Android Programming: Getting Started

Android Programming

This section gets you started with the bare-bones basics of Android programming. It covers installing and configuring the necessary software and how to make and test very simple applications.

• Tutorial section in PDF (best for printing and saving).
• Tutorial section on SlideShare (preferred by some for online viewing).
• Topics covered:
  • Installing the Software and Documentation
    • Java 6
    • Eclipse
    • Android SDK base
    • Eclipse ADT Plugin
    • Updated SDK components
    • AVD (Android Virtual Device)
  • Running Apps
    • Import and test an existing app. Run on emulator.
    • Create and test a new app. Run on emulator.
    • Seeing standard output in the DDMS
    • Deploy app to USB-connected Android device
• First sample project (HelloAndroid) used in this section, bundled as anEclipse project. You can import the project directly into Eclipse, but to run it you must have downloaded the Android SDK, loaded the Eclipse ADT plugin, configured Eclipse to recognize the Android SDK, and set up an Eclipse AVD, as described in this section's tutorial.
• Second sample project (AndroidTest) used in this section, bundled as anEclipse project. This is merely the project you get when you do "New Android Project", so you can probably skip importing this project, and just create and test your own instead. Details on the process of doing so are given in this section's tutorial.
• Exercises to reinforce the concepts in this section. I strongly recommend that you try out at least a few of the exercises before moving on to later sections.