Android Programming
Dr. Michael A. Stachiw
Computers on the Farm – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming
• The Android operating system is
widely used in:
– Cell phones
– Tablets
– Other mobile devices
• Developed by Google
• A subset of the Linux operating
system.
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming
• Capabilities of Android powered
devices (varies by device):
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GPS
Internet (wi-fi & cell)
Camera
Voice/Sound
Movement/Orientation
Touch Screen
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming
• Traditionally to program Android
powered devices you would use such
tools as “Eclipse”, a Java IDE or “App
Inventor” a web based development
tool.
• “App inventor” has been dropped by
Google
• Each of these tools are “free” and use
“open the open source” licensing
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming
• Problem is five fold:
– Learning new development tools
– Learning new paradigms & vocabulary
– Developing user interface without visual
tools
– Learning new programming language
– Pain getting developed software to actual
device
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming
• An easy to learn, and easy to use
“new” programming tool for Android
powered devices is “Basic4Android”
• Uses a Visual Basic (© Microsoft) like
language
• IDE with visual design of GUI in both
virtual device, emulator & actual
device
• Costs $49 USD (Standard), $99 USD
for Enterprise version
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming –
Basic4Android
• Free evaluation version can be used
for 30 days
• Very robust downloadable manual &
user support forum
• RAD tool of choice
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming • General Features:
– Simple and powerful tool
– IDE and programming language 100% focused
on Android development
– Compiles to native byte-code. No runtime
libraries are required. Created APK files are
exactly the same as APK files created with
Java / Eclipse
– Performance is similar to applications written
with Java
– Event driven programming language similar
to Visual Basic with support for objects and
code modules
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming • General Features:
– Event driven programming language similar
to Visual Basic with support for objects and
code modules
– No need to write any XML files
– Highly extensible with support for custom
Java libraries
– Large, active and friendly community of
developers. Over 18,000 registered
developers!
– The only available true WYSIWYG visual editor
for Android. The visual editor supports
multiple screens and resolutions
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming • General Features:
– All Android phones and tablets starting with
Android 1.6 and up to 4.0 are supported
– Modern IDE with auto-complete, built-in
documentation, internal index New! and other
advanced features
– Powerful step-by-step debugger
– Screen Capture Tool
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming • Supports all Android core features including:
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SQL databases
GPS
Home screen widgets and live wallpapers
Background services and broadcast listeners
Bluetooth (serial ports)
Phone features: phone calls, sms, contacts,
call logs and others
USB host and accessory modes
Web services
Camera
XML, JSON and CSV
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming • Supports all Android core features including:
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Views animations
Multi-touch gestures
Networking (TCP, UDP, FTP, SMTP and POP3)
Push notifications (C2DM) New!
Text to speech and voice recognition
AdMob ads and other ads platforms
OpenGL
Graphics and charts
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming • Supports all Android core features including:
– Sensors
– Files I/O
– Integrate with services such as: Parse, Google
services, Twitter, Facebook and others
– Objects serialization
– Sip / Voip
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
View of the Basic4Android Tools
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Note: Developing applications and using
the emulator to test is fine, but you must
have access to a real Android device(s)
and test. You should always test against
the type of devices that your software is
targeted.
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Tablet
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
USB Cable
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Micro SD memory Card
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
7” Tablet
Phone
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Android Programming
• Challenges (to name a few):
– Orientation – Landscape vs. Portrait
– Screen Size – Various sizes
– Device Capabilities – GPS and camera
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
PUBLISHING YOUR ANDROID APP
Screen Shot(s)
Icon Image
Also Required:
•APK file
•XML manifest file
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
PUBLISHING YOUR ANDROID APP
Market Places:
•Market.android.com
•Getjar.com
•AndAppOnline.com
•Mobihand.com
•Aproov.com
•Barnes & Noble
•Kindle/Amazon
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Additional Resources:
• www.basic4ppc.com
• Android Application Development
for Dummies; Donn Felker
• App Inventor for Android: Build Your
Own Apps – No Experience Required;
Jason Tyler
• Beginning Android; Mark L. Murphy
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Additional Resources:
• Android Application Development;
Rick Rogers, John Lombardo, Zigurd
Mednieks & Blake Meike
• Hello, Android; Ed Burnette
• Android Programming Tutorials;
Mark L. Murphy
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012
Dr. Michael Stachiw
10715 Kahlmeyer Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone: 314-428-3156
Fax: 314-428-4102
Dr.Mike@FeedDealer.com
www.FeedDealer.com
© Strategic Mapping & Data Services LLC – Dr. Michael Stachiw – February 2012