The comprehensive developer guide to the latest Android features and capabilities

Professional Android, 4th Edition shows developers how to leverage the latest features of Android to create robust and compelling mobile apps. This hands-on approach provides in-depth coverage through a series of projects, each introducing a new Android platform feature and highlighting the techniques and best practices that exploit its utmost functionality. The exercises begin simply, and gradually build into advanced Android development. Clear, concise examples show you how to quickly construct real-world mobile applications.

This book is your guide to smart, efficient, effective Android development.

• Learn the best practices that get more out of Android
• Understand the anatomy, lifecycle, and UI metaphor of Android apps
• Design for all mobile platforms, including tablets
• Utilize both the Android framework and Google Play services

Hands-on Android development using the platform's latest features

This new Fourth Edition is fully revised and expanded to provide in-depth coverage of the Android SDK, 10 years after its first release. It includes detailed coverage of the fundamentals needed by novice developers, and explores advanced features and best practices essential to experienced Android developers creating compelling user experiences. Hands-on-exercises clarify complex concepts, while in-depth coverage with a practical focus provides an intuitive grasp of tools, APIs, and best practices for Android development, helping you translate new skills into real-world solutions for your users.

Professional Android:

• Covers the latest Android APIs, including the Job Scheduler, Android Architecture Components (including Live Data and Room), and Data Binding
• Offers a detailed exploration of the Android Studio IDE and an introduction to Kotlin®
• Introduces material design principles and offers a detailed look at design guidelines, navigation patterns, and UI best practices
• Demonstrates techniques to create compelling UIs for all Android form factors
• Explores Firebase® and Google Play™ services API libraries, including maps, location-based services, and the Awareness API
• Develops a skill set that provides a robust foundation for future Android development projects

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Hello, Android

Chapter 2 Getting Started

Chapter 3 Applications and Activities and Fragments, Oh My!

Chapter 4 Defining the Android Manifest and Gradle Build Files, and Externalizing Resources

Chapter 5 Building User Interfaces

Chapter 6 Intents and Broadcast Receivers

Chapter 7 Using Internet Resources

Chapter 8 Files, Saving State, and User Preferences

Chapter 9 Creating and Using Databases

Chapter 10 Content Providers and Search

Chapter 11 Working in the Background

Chapter 12 Implementing the Android Design Philosophy

Chapter 13 Implementing a Modern Android User Experience

Chapter 14 Advanced Customization of Your User Interface

Chapter 15 Location, Contextual Awareness, and Mapping

Chapter 16 Hardware Sensors

Chapter 17 Audio, Video, and Using the Camera

Chapter 18 Communicating with Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer

Chapter 19 Invading the Home Screen

Chapter 20 Advanced Android Development

Chapter 21 Releasing, Distributing, and Monitoring Applications

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the authors

Reto Meier has been helping Android developers create the best applications possible for their users since the initial Android release in 2007. Reto is an experienced software developer with more than 20 years of experience in application design and development. He has spent 10 years as a Developer Advocate, contributing countless articles, online training, conference talks, and YouTube videos to the developer community.

Ian Lake has approached Android development from multiple angles over the course of the last 8 years. Ian has worked professionally on high profile Android apps as an application developer, provided outreach to the development community as a Developer Advocate, and has contributed to improving the Android framework APIs themselves as part of the Android Framework team.