Developers, build mobile Android apps using Android 4 The fast–growing popularity of Android smartphones and tablets creates a huge opportunities for developers. If you′re an experienced developer, you can start creating robust mobile Android apps right away with this professional guide to Android 4 application development. Written by one of Google′s lead Android developer advocates, this practical book walks you through a series of hands–on projects that illustrate the features of the Android SDK. That includes all the new APIs introduced in Android 3 and 4, including building for tablets, using the Action Bar, Wi–Fi Direct, NFC Beam, and more. Shows experienced developers how to create mobile applications for Android smartphones and tablets Revised and expanded to cover all the Android SDK releases including Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), including all updated APIs, and the latest changes to the Android platform. Explains new and enhanced features such as drag and drop, fragments, the action bar, enhanced multitouch support, new environmental sensor support, major improvements to the animation framework, and a range of new communications techniques including NFC and Wi–Fi direct. Provides practical guidance on publishing and marketing your applications, best practices for user experience, and more This book helps you learn to master the design, lifecycle, and UI of an Android app through practical exercises, which you can then use as a basis for developing your own Android apps.
Professional Android 4 Application Development
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Build unique smartphone and tablet applications with Android 4 Written by an Android authority, this up–to–date resource is an ideal guide to building mobile apps using the Android 4 SDK. It provides in–depth coverage, showing experienced Android developers how to take full advantage of new features, while covering the fundamentals that novice developers need to get started. Serving as a hands–on guide to building mobile apps using Android, the book walks you through a series of increasingly sophisticated projects, each introducing a new Android platform feature and highlighting the techniques and best practices that will help you write compelling Android apps. Professional Android 4 Application Development : Provides an in–depth look at the Android application components and their lifecycles Explores Android UI metaphors, design philosophies, and UI APIs to create compelling user interfaces for phones, tablets, and TVs Introduces techniques for creating map–based applications and using location–based services Looks at how to create background services, Notifications, and Cloud To Device Messaging Demonstrates how to create dynamic and interactive home screen Widgets and Live Wallpaper Explores hardware and communication APIs, including Bluetooth, telephony, WiFi Direct, and NFC Beam Examines the use of the camera and hardware sensors Details the new animation framework and other user experience enhancements, including drag and drop, the Action Bar, and Fragments Includes a new chapter on publishing your apps Introduces the License Verification and In App Billing Services Programmer Forums Join our Programmer to Programmer forums to ask and answer programming questions about this book, join discussions on the hottest topics in the industry, and connect with fellow programmers from around the world. Code Downloads Take advantage of free code samples from this book, as well as code samples from hundreds of other books, all ready to use. Read More Find articles, ebooks, sample chapters and tables of contents for hundreds of books, and more reference resources on programming topics that matter to you. Wrox Professional guides are written by working developers to address everyday needs. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job. wrox.com
About the Author
Reto Meier is Google′s Android Developer Relations Tech Lead. He has been involved in Android development since the initial release in 2007.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Carl P
Format:Paperback
This is a comprehensive and accessible guide to programming Android applications, written by a guy who's been closely involved with the platform since its initial launch.
First reaction - it's massive! Weighing in at over 800 pages, this isn't a book that you would want dropped on your foot or cat. Fortunately, the large size is as a result of a genuine effort to provide detailed information at every stage of the development process.
Organisationally, it's well-thought-through, comprising roughly 20 chapters that cover all aspects of Android app development, beginning with a simple 'Hello, World' (or in this case, 'Hello Android') example, then moving on to more advanced topics such as Databases, Content Providers, and recent technology such as NFC. Post-publication topics such as in-app billing and monetization are covered too.
Content-wise, it's very thorough; leading the reader through each topic with code samples and screenshots taken from the most recent Android release (Ice Cream Sandwich) The whole book seems to have been updated to reflect changes and advances in this newest O/S and the latest APIs. The development environment was Eclipse 3.7. At the time of writing (May 2012) these make it impressively up-to-date.
I'm a professional coder, so for me this book is part-tutorial, part-reference, but I think that it would be useful for less advanced programmers too. Despite its title, it's accessible while not shying away from the necessary detail. There are chunks of humour sprinkled throughout, which can liven up the odd bit of dry subject matter. For example, chapter one provides gentle reassurance that "Despite the name, Android will not help you create an emotionless army of unstoppable robot warriors"...
In summary, if you're looking for a comprehensive reference to Professional App development for the Android platform, I highly recommend this. Disclaimer - as I am an Android developer active in the developer community, the author sent me a copy to review, but these are my honest opinions.
First reaction - it's massive! Weighing in at over 800 pages, this isn't a book that you would want dropped on your foot or cat. Fortunately, the large size is as a result of a genuine effort to provide detailed information at every stage of the development process.
Organisationally, it's well-thought-through, comprising roughly 20 chapters that cover all aspects of Android app development, beginning with a simple 'Hello, World' (or in this case, 'Hello Android') example, then moving on to more advanced topics such as Databases, Content Providers, and recent technology such as NFC. Post-publication topics such as in-app billing and monetization are covered too.
Content-wise, it's very thorough; leading the reader through each topic with code samples and screenshots taken from the most recent Android release (Ice Cream Sandwich) The whole book seems to have been updated to reflect changes and advances in this newest O/S and the latest APIs. The development environment was Eclipse 3.7. At the time of writing (May 2012) these make it impressively up-to-date.
I'm a professional coder, so for me this book is part-tutorial, part-reference, but I think that it would be useful for less advanced programmers too. Despite its title, it's accessible while not shying away from the necessary detail. There are chunks of humour sprinkled throughout, which can liven up the odd bit of dry subject matter. For example, chapter one provides gentle reassurance that "Despite the name, Android will not help you create an emotionless army of unstoppable robot warriors"...
In summary, if you're looking for a comprehensive reference to Professional App development for the Android platform, I highly recommend this. Disclaimer - as I am an Android developer active in the developer community, the author sent me a copy to review, but these are my honest opinions.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
If you want a stimulating book to get you soon up and running, this isn't it.
9 May 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I spend almost as much time having a snooze in between reading the pages than I do reading the pages. I am currently on page 100 and I haven't written a line of code yet. I come from a Java ME background, but still find the content of the book very heavy.
I cannot understand the rationale of introducing Android development with 100+ pages of text with so few examples and, so far, no test programs to try out so you can actually get a feel and better understanding of what's going on.
2 stars as I'm sure the book will get better as it goes on (only another 700 pages to go...), but surely there must be something better out there. I'm beginning to wish that I'd just gone the developer.android.com route instead.
Also, I think people with little programming experience (esp. Java) will struggle with this book.
I cannot understand the rationale of introducing Android development with 100+ pages of text with so few examples and, so far, no test programs to try out so you can actually get a feel and better understanding of what's going on.
2 stars as I'm sure the book will get better as it goes on (only another 700 pages to go...), but surely there must be something better out there. I'm beginning to wish that I'd just gone the developer.android.com route instead.
Also, I think people with little programming experience (esp. Java) will struggle with this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Ollie C
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Reto not only has many years' of experience working with Android, he also works at Google as part of the Android developer relations team - this gives him a unique and valuable perspective. What I really like about the book is not just the broad coverage and the practical examples, but the tips to make the most of the platform. Many Android books are just a rehash of the documentation, but Reto has gone to great lengths to include tips and examples that deliver value over and above the documentation.
As far as I'm concerned this book and Mark Murphy's Commonsware ebooks are essential reading for anyone building Android mobile apps.
My only suggestion for improvement would be to make a passing mention of third-party libraries that add value, particularly ActionBarSherlock (which as far as I saw wasn't mentioned) and services like BugSense/Flurry that are in common use.
As far as I'm concerned this book and Mark Murphy's Commonsware ebooks are essential reading for anyone building Android mobile apps.
My only suggestion for improvement would be to make a passing mention of third-party libraries that add value, particularly ActionBarSherlock (which as far as I saw wasn't mentioned) and services like BugSense/Flurry that are in common use.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite perfect
When you get this book, you can create professional android applications. This book includes lots of advanced chapters which is excellent content
Published 2 days ago by Muhammed Yüce
2.0 out of 5 stars
Would have been clear
Most topics are not fully covered and clear too much of crisp way.
I am sure I cannot build an app just with this book. Read more
I am sure I cannot build an app just with this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Divya
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource for Android development
This book is one of the best resources I used for beginning Android development. All major topics are covered in good detail.
Published 2 months ago by M. Hearne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Android development
I purchased this book to help me update my programming skills. I'm still working my way through it, but its been a great help.
Published 2 months ago by Techbloke
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good read, still not sure kindle for tech books
Well worth the read although I feel that in some parts there need to be more examples. Still, the subject is clearly explained.
Published 2 months ago by Thereviewer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good for the beginner
Started a new project at work and was very helpful getting started and able to lookup certain chapters for a detailed explanation.
Published 3 months ago by Stewart G
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Reference!
This is a great reference book for anyone that develops android applications professionally. Also a good source for finding what are the new Android 4 features and know how to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by jose alves
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book for those new to android.
Having had previous experience with Visual Basic / Java / C++. I needed a book that would introduce me to android without the need to explain what a variable is. Read more
Published 4 months ago by BooBoo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still reading the material
what I have read so far is very good. I still have quite a bit more reading to do to fully develop my skills
Published 4 months ago by Mr. P. C. Chaston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great textbook; clear explanations
I was looking for a reference tome for android with detailed examples, just to have a hardcopy reference without having to browse the android API online all the time . Read more
Published 4 months ago by A. Gagliardi
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