Updated April 15, 2023
Introduction to Android Developers for Beginners
Technology can be nerve-wracking, but it is a soothing balm for all your painstaking efforts. So, however stifling technology can get, you must find an easy way to get your work out of it. Technology has invaded all streams of our life, and being handicapped in its use will take you nowhere. I am myself a little (yes, tiny) scared of technology and more scared of how it works, but I am determined to overcome my fear to make the most out of it. So here in this topic, we will learn about Android Developers for Beginners.
Cellphones-their usage is probably a piece of cake, but with the Android Developers’ tools of the various apps, I would completely steer away from it. However, I have often realized never to say no to anything. And that is why I have decided to get a comprehensive idea about the working of Android developers for beginner’s app development software. I have realized that rudimentary knowledge is a must, and therefore in this article, I have put down things that I was an Android developer for beginners must know.
Guide to Android Developers for Beginners
The guide to Android developers for beginners is as follows:
What is a smartphone?
(I told you I am going to take you to the basic level to make sure you are well-versed with ideas at every level)
A smartphone is a mobile that performs the functions of a phone and a computer. In a nutshell, a smartphone combines two devices, a mobile (helps make calls and messages) and a computer (e-mail, internet surfing, office documents, records, etc. It is the most simplified definition I could render for Android Developers for beginners.
A few smartphone features make it highly unique in terms of its usage. A smartphone runs on an operating system just like a computer. Now the operating system for the laptop is Windows, Ubuntu, and DOS; for the mobile phones, we have iOS, Android, BlackberryOS, HP’s WebOS, and Windows.
iOS runs Apple’s iPhone, BlackberryOS runs the Blackberry phones, Windows operates the Microsoft Phones, and the rest are run by Google’s Android OS and HP’s WebOS, Smartphones running on these operating system allows you to run apps, access directions through GPS, play a variety of music, take photographs and edit them with graphics, download documents and work on them while you are on the run. Your smartphone acts as a capable digital assistant, assisting you in completing tasks at your convenience.
All of the above would not be possible without web access or, put, the internet. With the advent of 3G and now 4G networks, accessing the internet is easy with your smartphone. Plus, there is additional support for the Wifi access at almost all places; your home, office, airport, the mall you go shopping.
Since the basics about our smartphone are straightforward, let’s now discuss our Android operating system, which will be our primary focus.
What is Android?
Android is the operating software for our mobile phones based on Linux. Open Handset Alliance developed Android, led by Google and other companies. It is an open-source software where users are allowed to download the source code and are permitted to tweak it to evolve it into an application for their use. Google has been publishing the source code under the Apache License version 2.0. The Linux kernel published changes under the GNU General Public License version 2.
To create an Android-run application, a pre-requisite knowledge of the Java Programming language ensures a basic level of comprehension of Android programming and makes work relatively fun.
What is Jelly Bean, KitKat?
Though when you first hear their name, it sounds like candies and chocolates for children, they are close to sweets for mobile users. Simply put, KitKat and Jelly Bean are software versions of the Android OS (operating software). While KitKat is the latest technology, Jelly Bean is still running in the market despite the launch of upgraded software. Jelly Bean 4.1 upgraded to Jelly Bean 4.1 version, and after a lot of additional features and rectification from the previous version, Kitkat 4.4 became the latest version launched.
KitKat is an advanced version and runs more efficiently on the hardware of your same phone. Many features have been added to enjoy better functionality for Android developers for beginners. KitKat is lighter and therefore works on 512 MB of RAM.
The latest to join this team is Android Lollipop which is available in versions 5.0 and 5.1.1. The Lollipop has been launched with changes in the interface concentrating on the design language known as “Material Design .”A 6.0 version of Android Marshmallow followed Lollipop.
What is Android SDK?
Software development for Android takes place to create new Android developers for beginners and run them efficiently on the latest interfaces or the Android OS. Android software development kit (SDK) can build Applications for Android. The Android SDK comprises development Android developers tools such as da bugger, libraries, a handset emulator based on QEMU, tutorials, sample code, and documentation. Platforms like Linux, Mac OS X 10.5.8 and its upgraded versions, and Windows XP and the latest offerings by Windows in its upgraded versions can use SDK.
Android Studio, made by Google and powered by IntelliJ, is an IDE (integrated development environment) officially developed IDE; however, Google allows Android developers’ tools the freedom to use others. The SDK supports older versions of the interface hence making it easy for Android developers for beginners to market their applications to a wide range of users. The Android developers for beginners are available in the .apk format.
Getting Started with Android Developers Tools for Beginners
Considering our very basics have been cleared, let’s move on to the more difficult part of the Android developers for beginners and how to use it to create our own Android developers tools.
Installing SDK
Life has become much easier post-Google. It’s a fact, and downloading Android SDK has become a cakewalk thanks to our very own Google, which has launched a new package according to which one download makes you ready to use Android developers’ tools like ADB and fastboot.
Download SDK from Google. Extract the file after compressing it into
- Windows: C: drive
- OS X: home folder and
- Linux: home folder
The SDK components require a working version of Sun Java from Oracle. If you don’t have Java installed and can’t do that, I am sorry I cannot return to the roots. You are not ready for this. To run a command from the terminal or command line, the PATH variable in your computer’s OS is necessary. You could not set the PATH in the autoexec.bat file or autoexec.nt file, thus, you need to update your system to add the full path to the Android SDK tools and folders in the edit box, separated by a semi-colon. Now you have to save the file and reboot your computer. You have installed the file.
Setting the Playground
Before we jump into the Android developers for beginners’ design and interface and the long list of heavy doses, let’s ensure you have your rudimentary things ready to play to the next level. More straightforwardly, let me tell you,
- Download Android Studio
- Download the latest SDK tools and platforms using the SDK Manager
Creating the Project
Create a new project from the Welcome Screen and fill in the fields for the next step. Fill in the Application Name, Company domain, and Package Name and save it in a location of your choice.
An option called Select the form factors your app will run on needs to be checked. Wherever you want to run your Android developers for beginners, for example, phone and tablet, select them.
To ensure that the maximum number of devices supports your Android developers for beginners, select the lowest level available for SDK- API 8: Android 2.2 (Froyo).
Since we are creating a primary Android developer for beginners, we don’t need to select options such as TV, Wear, and Glass.
Select Blank Activity and click Next. Change the Activity name under the customize option.
Click on Finish to complete the process of creating a project.
This project is the most basic of all and contains default files.
Developing the App
You need to create a layout of your Android developer’s app in XML, including a text field and button. The app responds upon pressing the button and sending the content of the text field to another activity.
- Create a Linear Layout
When you open a layout file, it directs you to see the Preview Pane. Clicking this page leads you to the WYSIWYG Android developer’s tools in the Design pane.
Linear Layout specifies a vertical or horizontal layout as the Android developer tools specify. The Layout should fill the entire screen area.
- Adding a Text Field
To identify the project with specific XML properties, a unique identifier for the reference code for your app code is necessary.
- Add String Resources
A string resource file exists by default with your Android developers for beginners’ projects. String resources allow you to handle the UI text in a single location, thus enabling you to find and work on it efficiently.
- Add a button
It is a part of the layout process. Buttons are added as widgets to ensure that the content in the Android developer’s tools is fitted and wrapped with the Android developers for beginner’s design.
- Make the Input Box, Fill in the Screen Width
It is necessary to ensure that your Android developers for beginners look aesthetic with the Android developer’s app design, thus guaranteeing the height and width of the screen in proportion to the content is worked out at this stage.
Running the App…
The running of your Android developer’s app is dependent on two factors.
- Are you using Android Studio?
- Do you have an actual device running Android?
Considering the above two as the main ways to check your Android developers for beginners, let’s learn both.
Running the Android developers app from Android Studio
Select your project’s file and click run from the toolbar.
A Choose Device window appears where you must select the running device and click OK. Android Studio will install the app, and you can run your basic check.
Running the Android developer’s app through a command line
You need to open a command line and go to the root of the project directory. You would have to use Gradle to build your project in debug mode. After you finish creating your project, the output APK in the module is located.
On the device, locate the app and open it.
Recommended Article
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