The iPhone revolutionized the world of mobile application development. However the iPhone’s proprietary hardware and software development environments are a roadblock to many.
Google’s Android platform with its promise of open standards for hardware and a free and familiar development environment make it a strong contender for competing with the iPhone platform.
After introducing the Android platform we will discuss the paradigms and constraints in building a mobile application. We then dissect a simple “social” Android application which uses a REST-based webservice to communicate. This will help us understand the core components of an Android application and the Android SDK functionality.
2. Agenda
iPhone and the Mobile App Explosion
How mobile apps differ
Android philosophy
Development Platform
Core Android Concepts
App Demo
App Dissection
12. Criticisms / Issues
Not a std linux distribution
Not Java ME/SE, limited libraries
Apps run only from on-board memory
Version compatibility
Obsolete search results
16. Activities
Runnable
Interacts with user
Associated with views
Requests data or services via Intents
Services
Runnable
Background process
MP3 player, polling sub-system
17. Receivers
Broadcast receivers (low battery)
Intent Receivers
Intents registered with Android
Content Providers
Share data with activities / services
Queries in the form of a URI
− content://contacts/people