Capturing more than half of the global smartphone market, Google’s Android mobile platform offers a vibrant and growing marketplace for developers. In this book, Android programming expert Chris Haseman shows you how to use the powerful set of Android tools to begin writing the next generation of Android applications. Chris provides a complete introduction to developing for Google’s mobile OS, offering tons of insights and hard-earned advice. After a tour of how to install and configure the Android SDK and Eclipse IDE, you jump right in, building your first Android project. Chris starts off with how to use the major building blocks to create an intuitive and good-looking interface. Next, he shows you how to retrieve data and how to use lists to display data. Chris then explores how to use services—important, and often under-utilized, components of the Android platform. Chris examines how to handle media and location services before showing you how to write applications for the Android ecosystem.

Includes index.

Machine generated contents note: Downloading Developer Software -- The Android Software Development Kit -- Eclipse -- Java -- Getting Everything Installed -- Installing Eclipse -- Installing the Android SDK -- Downloading a Package -- Configuring Eclipse -- Adding the Android Plug-in to Eclipse -- Locating the SDK -- Creating an Emulator -- Working with Your Android Phone -- Creating a New Android Project -- Running a New Project -- Troubleshooting the Emulator -- Wrapping Up -- The Files -- The Manifest -- The Activity Class -- Watching the Activity in Action -- Implementing Your Own Activity -- The Life and Times of an Activity -- Bonus Round-Data Retention Methods -- The Intent Class -- Manifest Registration -- Adding an Intent -- Listening for Intents at Runtime -- Moving Your Own Data -- The Application Class -- The Default Application Declaration -- Customizing Your Own Application -- Accessing the Application -- Wrapping Up -- The View Class -- Creating a View -- Altering the UI at Runtime -- Handling a Few Common Tasks -- Creating Custom Views -- Resource Management -- Resource Folder Overview -- Values Folder -- Layout Folders -- Drawable Folders -- Layout Management -- The ViewGroup -- The AbsoluteLayout -- The LinearLayout -- The RelativeLayout -- Wrapping Up -- The Main Thread -- You There, Fetch Me that Data! -- Watchdogs -- What Not to Do -- When Am Ion the Main Thread? -- Getting Off the Main Thread -- Getting Back to Main Land -- There Must Be a Better Way! -- The AsyncTask -- How to Make It Work for You -- A Few Important Caveats -- The IntentService -- Declaring a Service -- Fetching Images -- Checking Your Work -- Wrapping Up -- Two Pieces to Each List -- ListView -- Adapter -- A Main Menu -- Creating the Menu Data -- Creating a ListActivity -- Defining a Layout for Your ListActivity -- Making a Menu List Item -- Creating and Populating the ArrayAdapter -- Reacting to Click Events -- Complex List Views -- The 1000 foot View -- Creating the Main Layout View -- Creating the ListActivity -- Getting Twitter Data -- Making a Custom Adapter -- Building the ListViews -- How Do These Objects Interact? -- Wrapping Up -- What Is a Service? -- The Service Lifecycle -- Keeping Your Service Running -- Shut It Down! -- Communication -- Intent-Based Communication -- Binder Service Communication -- Wrapping Up -- Uncovering the Secrets of the rest Folder -- Layout Folders -- What Can You Do Beyond Landscape? -- The Full Screen Define -- Limiting Access to Your App to Devices That Work -- The <uses> Tag -- SDK Version Number -- Handling Code in Older Android Versions -- SharedPreferences and Apply -- Reflecting Your Troubles Away -- Always Keep an Eye on API Levels -- Wrapping Up -- Movies -- Adding a Video View -- Setting up for the Video View -- Getting Media to Play -- Loading and Playing Media -- Cleanup -- The Rest, as They Say, Is Up to You -- Music -- MediaPlayer and State -- Playing a Sound -- Cleanup -- It really is that simple -- Longer-Running Music Playback -- Binding to the Music Service -- Finding the Most Recent Track -- Playing the Audio in the Service -- Cleanup -- Interruptions -- Wrapping Up -- Location Basics -- Mother May I? -- Be Careful What You Ask For -- Finding a Good Supplier -- Getting the Goods -- The Sneaky Shortcut -- That's It! -- Show Me the Map! -- Getting the Library -- Adding to the Manifest -- Creating the MapActivity -- Creating a MapView -- Run, Baby, Run -- Fragments -- The Lifecycle of the Fragment -- Creating a Fragment -- Showing a Fragment -- Providing Backward Compatibility -- The Action Bar -- Showing the Action Bar -- Adding Elements to the Action Bar -- Wrapping Up -- Packaging and Versioning -- Preventing Debugging -- Naming the Package -- Versioning -- Setting a Minimum SDK value -- Packaging and Signing -- Exporting a Signed Build -- Backing Up Your Keystore File -- Submitting Your Build -- Watch Your Crash Reports and Fix Them -- Update Frequently -- Wrapping Up.

pbk.