Android is one of the most widely used operating systems for mobile and embedded devices. It is based on the Linux kernel and applications are primarily written in Java or Kotlin (C/C++ can also be used). This tutorial provides an overview of Android so that you can get started with building an Android application to realize (the frontend of the) group projects in this course. This tutorial does not require using an actual Android mobile device; the Android emulator is enough. If you have previous experience with Android application programming, you can go directly to the last section below.

Getting started

The Android developers website has plenty of information to get started with Android application programming. As it may not be difficult to get lost in the first place, we recommend the following resources.

  • Development environment.  You need a development environment to build Android apps. We recommend using Android studio, the official integrated development environment for Android app development. How to install Android studio is a short tutorial that explains how to setup the Android development environment and the emulator. It also guides you on creating and starting your first Android application. The Android developers website has detailed instructions on installing and using Android studio.
  • Android programming. Android applications can be written in a variety of languages. The most widely used are Java and Kotlin. We recommend Kotlin unless you are an experienced Java programmer, as it allows to better focus on app development, without having to deal with the intricacies of the Java programming language. Android Kotlin Fundamentals is a self-paced training covering basic concepts related to Android programming using Kotlin. Kotlin Bootcamp for Programmers is an online course that focuses on the main features of Kotlin as a programming language that might be useful if you have little experience with Java-like programming languages.

Dive-in

Here are some selected resources you may refer to as you get deeper into the Android application development.

  • Code style guidelines for Android. You may refer to the guidelines for Kotlin or Java (depending on what language you have chosen) as you write your code, as they are widely used in the Android community.
  • Permissions overview. This page overviews the security architecture of Android and the permissions that are used by applications to access certain features (or resources) of the mobile device.
  • Building your first app. This online tutorial describes how to create an Android project with Android Studio and run the corresponding application. and run a debuggable version of the app. The tutorial also covers some basics about designing Android applications, including how to build a simple user interface and handle user input.

For more experienced programmers

If you have some previous experience with Android application programming, you can go ahead and start working on the Android assignments. Some other resources for experienced programmers follow.

Last modified: Saturday, 5 September 2020, 11:52 PM