Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Road to Creating Apps for Android

By Mark Paine


Google developed the Android OS so any person with the appropriate know-how may create applications to operate on an Android cell phone or tablet. Google's strategy to developing smartphones is completely opposite to Apple, preferring control over the applications that individuals can install on their iPhones. The open characteristics of Android ensures that you can literally build whatever you want and people can easily download and install the software. Many programmers have jumped ship from iPhone apps to producing apps for the Android mainly because of the freedom it gives them.

For those who develop an app for the Apple iPhone it is in the hands of a reviewer who ascertains if your app meets certain criteria to be made available on iTunes or if it is right for the app store. Many programs don't get released due to Apple's censorship procedures. In addition, research firm, NDP Group said one half of all smartphone purchases are for Android cell phones. By the end of 2010 Thirty two million handsets were running the Android OS. No surprise everyone is looking into the best way to develop Android applications.

Android apps are programmed in Java. You will need to learn this language or employ a developer who does. You need to download and install the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) from Google. The SDK includes classes, libraries, code examples and an interface to test your brand-new Android program. You may as well download the Google APIs Add-On extension, which includes libraries specific to Google's many different web services.

You'll typically style and design the gui in Illustrator and save in vector format. On the other hand, it is actually advisable to use a talented designer to develop the GUI. The libraries in the SDK also have some standard vector artwork that you can use when building an Android app. Should your app creates info which should be saved and referenced later like a weight loss tracker where you input your weight and track trends on a chart over time you will need to save the data in an SQLite database. You will also need to create the necessary code to create, insert, delete and retrieve data from the database. data from the database.

Getting your finished app from your pc to your Android phone is a touch tad complex mainly because it must be converted, compiled and deployed. Android utilizes a system known as Dalvik Virtual Machine. Your Java Class files must be converted to .dex files using a tool known as DX. After this is done it must be packaged in to an .apk (Android Package) file by using something called the Android Asset Packing Tool. Only when this is done can the application be installed on an Android handset.

The good news is you will find vast libraries of openly available code on the Android developers website and on 3rd party websites which provide lessons on how to get cracking creating your first Android app.




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