application Chapter 4: Exploring Your First Project Viewing the Whole Android Project Structure Working with Manifests Jiving with Java Getting Resourceful with Resources Drawables Layouts Mipmaps Finding Value in Values Building Everything with Gradle Files Understanding SDK Version Parameters Understanding Application Versioning Including Libraries for Forward and Backward Version Support Explaining the Key Android Application Logical Building Blocks Activities Intents Services Content Providers Summary Chapter 5: Android Studio In-Depth Starting with the Project Explorer Getting Comfortable Switching Project Explorer Views Using the Project Explorer Context Menu Running and Debugging with Android Studio Running with Run Configs: A Recap Run Configuration: General Options Run Configuration: Miscellaneous Run Configuration: Debugger Run Configuration: Profiling Running Farther with AVDs and Connected Devices Revisiting the AVD Manager Running Your Code on a Real Device Debugging Instead of Running Your Code Setting and Clearing Breakpoints Starting Applications for Debugging Stepping Through Code While Debugging Attaching the Debugger Viewing What You’ve Run Understanding Your Build Understanding Events in the Event Log Understanding Logcat Revisiting the SDK Manager Highlighting the Other Major Features of Android Studio Summary Chapter 6: Mastering Your Entire Developer Ecosystem Choosing Dedicated Developer Hardware Determining Which CPU Is Right for You Too Much Memory Is Never Enough! Storing It All! Viewing It All! Connecting It All! Test Handsets and Tablets Option 1: All-Virtual Testing Option 2: Start Virtual and Augment with Top Devices Option 3: Buy, Buy, and Buy Some More Option 4: Other People’s Hardware Building with Build Tools Update Your gradle.properties File Use the Gradle Command Line Visit gradle.org to Learn More Managing Your Code with Source Control Completing Your Software Repertoire Summary Part II: Get the Android Development Know-how Chapter 7: Introducing Java for Android Development Java, Java, Everywhere Android’s Java Time Warp Using a JDK Installation for Learning Java Your First Java Concepts in Code The Key Java Building Blocks for Android Development Structure of Code Understanding Object-Oriented Design, Classes, and Objects Working with Class Methods and Data Members Developing Your Java-Specific Coding Knowledge Interfaces and Implementations Threading and Concurrency Garbage Collection Exception Handling File Handling Generics Collections Summary Chapter 8: Introducing XML for Android Development Getting Started with XML XML Version and Encoding XML Elements XML Attributes XML Values XML Namespaces Other Parts of the XML World Using XML in Your Android Applications Reviewing the Android Manifest XML File Using XML for Resource Definitions Changing Colors Getting Descriptive Defining Activity Layouts with XML Summary Chapter 9: Exploring Android Concepts: Core UI Widgets Everything Starts with View Key Methods Derived from View Key Attributes and Properties Derived from View Introducing the Core UI Widgets in Android Labeling Things with TextView Buttoning the Perfect UI Getting the Picture with ImageView and ImageButton Editing and Inputting Text with EditText Checking Out the CheckBox Switching It Up with a Switch Choosing Things with Radio Buttons Learning Even More UI Widgets Summary Chapter 10: Exploring Android Concepts: Layouts and More What Is Android Jetpack Using Popular Layout Designs Revisiting the Constraint Layout Getting in the Flow Layering with Layer Moving with Motion Using Relative Layouts Placing Widgets Relative to the Parent Container Controlling Relative Layout Properties with IDs Relative Positioning Properties Working with a RelativeLayout Example Overlapping Widgets in Relative Layouts Lining Up with Linear Layouts Mastering the Five Main Qualifiers for LinearLayout A LinearLayout Example Even More Layout Options Table Layouts Grid Layouts Mastering XML-Based Layouts with Java Logic: The Best of Both Worlds! Connecting XML Layout Definition in Java Code Revisiting MyFirstApp via ButtonAgain Summary Chapter 11: Understanding Activities Delving into the Android Activity Lifecycle Understanding Activity Lifecycle Callback Methods onCreate() onStart() onRestoreInstanceState() onResume() onPause() onStop() onSaveInstanceState() onRestart() onRetainNonConfigurationInstance() onDestroy() Appreciating the Objectives of the Activity Lifecycle Managing Activity Configuration Changes Working with the Default Approach to Configuration Change Summary Chapter 12: Introducing Fragments Starting with the Fragment Class Using Fragment-Based Design for Your Applications Working with the Fragment Lifecycle Reviewing the Fragment Lifecycle Callback Methods onInflate() onCreate() onAttach() onCreateView() onViewCreated() onViewStateRestored() onStart() onResume() onPause() onSaveInstanceState() onStop() onDestroyView() onDestroy() onDetach() Starting Simple with Fragment Lifecycle Events Creating a Fragment-Based Application Creating Fragment Layouts: The Color List Creating Fragment Layouts: The Color Detail The Single-Pane Parent Activity for Color Details The Dual-Pane Parent Activity for Color Details Selecting Which Layout to Inflate Coding for Fragments ColorFragmentExample in Action Summary Part III: Get Sophisticated Chapter 13: Working with Sound, Audio, and Music for Android Playing Back Audio Choosing Your Audio Approach Using Raw Audio Resources Using Audio Assets Using File Storage for Audio Accessing Audio Streaming Services Working with the Media Package Creating an Audio Application Choosing Between Assets and Resources Writing the Code for Audio Playback Playing Back Audio the Simple Way Coding the Java Logic for AudioPlayExample Using Streaming for Audio Playback Playing the Music Stream Exploring Other Playback Options Recording Audio Recording Audio with MediaRecorder Expanding Your Developer Audio Toolset Understanding Key Audio Aspects Audio Sampling and Frequency Audio Resolution Encoding, Decoding, and Data Loss More Audio Theory Choosing Further Audio Tools Introducing Audacity Working with WavePad For Apple Mac Owners, There Is GarageBand Summary Chapter 14: Working with Video and Movies for Android Playing Back Video Designing a VideoView-Based Layout Controlling Video Playback in Your Code Understanding Key Video Concepts Bitrate Frame Rate Codecs Understanding the Complex World of Video Containers and Child Codecs Expanding Your Developer Video Toolset Reviewing the Range of Video Editing Tools Available to You Popular Open Source Video Editing Suites Popular Commercial Video Editing Suites Introducing HandBrake for Video Editing Downloading and Installing HandBrake Running and Using HandBrake Going Further with Video for Android Summary Chapter 15: Introducing Notifications Configuring Notifications Customizing Notifications with the Notification Object Understanding Old and New Ways of Enhancing Notifications Adding Sounds to Your Notification Using Device Lights for Your Notification Shaking It! Adding Icons for Notifications Icon Sizes for Different Android Versions Floating Numbers for Added Information Introducing Notification Channels in API Level 26 Notifications in Action Supporting Logic to Create the Notifications Seeing Notifications from the User’s Perspective Summary Chapter 16: Exploring Device Capabilities with Calls Calling the Shots Specifying Telephony Support Making Telephony Support Optional Making Calls Laying Out the CallExample Application Working Logic for the CallExample Application Making an ACTION_DIAL Call Making an ACTION_CALL Call Handling Incoming Calls Part IV: Get Together Chapter 17: Understanding Intents, Events, and Receivers Introducing Android Intents Understanding Intent Behavior An Intent Action for Every Occasion Understanding Intent Routing Including Intents in Your Manifest Using Android’s Verified Links Seeing Intent-Launched Activities in Action Deciding on Activity Dependency Creating an Intent Starting the Intent-Invoked Activity Introducing Receivers Using Receivers When No UI Is Needed Working with Receiver Limitations Summary Chapter 18: Introducing Android Services Services Background Using WorkManager as an Alternative to Services Starting with Your Own Service Implementing Your Service Class Managing the Service Lifecycle via Callbacks Providing Manifest Entries for Your Service Service Communication Client-to-Service Communication Invoking Commands with startService() Using the Bind Approach with Services Service-to-Client Communication Using bindService() Methods for All Communication Intents and Broadcast Receivers Use PendingIntent Objects Use Messenger and Message Objects Use Independent Messaging Create Callbacks and Listeners Use Notifications Services in Action Choosing the Service Design Creating the Java Logic for the Service Creating an Example Client to Use the Service Testing the Service in Action Summary Chapter 19: Working with Files in Android Using Assets and Raw Files Populating Lists from Resource Files Working with Files from the File System Android’s File System Model Permissions for Reading and Writing Files Examining External Files in Action What Goes into Saving and Reading Files Helping Streamline IMEs Saving and Reading Files in Action Ensuring External Storage Is Available When Needed Other Considerations with Android File Systems Android File Systems Throughout History Avoiding UI Issues with File I/O Using StrictMode to Profile an Application Moving Logic to Asynchronous Threads Summary Chapter 20: Working with Databases in Android Working with SQLite: The World’s Most Popular Database! Quickly Learning SQLite for Android Development Creating SQLite Databases for Your Applications Introducing the SQLiteExample Application Creating a Database-Driven Activity Choosing Query Approaches for SQLite and Android Using the Query Building Process Using the Raw Power of SQL Managing Results from Queries with Cursors Modifying Data with Your Android Application Inserting Data Updating Data Deleting Data Using the Room Persistence Library Packaging and Managing SQLite Databases for Android Managing Android Storage for Database Performance Packaging SQLite Databases with Your Applications Choosing SQLite Management Tools to Prepare Databases for Packaging Working with Built-In Tools Working with Third-Party Database Tools Summary Index "Get started as a mobile app developer and learn the art and science of Android app development. With no assumed knowledge about programming languages or Android required, you will gain the key skills for constructing fully functional Android apps for smartphones, tablets, and other devices. You will also build a solid foundation in the Java programming language and the business of creating and releasing software for Android. Along the way you'll get comfortable with Android Studio - the best way to write modern Android apps - before diving into your first Android code. The author spends plenty of time explaining how to build a robust UI with widgets, menus, layouts and more. These components will be the basis of your Android apps and so are covered in depth. Having grasped the basics, you'll move onto what will make your app stand out: sound, music, images, animations, and notifications. Taking these elements and combining them with phone features like calling and sensors, will take your apps to the next level. The final part of the book covers services, events, intents, receivers, files and databases, essential sources of information and functionality for users and your app. In addition, you'll see how to protect your users and their data with permissions and security in examples throughout the book You will: Get started with Android and build your first apps with it ; Install and use the Android Studio IDE ; Set up and manage the app development life cycle ; Master the basics of Java and XML required to create Android apps ; Discover the strengths and features of the Android APIs and device capabilities."--Back cover