Android Programming Unleashed, Rough Cuts

Description

This is the Rough Cut version of the printed book.

Android Programming Unleashed is the most comprehensive and technically sophisticated guide to best-practice Android development with today's powerful new versions of Android: 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Offering the exceptional breadth and depth developers have come to expect from the Unleashed series, it covers everything programmers need to know to develop robust, high-performance Android apps that deliver a superior user experience.

Leading developer trainer Bintu Harwani begins with basic UI controls, then progresses to more advanced topics, finally covering how to develop feature rich Android applications that can access Internet-based services and store data. He illuminates each important SDK component through complete, self-contained code examples that show developers the most effective ways to build production-ready code. Coverage includes: understanding the modern Android platform from the developer's standpoint… using widgets, containers, resources, selection widgets, dialogs, and fragments… supporting actions and persistence… incorporating menus, ActionBars, content providers, and databases… integrating media and animations… using web, map, and other services… supporting communication via messaging, contacts, and emails… publishing Android apps, and much more.

Sample Content

Table of Contents

Introduction     1
Key Topics That This Book Covers     1
Key Benefits That This Book Provides     2
How This Book Is Organized     2
Code Examples for This Book     5

I: Fundamentals of Android Development

1  Introduction to Android     9
The Android 4.1 Jelly Bean SDK     9
Understanding the Android Software Stack     11
Installing the Android SDK     12
  Adding Platforms and Other Components     16
  Installing Eclipse     20
  Installing the Android Development Tools (ADT) Plug-in     22
  Making the ADT Plug-in Functional     24
Creating Android Virtual Devices     24
Creating the First Android Project     27
  Laying Out the Application     31
  Defining Action Code Through Java     34
  Running the Application     36
Using the TextView Control     39
  Assigning the Text Directly in the Layout File     39
  Assigning Text Through the Activity File     40
  Applying Dimensions to Controls     42
  Aligning Content with the Gravity Attribute     43
  Commonly Used Attributes     43
Using the Android Emulator     47
  Limitations of the Android Emulator     47
The Android Debug Bridge (ADB)     48
Launching Android Applications on a Handset     50
Summary     51

2  Basic Widgets     53
Understanding the Role of Android Application Components     53
Understanding the Utility of Android API     55
Overview of the Android Project Files     57
Understanding Activities     59
  Understanding the Android Activity Life Cycle     60
Role of the Android Manifest File     61
  Using the Manifest Editor     64
Creating the User Interface     64
Commonly Used Layouts and Controls    66
Event Handling     67
  Creating an Anonymous Inner Class     68
  Activity Implementing the OnClickListener Interface     71
  Declaring the Event Handler in the XML Control Definition     72
Displaying Messages Through Toast     75
Creating and Starting an Activity     76
  Describing Operations Through Intent     77
  Method Used to Start an Activity     77
  Creating Your Own Layout File     78
  Creating a New Activity     79
  Registering the New Activity     80
  Starting the Activity     81
Using the EditText Control     82
  Attributes Used to Configure the EditText Control     82
  Adding an Event Listener to the EditText Control    84
Choosing Options with CheckBox     87
Choosing Mutually Exclusive Items Using RadioButtons     91
Summary     98

II:  Building Blocks for Android Application Design

3  Laying Out Controls in Containers     101
Introduction to Layouts &

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