7-May-11 (Created: 7-May-11) | More in 'Android 1.5'

Pro Android 2: A Developers Handbook

What is Pro Android 2

Pro Android 2 is a detailed look at (java based) application development on Google's Mobile OS published by APress. The book is written by Sayed Hashimi, Satya Komatineni., and Dave MacLean. This book covers the Android API all the way to its current public release which is 2.1.

We have covered most aspects of the extensive java based Android API. The book gives you a consolidated experience of the Android API in a single place. This book is critically reviewed by Vikram Goyal and Douglas Pundick. We have gone through multiple rewrites to make sure the content is streamlined and valuable to the reader. We have much to thank Vikram and Douglas.

We think the book has strengths where it really counts. For example intents, resources and content providers are new concepts introduced to the programming community through Android OS. We have covered these topics really well from a programming perspective and also from an architecture perspective. Also, the book is full of working examples.

The SDK documentation on animation, although available, is somewhat incoherent. We have streamlined animation capabilities so that it reads really well in a single sitting.

The SDK documentation on OpenGL is almost non existent in both 1.0 and 1.5 APIs. We have gone to great lengths in the book to give you a starting point for OpenGL for Java programmers that have very little OpenGL background. We have covered OpenGL concepts, basic drawing, textures, animation, and abstract shapes.

HTML5 is going provide a new programming paradigm for desktops and also mobile. We have an extensive introduction to Titanium Mobile that uses WebKit to program for Android.

We have covered Live Folders, Homescreen Widgets, and Android Search extensively. We have covered gestures, text to speech, Google maps, and translate APIs.

We wrote the book with Java developers in mind, those that want a single source that they can use as a learners guide and a reference as they go through Android development.

This is an extensive book with 19 chapters and almost 700 pages. Here is the table of contents.

  1. Introducing the Android Computing Platform
  2. Getting Your Feet Wet
  3. Using Resources, Content Providers, and Intents
  4. Building User Interfaces and Using Controls
  5. Working with Menus and Dialogs
  6. Unveiling 2D Animation
  7. Exploring Security and Location Based Services
  8. Building and Consuming services
  9. Using the Media Framework and Telephony APIs
  10. Programming 3D graphics with OpenGL
  11. Managing and Organizing Preferences
  12. Exploring Live Folders
  13. Home Screen Widgets
  14. Android Search
  15. Exploring Text to Speech and Translate APIs
  16. Touchscreens
  17. Titanium Mobile: A webkit based approach to Android development
  18. Working with Android Market Place
  19. Outlook and Resources

Here is an overview of the authors.

Sayed Hashimi

Sayed Y. Hashimi is a consultant and trainer in Jacksonville, Florida. Sayed has worked for startups and Fortune 100 companies. He has developed large-scale distributed applications with a variety of programming languages and platforms, including C++, Java, and .NET. Sayed has published in major software journals on topics ranging from low-level programming techniques to high-level architecture concepts.

You can find his website at http://www.sayedhashimi.com.

Satya Komatineni

Satya komatineni has been programming for too long, frankly, (over 20 years) in the IT and Web space. He has worked with Assembly, C, C++, Rexx, Java, C#, Lisp, Html, Javascript, CSS, Relational databases, Object databases and related technologies. He has published over 30 articles touching many of these areas in a number of gullible print and online magazines. The primary list of articles are available at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/241. Satya has also managed to confuse O'Reilly Open Source Convention (OSCON) organizers a few times in the past couple of years to be a speaker at OSCON on a number of obscure concepts.

He went on to start an outfit that he named Active Intellect, Inc., based on the same quixotic concepts surrounding web based presence, computing, and individual productivity. You will find him more than often at his site that is developed using the same underlying technologies at http://www.satyakomatineni.com. You can find a bit more detailed but probably an ancient resume here.

While closely working with Indent, inc., he was involved in a number of projects funded by Small Business Innovative Research program. One of the programs developed is an early javascript and SVG based drawing program that works like a mini-visio on the web. He has also helped Indent to optimize J2EE portals for rapid development and deployment of websites.

Satya holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, India, 1986, and a Bachelors degree in electrical engineering from Andhra University, India, 1984. Although he thoroughly enjoyed the subject of Electrical Engineering the value is primarily nostalagic.

You can find his website at http://www.satyakomatineni.com

Dave MacLean

Dave MacLean is a software engineer and architect currently living and working in Jacksonville, FL. He has programmed in many languages since 1980 developing systems ranging from robot automation systems to data warehousing, web self-service applications to EDI transaction processors. Dave has worked for Sun Microsystems, IBM, Trimble Navigation, General Motors, and several small companies. He graduated from the University of Waterloo in Canada with a degree in Systems Design Engineering.

Where to go from here

1. You can browse source code online for some of the chapters here. This is handy to cut and paste some code snippets and examples. You can click here to see the Errata.. You can download eclipse projects for ProAndroid 2 here.

2. You can also download the entire source code for the book from the Apress site here. This is handy to cut and paste some code snippets and examples.

3. Here are some articles and notes we are keeping on Android This is our research source. We will be posting frequently based on our work on Android.

4. Here are some articles and notes I am keeping on Android OpenGL This is my research source for Android OpenGL. I will be posting frequently based on my work on Android OpenGL. This is my resource. Hopefully this will help you as well.

5. Here are the details to the previous edition of the book You will find here access to older source code, projects, and notes.

You can always reach me directly at satya.komatineni at gmail.com