02 Understanding Android Menus

This could be your first android project if you are learning. This demonstrates the following

How to create a layout with
  textviews
  buttons
  linear layout 
     vertical
     horizontal
how to gather controls
how to setup buttons
how to respond to buttons
how to read/update edit text controls

We (Sayed, Dave, and I) have spent over 4 years exploring and writing about Android. We have published 5 books in that space on Android and a numerous research notes.

Jitesh, A good friend of mine, has asked me a question a while ago: In what order should I learn Android? When do I know I know Android?

As if that is not an incentive enough, the ever enterprising Paul Bittutsky from Stanton prep borrowed my book to learn Android. Now I am compelled to give a road map.

This is a feeble attempt in answering that question. You can use this as a roadmap or a guidepost for your learning of android.

For the rest of the article click on the title above...

A simple framework for processing forms in Android

An activity or window in Android is a collaboration or collusion of a number of assets such as the activity java file, the layout file, the menu files, the string values xml file etc.

You may want to tie these files together through documentation. For example in the activity file you want to indicate what menu files are used and what layout files are used.

Similarly in the menus file you want to document each menu item and indicate what it does and what java file it is implemented in. What follows is a quick example.

You may want to further embellish it more than what is in here.

See the full article to see the documented menu file.

Click on the item link above to read about Android ActionBar and how to use it.

Intents

This knowledge folder is called "Introduction to Basic Android UI needs". You will find here articles, research journals, code samples etc in one place to help with your basic UI coding. You will find information on resources, intents, list controls etc. Look at the links on the right hand side while viewing this page in the right context. If you don't see these links use this link instead.

Is there a better way to handle forms in Android

Notes on Instance state: OnRestoreInstanceState

Saving persistent data: onPause()

setting up an annonymous onclicklistener

Understand ListActivities, Views, and Adapters. You will explore here

overriding getView of adapters
How to make row elements clickable
How to use view holder pattern
static member classes
difference between 
  clicking a whole row
  and parts of a row.
Providing empty views to a list control

Understanding Intents

UX Resources for Android: A weblog from Kelly Rice

What UI controls are available in Android?

You may be wondering why you should become a mobile developer? I can cite two strong reasons, one of which never existed before. The familiar one is to be part of an IT organization for their mobile programming efforts. The IT opportunities are on the raise but not fully realzied yet unlike what happened with the Web programming paradigm when it came into being. I expect this need, however, to be a gradually increasing demand.

On the other hand, the immediate and exiciting opportunity is for you to become an independent app publisher. The availability of a sales channel for the apps that you write is a unique one in the software industry. Not every one of us is going to be a raising star in an IT organization. The independent developer path gives an avenue for you to grow at your own pace and in the direction that satisfies you. Luck and Patience might even make you rich. At least you can add value to the society in meeting your needs.

So should you decide to venture into the android mobile programming space you want to be prepared with the right hardware that makes this experience bearable. If you are buying a windows laptop see if you can get one with at least 8G of memory, solid state hard drive, and a reasonably fast processor. Expect to spend about a $1000 to a $1500. If you are buying a Mac laptop, similar configuration may cost you about $2500. A good fast configuration is important for android development.

If you are a seasoned Java programmer, given this investment, and a few good books in hand you can expect to be a competent mobile android app devloper in about 6 months.

Should you decide to take this on you may want to follow a well laid out road map for accomplishing the goal of creating meaningul, relentelessly useful apps, not for, but using the Android platform.

Working with Android onCreate()

working with menus