Getting Started

Okay, lets get started already, First

An Introduction to the Android Development Environment

The android development environment is made up of several different parts that work together to enable you builds an android application.

1.       The Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

The IDE is where you write your code that you run in order to produce an android application. This IDE is not specific to android application development, it can used for developing other things too (it is generic). Eclipse Foundation manages it.

2.        

The Android Developer Tools (ADT).

This is an eclipse plug-in that adds android specific functionality to eclipse. Good news is, lately they’ve been integrated.  So you just have to download something called the eclipse ADT with Android SDK for Windows.What you will get will be a tool that has both adt and eclipse plus the SDK combined. No need for further configuration. You can get it here.

Installation

After downloading the adt bundle for your operating system onto your computer, extract it from the Zipped file into a folder in a location of your preferred choice. After that you just have to open the folder and run the Eclipse from the purple/blue (or whatever that color is). And that’s it. Eclipse will startup and you’ll be good to go.

Creating the Emulators.

You have create an emulator/ a virtual mobile device that you will you to test your applications. You can do this by clicking the clicking the AVD(android virtual device) manager button on the Menu bar in eclipse and it will present you with a new Window that looks like this.

Select new on your right and specify the specifications of the emulator that you would like to use. At this point, feel free to experiment with any specifications you would like, provided your computer’s specifications are well equipped to handle whichever device you choose.

Once you have all this setup, then we are ready to start coding our first applications.

Why You Should Be Interested

If you are interested in android programming, good for you, but if you are not yet interested, then here is why you should be.

Android is Growing and Growing Fast
Over 500,000 android devices are activated everyday. Imagine that number of devices being activated plus the ones that are already activated and already in the market. That signifies an increasing demand. So if you need a motivation to join android programming, think of the ever increasing demand for android applications resulting from the enormous number of android devices.

The Android Market
While there is demand for apps, there is also great competition among the app developers who are already in the business. The android market has a tone of apps with new ones being added everyday.android market

A Little More About Android
Before we get started, you ought to know a little more about android. As i already explained in the previous post, android is mobile operating system but there is a lot more to it than that. Android also provides several platforms with a wide commnunity of developers and people of interest. Together with the android community, these people help each other in the development and marketing of android apps. Forums, blogs and different websites about new upcoming android technologies all contribute to making android what it is today.

Who makes android Happen?
Google manages android, so google makes android happen. But google doesnot own android, android is free so different mobile phone manufacturers can taks this same android and modify if for the device they are building.

Google gives you all the tools you need to develop android applications free of charge and also provides you with a market where you can sell your apps.

Next we get to start the process of building some stuff. Enough with the boring chit chat. Hope you didn't doze off.

Basic Introduction To android, For all

Hello all, i have had the good fortune to learn android application programming the easy way. I discovered head first android application development and it gave me a great foundation in android, plus it made things look so easy that i genuinely fell in love in with android. Now, its capabilities are limitless and for me, the learning process never ends. I have decided to share what i know with anyone interested in learning. All you need is a little bit of interest.

What is Android
The simplest explanation i can offer to someone without much IT knowledge is that android is an operating system. Like Microsoft windows for computers and laptops, android is an operating systems for mobile devices(smartphones, tablets, smart watches). There are several operating systems for mobile devices, but android is my area of interest and focus.

Capabilities of android
They are limitless, from smartphones from different manufacturers, with different capabilities to tablets, to smart watches and other existing or upcoming devices that i am not yet aware of, android simplifies life.
It simplifies life by making your mobile device more powerful. A more powerful more device means a more useful mobile device.

 Benefits for You
I am writing this blog to help teach anyone who can think and read(that is pretty much everyone) the basics of android application programming.
why? because it is easy to do and its fun plus it is financially rewarding. The financial reward is hard part about android application programming. But it isn't impossible.
 Lots of developers have made tens of thousands of dollars by developing and selling android apps, some even millions.
All it takes is creativity, hard work and persistence. Level of education doesn't matter, all you need is a laptop to start.

My apologies since no code has been written here and no major installations or guidelines have been given, but this is just the introduction to what is going to be a long series about android application development