Introduction to Android Development: Before Getting Started

Android Application Development
Seminar on Getting Started

Ahsanul Karim
ahsanul.karim@sentinelbd.com
Sentinel Solutions Ltd.
http://www.sentinelbd.com
Engineering Students Association of Bangladesh (ESAB) http://androidstream.wordpress.com

Before Introduction: Your Suggestions
1. Monotonous discussion should be banned

But, let me try… after all it’s a free seminar.
No one’s going to kill me….

2. This could be the first phase and it should be continued.
3. Arranging a workshop is better than seminar for the novice.

We have following probable plans:

1. Workshops
2. Training Programs
3. Onsite Contests with help from experienced Developers
4. Idea-based Contests with help from experienced Developers
5. Jamming Events

Depends on your feedback

4. You can emphasize on learning OOPs before starting
session on Android. Because very large number of Software
Developer have no clear concept on OOP.
OOP concept is indispensable. But we have to learn in parallel.

5. It might get a little more interesting if the attendants are
allowed to have the opportunity to play or use some of the
android apps themselves.
Can you suggest how can we do that? May be next time we’ll try.
We may review some good apps today.

6. If you give us some knowledge regarding to developing
android software and how to post them in the android
market it can be helpful to us in the future.
We’ll do that in this session

7. You can give us some video about mobile application
programming which can help us.
We’ll provide you complete course content with video tutorials
we did in BASIS (Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services)

8. Consider all type of audience.
Excellent suggestion. We’ll try that

9. Discuss from technological perspective as well as business

10. Forecast about near future associated with Android.

So Today…

1. Get Basic Idea on Mobile and Smartphone Applications
2. Get Basic Idea on Mobile, Smartphone & Tablet Platforms
3. Identify the Position of Android Platform
4. Background and History of Android
5. Get the Idea: Why Should We Learn Android Platform
6. Opportunities
7. Some App Demos
8. System Architecture
9. Environment Setup to Kick-start
10. Application Structure
11. Cross-platform development
12. Resources

Mobile and Smartphone Applications
Mobile Phones
A mobile phone (also called mobile, cellular telephone, cell phone,
or hand phone is an electronic device used to make
1. Calls across a wide geographic area.
2. Send Text SMS
3. Can see call records
4. Can capture image
5. Can run music
6. Can browse web etc.
To learn about mobile phones in details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone

You’ll get detailed history about how this
technology evolved over the years

Mobile Phone Applications: Some Examples
Category: Utility Tools
Personal Finance Calculator

Another example can be: Daily Planner Application
Possible Features:
1. Task List
2. Reminder
3. Appointment etc.

Mobile Phone Applications: Some Examples (Contd.)
Category: Games
Sudoku Tetris Snake

Mobile Phone Applications: Development
1. Different Mobile phone vendor companies use different platforms
for developing applications for their own platform.
2. We’ll discuss about a open “Legacy” platform as an example which
is J2ME

Java Platform, Micro Edition, or Java ME:
1. It is a Java platform designed for embedded systems (mobile
Devices are one kind of such systems) .
2. Target devices range from industrial controls to mobile phones
with Java (KVM support).
Formerly known as Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME).
For details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Platform,_Micro_Edition

Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and many other vendors supports J2ME for
applications and games development

Mobile Phone Applications: Development With J2ME
Limitations
1. Memory Issues
1. Vendor Specific Implementation
2. Insufficient Memory
3. Inefficient Memory Management
2. Device Compatibility Issues
3. Not enough Access to Core System of the Phone
4. Vendor Specific Implementation of KVM

That is why…
We see sites like this:

Smart Phones
1. A smartphone is a mobile phone that
offers more advanced computing
ability, Features and connectivity
than a contemporary mobile phones.
2. Smartphones may be thought of as
handheld computers integrated with a
mobile telephone.
3. They also provide their own Operating
System with Application Development
Framework

To learn about smart phones in details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone

You’ll get detailed history about how this
technology evolved over the years

Smart Phones Platforms

Android iPhone BlackBerry Palm Pre

Tablet Platforms
Android: Galaxy Tab Apple: iPad

Overview of Application Platforms (alphabetically)
Platform Language (s) Remarks
Android Java, C, C++ Open Source OS (Based on Linux)
http://developer.android.com
bada C, C++ Samsung’s mobile platform running on Linux or
RealTime OS
http://developer.bada.com
BlackBerry Java, Web Apps Java, Web Apps, Java ME compatible, extensions
enable tighter integration
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers
iOS Objective-C, C Requires Apple Developer Account
http://developer.apple.com/iphone
MeeGo Qt, C++, others Intel and Nokia guided open source OS (based on
Linux)
http://meego.com/developers
Symbian C, C++, Java, Qt, OS built from the ground up for mobile devices
Web Apps, http://www.forum.nokia.com/symbian
others

Overview of Application Platforms (Cont.)
Platform Language (s) Remarks
webOS HTML, CSS, Supports widget style programming (based on Linux)
JavaScript, C http://developer.palm.com
Windows C#, C .NET CF or Windows Mobile API, most devices ship
Mobile with Java ME compatible JVM
http://developer.windowsmobile.com
Windows C#, VB.NET Silverlight, XNA Frameworks
Phone http://create.msdn.com

Source: http://mobileplatforms.wikidot.com/

Why Android
T h e y s a y a p i c t u r e i s wo r t h

Why Android (Cont.)
T h e y s a y a p i c t u r e i s wo r t h

Why Android: Finally BlackBerry Gives In

Open Handset Alliance (Nov 2007)
Manufacturers: Designing the Android Handsets

Content Providers: Developing Apps Mobile Operators

Markets: Distribution

Why Android (Cont.)

What about ASIA-Pacific region???

Low cost devices from China manufacturers…
$96 Android devices

Why Android (Cont.)
Technical Advantages
No need to pay for any developer’s program to develop and test apps in real
devices

Open source platform with scope of more innovation
(Less proprietary restrictions)

Java programming language

Rich and easy to integrate feature sets

Easy, effective and cost-effective prototyping for research and business

Development Environment Support in Windows, Mac & Linux (Ubuntu)

I ma g i n a t i o n i s t h

Why Android (Cont.)
Business Advantages
Android market:
Integrated market app
One time low registration fee

Many Distribution Channels:
(We’ll see next)

Low Barrier to Market:
No approval process
Less restrictions with copyright issues

Why Android (Cont.)
Opportunities
Android market: (http://market.android.com)
Integrated Android Market Application in phones can ensure your reach to
millions of users without any approval process.
Amazon Appstore for Android:
http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011
Enterprise Market:
https://marketplace.cisco.com/

3rd Party Distribution Channels :
1. Andspot 2. Handango 3. GetJar 4. SlideMe 5.AndAppStore
6. AndroLib 7. AppBrain and many more…

Why Android (Cont.)
Opportunities
Android Market: (1) Analytics to help decision making

Why Android (Cont.)
Opportunities
Android Market: (2) Crash log to support bug fixes

Why Android (Cont.)
Opportunities
Android Market: (3) Requirements

Why Android (Cont.)
Opportunities
Amazon Appstore for Android:

Why Android (Cont.)
Opportunities
Enterprise Market:

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

Why Android (Cont.)
Monetization Opportunities
Paid Apps $ $ $ $ $ $ $
In-App Billing
Free Apps with Ads
AdMob
AdWhirl
Mobclix and many more

Why Android (Cont.)
Freelancing Opportunities
Statistics Source: http://www.elance.com/android-programmers-freelancers/230

Similar trend is seen in other freelancing sites
Can be a good source of income to support your own
product development or research

Why Android (Cont.)
Game Development Opportunities
Case Study: AhhhPah http://ahhhpah.com/

Development Time: 8 hours
Downloads: millions

Simplified Game frameworks
1. Libgdx: http://code.google.com/p/libgdx/
2. AndEngine: http://www.andengine.org/
3. Unity3d: http://unity3d.com/

Why Android (Cont.)
Some Interesting Apps
Shazam
Hear a song you don't know? INSTALLS:10,000,000 - 50,000,000
Shazam identifies it instantly.

Why Android (Cont.)
Some Interesting Apps

Guitar : Solo Lite
INSTALLS:10,000,000 - 50,000,000

Why Android (Cont.)
My Story

ProTranslate INSTALLS: 50,000 - 100,000
It gave us Google’s Device Seeding Program Award
Features:
1. Support for wide range of
languages
2. Share translated text
(Email,SMS,twitter,facebook)
Pronounciation and speech
output
3. Website translation
Document translation and
share via email
4. Auto-prompt to translate SMS
received
5. Optimized for all Android
devices

Why Android (Cont.)
My Story

ProTranslate

Why Android (Cont.)
Research Opportunities
Easy Prototyping of any idea is possible in Android. Some of the advanced
research based projects are prototyped in Android.
mHealth
eMOCA (www.emocha.org)
Developed by the Johns Hopkins
Center for Clinical Global Health
Education,
eMOCHA uses video, audio,
touchscreen quizzes, GPS and
SMS to collect and analyze large
amounts of data.

Why Android (Cont.)
Easy Prototyping of any idea is possible in Android. Some of the advanced
research based projects are prototyped in Android.
mHealth
ClickDiagnostics
http://clickdiagnostics.com/

Developed by ClickDiagnostics,
uses video, audio, touchscreen
Quizzes to upload data to server
to reach the consultants.

Why Android (Cont.)
mHealth

Clinical diagnosis + Data acquisition

Why Android (Cont.)
Android + Arduino = Innovation Unlimited
Arduino (http://www.arduino.cc/)
1. Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform
2. can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its
surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators.

http://arduino.cc/blog/2011/10/12/androi
d-open-2011-massimo-banzi-arduino-
android-infinite-possibilities/

Why Android (Cont.)
Android in Disaster Management
A Mobile Disaster Management System Using the Android Technology
http://www.naun.org/journals/communications/19-280.pdf

Implementation of an Android based disaster management system
http://www.bcdph.com/download/android.pdf

Android Incident Reporting for SAHANA Disaster Management System
http://code.google.com/p/sahana-incident-reporter/

Case Study: Bangladesh Army
1. Custom sensor device to accumulate weather data
2. Create forecast
3. Use data feeds to plan strategies for recovery
4. Integrated solar cell for self sufficient power

Why Android (Cont.)
Application Development Opportunities
Augmented Reality

Some more: http://techsplurge.com/3214/mega-list-33-awesome-augmented-reality-apps-games-android/

Real World Environment+ Sound, Video, Graphics data generated by systems= AR

Why Android (Cont.)
Android in Space!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REsEgrhmMjc

What is Android
Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an
operating system, middleware and key applications. The
Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing
applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.

Google describes Android as:
The first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices, all
of the software to run a mobile phone but without the proprietary
obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation.

Android Features

Features
1. Application framework
2. Dalvik virtual machine
3. Integrated browser
4. Optimized graphics
5. SQLite Storage
6. Media support
7. GSM Telephony
8. Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi
9. Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer
10.Rich development environment

Android Features (Cont.)

Accelerometer GPS

Thermal Sensor
Your App
+ With logic to
Actuate
=

Gyroscope

Light Sensor TTS
Voice Search
Magnetic Sensor

Setting up Development Environment
System Requirements
Supported OS
1. Windows XP (32-bit), Vista (32- or 64-bit), or Windows 7
(32- or 64-bit)
2. Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later (x86 only)
3. Linux (tested on Ubuntu Linux, Lucid Lynx)

Supported Development Environment (Eclipse IDE based)
1. Eclipse 3.4 (Ganymede) or greater/Eclipse Classic (versions
3.5.1 and higher)
2. JDK 1.5 or 1.6
3. ADT Plugin

Setting up Development Environment(Contd.)
To set up the development environment, we need:
1. Java Development Kit (JDK 1.5+, 1.6 is preferable)
2. Eclipse IDE
3. Android SDK

Setting up Development Environment (Contd.)
Java Development Kit (JDK)
Download Link: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

Download JDK from here and Install JDK

Eclipse IDE Download Link: http://eclipse.org/downloads/

Download the highlighted version of Eclipse IDE

Android SDK Link: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Download and Install the SDK starter package from the table above
(Highlighted)

Android SDK Setup (1)
1. Install available packages to get all SDK platform versions

2. Installation progress

3. ADT Plugin for Eclipse

ADT Plugin:
Android Development Tools (ADT) is a plugin for the Eclipse IDE for

1. extending the capabilities of Eclipse to set up new Android projects
2. creating an application UI
3. adding components based on the Android Framework API
4. debugging your applications using the Android SDK tools
5. exporting signed (or unsigned) APKs in order to distribute your application

We’ll see the 5 points gradually during development

4. Installing the ADT

1. Start Eclipse, then select Help >
Install New Software....
2. Click Add, in the top-right
corner.
3. In the next window, you'll see a
list of the tools to be
downloaded. Click Next.
4. Read and accept the license
agreements, then click Finish.
5. When the installation
completes, restart Eclipse.

5. Set SDK path

1. Start Eclipse, then select
Window > Preferences
2. Browse and show the path of
Android SDK.
3. Press Apply and OK.

Development Environment Setup is now completed!

In Our Lab (1)
In our D:// Drive we get:

In Our Lab (2)
First we install JDK

We have already done that

In Our Lab (3.1)
We’ll setup Eclipse Galileo

In Our Lab (3.2)

You can create a shortcut in the desktop for eclipse.exe

In Our Lab (3.3)

Choose your WorkSpace

In Our Lab (3.5)

You have already seen this for previous case Helios
Expecting a question

In Our Lab (3.6)

We’ll become familiar to our new IDE gradually and I swear you’ll start loving it

In Our Lab (4.1)
We’ll setup ADT Plugin

In Our Lab (4.2)

In Our Lab (4.3)

In Our Lab (4.4)

In Our Lab (4.5)

In Our Lab (4.6)

In Our Lab (4.7)

Adding ADT Pluging is DONE… You’ll now get a message

In Our Lab (5.1)
We’ll setup android SDK
After restarting Eclipse we get:

Don’t forget to ask me about the red marks

In Our Lab (5.2)
SDK and AVD Manager: If we click on it:

So, we have to set the location of Android SDK and show it to our IDE

To do so….

In Our Lab (5.3)

In Our Lab (5.4)

In Our Lab (5.5)

In Our Lab (5.6)

In Our Lab (5.6)
We’ll setup DDMS

Now We are Ready

Let’s say “Hello” to the Android World!

Now that our development environment is
ready, we’ll build our first Android application.
In the subsequent slides:
1. We’ll create an application step
by step using the help of IDE and
ADT.
2. We’ll then explain application
structure and identify the
building blocks.
3. We’ll experiment with
components and learn to convert
our innovative ideas into neat
apps.

Let’s say “Hello” to the Android World! (Contd.)
1. Start Eclipse and Go to File>New>Android Project
2. We keep project name “Hello World”
(Since 1970 Ritchie’s book on C
programming, programmers always say
Hello World first)
3. Build Target “Android1.6”
4. Application name: “Hello World”
5. Package name: com.sentinelbd.hallo
6. Initial Activity Name: HalloActivity
7. Min SDK Version: 4
8. Click Finish

Congratulations!
You’ve just created your
first Android application

We’ll explain each input shortly

Let’s Go Deep…
Created Project has the following structure

Project Structure

-Source (src)
-Generated Class (gen)
-Android 1.6 library
-Assets (assets)
-Resource(res)
-drawable-hdpi
-drawable-ldpi
-drawable-mdpi
-layout
-values
-AndroidMenifest.xml
-default.properties

Let’s Go Deep… (Contd.)
To run the app in emulator, we have to do the following steps:

1. Create AVD (Android Virtual Device)
2. Create Run Configuration
3. Run the Application

To run the app in device, we have to do the following steps:

1. Install device driver
2. Connect device through USB
4. Run the Application

We’ll run the app in emulator for now

1. Create AVD (Android Virtual Device)
Use Android SDK & AVD Manager to create AVD


1. Create a Run
Configuration
2. Browse and select
the project to run

3. Select AVD & Run

Click Run to start AVD/emulator

Result in Emulator

Now its time to analyze how it works

Project Structure…
Created Project has the following structure

Project Structure

-Source (src)
-Generated Class (gen)
-Android 1.6 library
-Assets (assets)
-Resource(res)
-drawable-hdpi
-drawable-ldpi
-drawable-mdpi
-layout
-values
-default.properties

Project Structure (Contd.)
-Source (src)
We have used only one class here which is an Activity named HalloActivity. We’ll
describe about Activity in detail with lifecycle shortly. For now we can consider
Activity as Android analogue for the window or dialog in a desktop application. It
can load view from xml layout (here main.xml under res/layout folder)

In the HelloActivity class the view
of the Activity is set from main.xml
given below

-res/layout/main.xml
1. UI Layout can be defined from source code using View or by layout xmls.
2. The layout xml can be generated by visual tool given by ADT

-res/drawable
1. From Android 1.6 to support different screen sizes and screen densities graphic files
are kept in 3 different folders drawable-hdpi, drawable-ldpi and drawable-mdpi
2. In our current project, they contain only default icon file with different dimensions
to support devices with different screen resolution.
-assets
Holds other static files you wish packaged with the application for deployment
onto the device. In this project, we have none
-gen/R.java -values/strings.xml


XML file describing the application being built and what components –
activities, services, etc. – are being supplied by that application

Cross-platform Development
1. RhoMobile http://rhomobile.com/

2. Appcelerator http://www.appcelerator.com/

3. PhoneGap http://www.phonegap.com/

Resources: DVD Tutorials
Day Content
DVD Content
1. Video Tutorials
2. PPT Slides
Ebooks

Tools

Resources: Android Developers’ Site
http://developer.android.com
1. Tutorials & Design Guidelines
2. SDK References
3. Articles on Pragmatic & Good Practices
4. & anything you’ll need including Google IO Videos

Resources: Open Source Projects
1. http://code.google.com/p/apps-for-android/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_Android_applications

Introduction to Android Development: Before Getting Started

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