Learn Android App Development
Well, you want to get your feet wet in Android app development right? Awesome choice! Millions of people across the globe use android devices this makes it an acute platform to showcase your app-building skills. From beginner to advanced, knowledge in Android app development can lead you a way wherever you go.
What is Android App Development?
In the simplest
terms, Android app development is the process of developing applications for
devices that run on an android operating system. This incorporates everything
from just utilities to all the way gaming apps, and social media platforms. The
great thing about Android development is that you can target so many users with
your app.
Why Should we Learn Android App Development?
Why Learn Android App Development? Mobile OS -
Firstly, Android alone controls a big chunk of the market share in Mobile OS.
This leads more possibility new user for your application. Additionally, there
is always an increasing demand for proper Android development. Get good at this
— like really, you-know-nothing-John-snow-ning-grade level of mastering and not
only are you staying relevant; but your future career prospects also look very
competitive.
Getting Started with Android programming
Tools For Development Environment
First, all you have to do is setting up your
workplace before start the coding. It is comparable to getting your kitchen
ready before cooking a savory dish.
Installing Android Studio
Android studio is the official IDE for android development. It comes with the tools, which help you to design, test and debug your apps. Go to the Android Studio website and download the newest version from there, following installation process.
Configuring Your System
Once you install Android Studio then your system
needs to do some configurations. This requires that you install the Android
SDK, a collection of tools and libraries needed to build your applications.【Android Introduction to Gradle】
No problem, Android Studio will help you each step the way.
Basics of Android Everything
Let's get started with the basics now that you have your environment set up. Core to its ecosystem is the Android framework whereby most android apps are written in Java or Kotlin. If you can get a basic anatomy of an android app, it will ease your way to move forward.
Fundamental Points in Android Development
What do we mean by Android architecture?
Android our architecture the spine of your app.
It consists of loads of layers however are effectively outlined like the ones
in every other layer which come with Linux Kernel, Native Libraries and Android
Runtime. As long as you understand it, which will serve as a solid foundation.
Activities and Fragments Demystified
Activities and fragments are building blocks of an
Android app. Activity is a single screen, fragment is the class which
represents its modular part. Using these components properly is essential for
building native-level user interfaces, as they are quite different in style and
usage compared to traditional web apps.
Exploring Views and Layouts
Views are the fundamental architecture of your app's
UI They are the individual components of any recipe. Views are what holds the
data while layouts arrange them. Having knowledge of Views and Layouts will
help you to create eye-catching apps that end users like using.
Working With Intents and Broadcast Receivers
Put simply, intents are messages that can be passed
to other components of an app. In contrast, broadcast receivers just listen for
particular events and do things when the event happens. They allow us to
interact within the app.
Android Programming For Beginners
Android Development in Java vs Kotlin
Although Java has been the staple language for over
a decade, Kotlin is gradually rising to take its place in android development.
Short, eloquent, and 100% compatible with Java. The language you choose is a
personal decision, but if possible try to learn both.
Basic Syntax and Structure
Java or KotlinRegardless of choosing Java or Kotlin,
it is necessary to understand the Basic Syntax and Structure for both these
languages. This course is designed to teach the basics of kotlin like
Variables, Data Types, Operators and Control Structures.
It Rules Itself To Object Oriented Programming
Android Development is built on OOP. Classes,
objects, inheritance and polymorphism are trivia when it comes to writing
efficient and reusable code.
User Interface Design
Introduction to XML Layouts
This is mostly used for designing Android apps user
interface and it XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It enables you to
specify layout and view of your app UI elements. And this is why we have to
learn XML for designing good apps.
Views: Creating Interactive UIs
Interactive UIs are a key to keep users interested.
It allows you to use a variety of views - such as buttons, text fields and
images- so the users can interact with them in an effective way.
Material Design Guidelines in use
Material Design is designed by Google. It represents
the standard to organize attractive & consistent screens users accesses.
These principles are going to differentiate you from a coder who just knows
something about pixel perfect design by making your apps look professional and
polished.
Handling User Input
Managing Touch Events
Touch events : This is most common type of
interaction. To create a good user experience knowing how to intercept touch
events is crucial.
Working with Input Controls
Buttons, checkbokes and text fields are some of the
most common input control users create. Appreciating these controls will give
you a better footing to build practical and user-efficient interfaces.
Gesture and Multi-Touch Events
Swiping, pinching and tapping are all examples of
how your users interact with this new layer that makes up behavior for app. As
long as you are the master in these gestures, trust me your apps will fly to
other dimension.
Data Storage and Management
Using Shared Preferences
A Shared Preferences is a way to store small amounts
of data in the form of key-value pairs. Since It is great at saving user
setting & preferences
Working with SQLite Databases
SQLite Databases : If you plan to store data in a
more structured form," SQLite databases, it is". They are used to
organize and handle massive structured data.
The Concept of Content Providers
A Content Provider is meant to share data between
different applications. Mastering them will allow your app to talk with other
apps and system services of the device.
Networking and Web Services
Making HTTP Requests
Most of the applications require to communication
with Web Service in order to fetch and send data. Making HTTP requests is
paramount if your app needs to be integrated with online services.
Parsing JSON Data
It is a popular data format used to transmit the
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) over the web. This will help your application
to parse the JSON data and work with it better in web responses.
Network Operations with Retrofit
Retrofit is a type-safe network library for android.
It makes API calling and response parsing easier, which in return giving you a
cleaner and better performant code.
Multimedia in Android Apps
Playing Audio and Video
Users might also enjoy the multimedia capabilities.
This will allow you to use audio and video in your app, making it practical as
well.
Camera : Taking photos
For your app you can implement camera function which
would be add a fun and useful stuff. Using the Camera Is an Essential
SkillWhether you want to use it for selfies or scanning barcodes, knowing a
thing or two about how camera apps work can be beneficial.
Using Media Playback Controls
Media playback controls help users interact with
audio and video content in your app. These are the controls that we will apply
to improve user experience.
Advanced Android Features
Sensors and location services
For mapping location-based apps, accelerometers and
GPS sensors would bring an extra dimension of interactivity to your app. Create
apps that can respond to the world around them using sensor data by learning
how to use these sensors.
Adding Bluetooth Connectivity
You just need to get connected through Bluetooth and
can use your app wirelessly linked with other devices. This comes in handy for
any application that needs to communicate between devices, such as wearable
fitness or smart home device.
BackgroundServices Development
A Background service helps your app to run in the
background during performing tasks even when you are not running on it. Such as
Music Playback, Notification and finally Data Sync.
Debugging and Testing
Through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge and is a
versatile command-line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance
or connected [Android] device. Helps with the process of debugging your app,
and locating / repairing issues in a convenient way.
Create Unit and UI Tests
The purpose of the testing is to make sure your app
works as should be by checking that all functions are operating correctly. Unit
tests make sure things in a single component work as expected, and UI tests
makes us verify overall user experience. QRAnd finally, if you learn to write
and execute these tests your app will be more reliable.
Profiling and Optimizing for Performance
Posted In Interface Profiling tools can help you to
analyze your app's performance and identify bottlenecks. You have to make sure
your app runs smoothly as possible, use resources efficiently and of course
give good user experience.
Publishing Your App
Preparing for Release
You have to ready your app before you release it.
That is everything from rigorous testing down to remaining bug fix and getting
it in accordance with all the guidelines & requirements.
Signing Your App
App signing: A security feature that helps you to
ensure your app is not tampered. It's necessary before your app could be
published to the Google Play Store.
Go to Google Play Store ( Upload )
Deploy your app to the Google Play Store This means
you are going to create a developer account, design your Store listing and then
submit it for review.
Android Development Best Practices
Clean and Maintainable Code
Good code should be readable, understandable, and
maintainable. Adhering to best practices such as naming conventions, code
modularization and writing good documentation will make your practice
manageable.
Security of Your Applications
App security in app development is essential. By
taking steps such as data encryption, secure network communication and adequate
user authentications, you will be protecting your app and its users.
Different devices and screen sizes are optimized
Android comes in many flavors/hosts shapes and
sizes. Designing your app to look and work well on various devices is essential
for maintaining the users experience level.
Learning Resources
Books and Tutorials to Follow
We went through some very good books and tutorials
for learning Android development. Examples of other titles are Android
Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide or Kotlin for Android Developers.
Online Courses and Bootcamps
Online Courses & Bootcamps provide you with
guided learning experiences + handson projects. Great sites like Udemy,
Coursera and Codecademy offer long courses that are perfect for going from
trainee to advanced in a matter of weeks.
Joining Developer Communities
Developer Communities Developer communities are a great place to seek out support, exchange stories and recommendations, get inspired by other young developers or even find collaborative opportunities. Enter the wonderful world of Stack Overflow, Reddit and GitHub - websites that unite developers across the globe to share their knowledge.