Murach’s Android Programming

12/31/2013 · No Responses

Android is arguably the world’s most widely used operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Millions of Android devices have been activated, and billions of apps have been installed from Google Play.

Since Android is open-source with a large community of developers, it is able to evolve according to the needs of the developers who use it. Now, you can be one of those developers with our book, Murach’s Android Programming. All you need to get started is a basic understanding of the Java programming language, roughly equivalent to chapters 1 through 14 of Murach’s Java Programming.

What you can do with this book

Get set up right: Setting up an environment for Android development can be a roadblock to getting started. That’s why this book shows you the easiest way to install and configure all of the software that’s necessary to get started with Android development.
Get started fast with the Tip Calculator app: Learn how to code a complete Tip Calculator app by the end of chapter 3! This app teaches you how to get input from the user, perform a calculation based on that input, and display the result on the user interface.
Master the essential skills: Enhance the Tip Calculator app to master the skills that are critical to developing attractive and professional apps. For example, learn how to work with layouts, widgets, events, themes, styles, menus, preferences, and fragments.
Build your skills with the News Reader app: Learn how to develop a News Reader app that reads data from the Internet without blocking the user interface. Then, learn how to use files, adapters, and intents to work with this data. In addition, learn how to create services that run in the background and how to use receivers to respond to actions that are broadcast by the system or by other apps.
Build your skills with the Task List app: Learn how to develop a Task List app that uses a SQLite database. Then, learn how to use custom adapters, content providers, and app widgets to work with that database.
Use the next generation of Google Maps: Version 2 of the Google Maps Android API is giving birth to a new generation of location-aware apps. This book gets you started with this powerful API and positions you to learn more on your own.
Deploy your finished apps: When you’re ready to share your app with potential users, this book shows you how to sign it with a release key and publish it to the world’s most popular marketplace for Android apps, Google Play.

Who this book is for
This book is for anyone who wants to learn professional skills for developing Android apps. The only prerequisite is a basic understanding of the Java language, roughly equivalent to chapters 1 through 14 of Murach’s Java Programming.

Once you have the necessary Java skills, this book will work for you even if you have absolutely no experience developing mobile apps.

Table of Contents
Section 1: Get started fast with Android
Chapter 1. An introduction to Android
Chapter 2. How to use Eclipse for Android development
Chapter 3. How to develop your first Android app
Chapter 4. How to test and debug an Android app

Section 2: Essential Android skills
Chapter 5. How to work with layouts and widgets
Chapter 6. How to handle events
Chapter 7. How to work with themes and styles
Chapter 8. How to work with menus and preferences
Chapter 9. How to work with fragments

Section 3: The News Reader app
Chapter 10. How to work with threads, files, adapters, and intents
Chapter 11. How to work with services and notifications
Chapter 12. How to work with broadcast receivers

Section 4: The Task List app
Chapter 13. How to work with SQLite databases
Chapter 14. How to work with tabs and custom adapters
Chapter 15. How to work with content providers
Chapter 16. How to work with app widgets

Section 5: Advanced Android skills
Chapter 17. How to deploy an app
Chapter 18. How to work with locations and maps

Resources:
Appendix A. How to set up your PC for this book
Appendix B. How to set up your Mac for this book
Appendix J. How to use IntelliJ with this book