Ed Burnette - Hello, Android: Introducing Googles Mobile Development Platform

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Id like to thank the many people who made this book possible, including the readers of the previous editions for all their great suggestions; my editor, Susannah Pfalzer, for her attention to detail; Craig Castelaz, Javier Collado, Eric Hung, Edward Ingram, Chris Johnson, Howard Koslow, Helen Li, Irakli Nadareishvili, Jan Nonnen, Jason Pike, Mike Riley, Sam Rose, Loren Sands-Ramshaw, Carlos Santana, Charley Stran, and Stephen Wolff for providing valuable review comments; and especially Lisa, Chris, and Michael, for their continued patience and support.

Android is an open source operating system for mobile phones and tablets that was created by Google and its partners and contributors. Its inside over a billion cell phones and other mobile devices, making Android the #1 platform for application developers. Whether youre a hobbyist or a professional programmer, whether youre doing it for fun or for profit, you need to learn more about developing for Android. This book will help you get started.

Many other mobile platforms are available on the market today, including iOS, Windows, Tizen, Firefox OS, and more. So why do people choose Android over the others? Whats the difference?

Although some of its features have appeared before, Android is the first environment that combines the following:

• An open, free development platform based on Linux and open source: Handset makers like it because they can use and customize the platform without paying a royalty. Developers like it because they know that the platform has legs and is not locked into any one vendor that may go under or be acquired.

• A component-based architecture inspired by Internet mashups: Parts of one application can be used in ways not originally envisioned by the developer. You can even replace built-in components with your own improved versions. This has unleashed a new round of creativity in the mobile space.

• Tons of services out of the box: Location-based services use GPS or cell tower triangulation to allow you to customize the user experience depending on where you are. A full-powered SQL database lets you harness the power of local storage for occasionally connected computing and synchronization. Browser and map views can be embedded directly in your applications. All these capabilities help raise the bar on functionality while lowering your development costs.

• Automatic management of the application life cycle: Programs are isolated from each other by multiple layers of security, which provide a high level of system stability. The end user doesnt have to worry about what applications are active or close some programs so that others can run. Android is optimized for low-power, low-memory devices in a fundamental way that no previous platform has attempted.

• High-quality graphics and sound: Smooth, antialiased 2D and 3D-accelerated graphics have enabled new kinds of games and business applications. Codecs for the most common industry-standard audio and video formats are built right in, including H.264 (AVC), MP3, and AAC.

• Portability across a wide range of current and future hardware: All your programs are written in Java and executed by Androids ART ahead-of-time compiler or Dalvik virtual machine, so your code will be portable across ARM, x86, and other architectures. Support for a variety of input methods is included, such as keyboards, game pads, touch, TV remotes, mice, and trackballs. User interfaces can be customized for any screen resolution and orientation.

Android offers a fresh take on the way mobile applications interact with users, along with the technical underpinnings to make it possible. But the best part of Android is the software that youre going to write for it. This book will help you get off to a great start.