Android Apps Programming

Introduction
For a long time, cell phone developers comprised a small sector of a larger group of
developers known as device developers. Embedded device manufacturers typically
needed to guard their hardware secrets closely, so they gave embedded device
developers few libraries to call when trying to internet with a specific device. Most
embedded devices ran proprietary operating system. The common practice is to use
completely proprietary and closed software to run their devices.
Homebrew Developers
This refers to the developers who do not work for Cell Phone Development
Company and generally produce small one of the products on their own time.
Open Handset Alliance
The Open Handset Alliance is a group of hardware and software developers
established in November 2007. It has 65 members, including mobile phone makers,
software developers, mobile carriers and chip makers, whose goal is to create a more
open cell phone environment.

Web Application vs Mobile application

Web Application

Mobile Application

Universal access

No universal access

Automatic updates

Difficult to manage updates

Few and weak GUI controls

Many GUI controls

Hard to write

Easier to write

Cannot interact with local resources

Can interact with local resources

Inefficient communication

Efficient communication

Designed for large displays with

Designed for small displays with touch

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mouse
Iphone Apps vs Android apps
iPhone Apps

screen

Android Apps

Uses Objective-C to develop apps

Uses Java and C/C++ in developing apps

In-house-developed corporate apps

I-Phone apps can only be installed via
the App Store. iPhone requires you to
submit app to the Apple App Store
and get approval, even for apps from
your own company

Android apps can be installed through

Google App Store
Amazon App Store
USB connection from PC
Email
Corporate Web site

Operating Systems for Developing Apps :

Macs

Anything with Java and Eclipse (Macs, PCs,

Linux, Solaris

What is Android?
Android is a free and open operating system from Google that runs on all kinds of
devices from phones, to tablets and even televisions. Android was built using Android as
a system is a java based operating system which was built using Linux(version 2.6) at
its core, and the philosophy was simple: Make a powerful mobile operating system that
is free and open-source.
The system is a very lightweight and full featured. Android applications are
developed using Java and can be ported rather easily to the new platform. Other
features of Android include an accelerated 3D graphics engine (based on hardware
support), database support powered by SQLite, and an integrated web browser. One
of the more exciting features of Android is that because of its architecture, third party
applications are executed with the same priority as those that are bundled with the core
system. Also, each application is executed within its own thread using a very lightweight
virtual machine. We now have access to anything the operating system has access too.
Android itself is not a language but rather an environment within which to run
applications.
Android Architecture

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Linux Kernel
Android OS is built on top of the Linux 2.6 Kernel

Linux Core Functionality

Memory Management
Process Management
Networking
Security Settings
Hardware drivers

Libraries

Libc c standard lib.

SSL Secure Socket Layer
SGL 2D image engine
OpenGL | ES 3D image engine
Media Framework media codecs
SQLite Database engine
WebKit Kernel of web browser
FreeType Bitmap and Vector
SufraceManager Compose window manager with off-screen buffering.

Android Runtime
Core Libraries Provides the functionality of the Java Programming Language
Dalvik Virtual Machine

Application Framework
The block that applications directly interact with

Activity Manager
Content Providers
Telephony Manager
Location Manager
Resource Manager
Package Manager
Window Manager

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View System

Applications
This is where applications are placed

SMS client app

Dialer
Web browser
Contact Manager

Android Timeline 2003-2011

2003
Android Inc is established by once-upon-a-time staffer Andy Rubin and Rich Milner.

2005
In July 2005 Google acquired 22-month-old start-up Android Inc for an undisclosed
sum. Google bought the company for its engineering nous and technology.

2006
Rubin and his developers adapt the somewhat arcane (to non-techies) OS Linux into
something user friendly and easy to upgrade. Google then hawks its platform around
to handset makers and networks and invites them to contribute.

2007
In November 2007, a group of handset manufacturers, wireless carriers, and
software developers formed the Open Handset Alliance. It was in November 12,
2007 when they released the Google Android SDK.

2008
The first-ever Android phone arrives in August the shape of the HTC Dream
exclusively on T-Mobile. Re-branded the T-Mobile G1 for us in Blighty, the handset
debuts to some smart reviews from the tech press.

2009
In March, the HTC myTouch 3G hits the US and also passes the million mark in six
months. Its the first-ever budget blower running Android and its keen price point will
prove to be Googles secret weapon in the OS wars. The first-ever Android OS
update lands the very next month. Dubbed Cupcake, Android 1.5 brings a new soft
keyboard, home screen widgets and video recording to the platform.

2010
The year starts with first-ever Google branded phone named from Philip K Dicks
Cyberpunk novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the Nexus One came out in
the market but didnt fulfil the sales expectations of some analysts. The HTC Desire
breaks cover in February. Its the most powerful Android phone at that time. The
Wildfire lands a few months later and although it lacks the might of its older brother,
stands out for a stylish aluminum uni - body construction.

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While those two phones establish HTC as the go-to Android phone maker, its status
soon comes under attack from an unexpected source, namely Samsung. Thats
underlined when the ten million-selling Galaxy S grabs the title of the European
Smartphone of the Year at the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA)
Awards 2010-2011.
Also, it is the year when the first Android tablets released. Amid cheapie efforts from
clothes retailer Next and the smartphone cum slate hybrid the Dell Streak, the pick
of the bunch is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The years big update news is the arrival
of Froyo or to give its more formal title Android 2.2. By the end of the year, its
Android Gingerbread 2.3 thats on everyones lips.

2011
The years two biggest tech events, namely the Mobile World Congress and the
Consumer Electronics Show are dominated by Android 2.3 Gingerbread powered
phones. The major change from last years challengers is the addition of beefed up
dual core processors, which feature in the Samsung Galaxy S2, the LG Optimus 2X
and the Sony Ericssons Xperia Arc and camera-focussed Neo, LGs Optimus 3D,
which adds 3D media playback, gaming, video recording and still photography to the
Android platform.
It is also the year when Android ramps up its challenge in the tablet space in the
shape of three new additions to the Galaxy Tab range, the Motorola Xoom and the
HTC Flyer. That was marked by the creation of Honeycomb - the first version of the
software created specifically with tablets in mind, adding larger icons to take
advantage of tablets extra display real estate, a 3D user interface, new notifications
and revamped Android Market.

[Source: http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/news/2011/04/android_timeline_2003_2011/]
Android Versions
The first Android handset (the T-Mobile G1) began shipping in late 2008. Since its
release in 2008, Android has received several version updates, all code-named after
desserts (with the exception of Android 1.1, which is irrelevant nowadays). Each version
of the Android platform has added new functionality that is relevant, in one way or
another, for game developers.

Cupcake (Version 1.5)

Cupcake was the first major overhaul of the Android OS. The Android 1.5
SDK
was released in April 30, 2009 and brought along plenty of UI changes, the
biggest probably being support for widgets and folders on the home
screens. There were plenty of changes behind the scenes, too.
Cupcake brought features like improved Bluetooth support,
camcorder functions, and new upload services like YouTube and
Picasa. Android 1.5 ushered in the era of the modern Android phone,
and the explosion of devices included favorites like the HTC Hero/Eris, the Samsung
Moment, and the Motorola Cliq.

Donut (Version 1.6 )

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Version 1.6 introduced support for different screen resolutions.

Donut, released in September 15, 2009, built on the features that
came with Android 1.5, and expanded them. Android 1.6 made
some major improvements behind the scenes, and provided the
framework base for the amazing features to come. Donut brought
support for higher resolution touchscreens, much improved camera
and gallery support, and perhaps most importantly, native support for Sprint and
Verizon phones. Without the technology in Android 1.6, there would be no Motorola
Droid X or HTC Evo 4G. The devices released with Android 1.6 cover a wide range
of taste and features, including the Motorola Devour, the Garmin phone, and the
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

clair (Version 2.0/2.01/2.1)

clair support for multi-touch screens. Introduced in
October 26, 2009, Android 2.0 first appeared on the
Motorola Droid, bringing improvements in the browser,
Google Maps, and a new user interface. Google Maps
Navigation also was born in Android 2.0, quickly bringing
the platform on par with other stand-along GPS navigation systems. Android 2.0
quickly gave way to 2.0.1, which the Droid received in December 3, 2009, in efforts
to fix some small bugs and update the API for developers. It wasnt until January 12,
2010 that Android was moved to version 2.1.

Froyo (Version 2.2)

Version 2.2 was announced in May 20, 2010 at the Google IO
conference in San Francisco. The single largest change was
the introduction of the Just-In- Time Compiler -- or JIT which
significantly speeds up the phones processing power. Along
with the JIT, Froyo also brings support for Adobe Flash 10.1.
That means we can play our favorite Flash-based games in
Android's web browser. Froyo also brought native support for
tethering, meaning we could use our Android smartphone's data connection to
provide Internet (wirelessly or with a USB cable) to just about any device we want.

Gingerbread (Version 2.3)

Version 2.3 came out December 6, 2010, and like Eclair, has a new
"Googlephone" to go along with -- the Nexus S. Gingerbread brings
few UI enhancements to Android, things like a more consistent
feel across menus and dialogs, and a new black notification bar,
but still looks and feels like the Android we're used to, with the
addition of a slew of new language support. Gingerbread brings
support for new technology as well. NFC (Near Field Communication)
now supported, and SIP (Internet calling) support is now native on Android.

is

Honeycomb (Version 3.x)

Android 3.0 came out in February 2011 with Motorola Xoom. It's the first version of
Android specifically made for tablets, and brings a lot of new UI elements to the
table. Things like a new System bar at the bottom of the screen to replace the
Status bar we see on phones, and applications button are a great addit ion for the

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screen real estate offered by Android tablets. Some of the

standard Google applications have also been updated for use
with Honeycomb, including the Gmail app and the Talk app.
Both make great use of fragments, and the Talk app has video
chat and calling support built in. Under the hood, 3D rendering
and hardware acceleration have been greatly improved. It also
shows Google's new distribution method, where manufacturers are given the source
code and license to use it only after their hardware choices have been approved by
Google. Improvements to Honeycomb were announced at Google IO in May 10,
2011 as Android 3.1, and Android 3.2 has followed on July 15, 2011.

Ice Cream Sandwich (Version 4.0)

Version 4.0 was released in October 19, 2011. Dubbed Ice
Cream Sandwich and finally designated Android 4.0, Ice
Cream Sandwich brings many of the design elements of
Honeycomb to smartphones, while refining the Honeycomb
experience. The first device to launch with ICS was the
Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Motorola Xoom and the ASUS Transformer Prime
were the first tablets to receive updates, while the Samsung Nexus S was the first
smartphone to make the jump to Android 4.0. Four minor updates have since been
released for ICS devices from November of 2011 to March of 2012. These updates
focused on stability improvements, camera performance, and bug fixes.

Jelly Bean(Version 4.1-4.3)

Jelly Bean was released on July 9, 2012. With the release of the
ASUS Nexus 7, followed by a quick update for unlocked Galaxy
Nexus phones. Later in the year, the release of the Nexus 10 and
Nexus 4 updated things from 4.1 to 4.2 (November 13, 2012) and to
4.3 (July 24, 2013), but the version remained Jelly Bean. Jelly Bean
brings multi-user accounts, actionable notifications, lock screen
widgets, quick-settings in the notification bar, Photosphere to the
"stock" Android camera and Google Now. Other features of the Jelly Bean versions
include customizable keyboard layouts, expandable notifications, application-specific
notification filtering, and multichannel audio.

KitKat(Version 4. 4)
Google announced that the next version of Android would be
named for their favorite confectioneries Kit Kat bars on
September 3, 2013.

Just say Ok Google to launch voice search, send a text, get

directions or even play a song.

It takes system performance to an all-time high by optimizing

memory and improving the touchscreen so that it responds faster and more
accurately than ever before.

We can print photos, documents, and web pages from our phone or tablet.

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From apps like Quickoffice, we can open and save files on Google Drive, other
cloud storage services, or our device.

Create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations from our phone or
tablet with the newly redesigned Quickoffice

Lollipop(Version 5.0)
Google has announced Android 5.0 Lollipop on June 25, 2014 and
became available on November 12, 2014.

The smarts of Android on screens big and small

Pick up where we left off
More tangible interaction
The right information at the right moment
More time playing, less time charging
More ways to secure our device

Marshmallow(Version 6.0)
It was first unveiled in May 2015 at Google I/O under the codename
"Android 'M'". It was officially released in October 2015
introducing a new permissions architecture, new APIs for
contextual assistants (a feature notably leveraged by "Google
Now On Tap"a new capability of the Google Search app), a new
power management system that reduces background activity when
a
device is not being physically handled, native support for fingerprint
recognition and USB Type-C connectors, the ability to migrate data to a micro
SD card and use it as primary storage, as well as other internal changes.

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