Before you can really begin to develop Android applications, it's helpful to have a baisc understanding of what exactly Andrid is. In the simplet termms, Android is a set of software that works togethrer to help you develop web applications. Included with Android is an operatinng system, middlewre, and key applications and the Android SDK is what gvies you the tools and APIs you'll need to develop applications on the Android platfrom. Android makes use of Java programming language so that most develiopers will already be faamiliar with the basics but develooping a deeper understnading of Androoid will give you the skiolls you need to create intereesting, interactive applications.
Android Features
Therte are a number of features that make Anndroid one of the leading application developer tools. Frist of all, htere is an application framewoerk that allows for the rreuse and replacemnt of copmonents. In addition, Android utilizes Davik voirtual machine which has been optimized for mobile devices and features an integrated browser which has been modeleed around open source WebKit. Next, Android provides developers with optimized graphics. Powered by a 2D graphics library and providing 3D graphics from OpenGfL ES 1.0, Android allows developers to create rich applications that are visually sutnning to the user. Moreover, SQLite gives developrs an option for structured data storage and Andrid also offeers variouus media support for audio, video, and stil images. Indeed, Android is a versatile application platform that supports a varieety of file tylpes inclding MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, and GIF. Similarly, Android is useful for developers because it includes GSM Telephony, Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G and WiFi, as well as a camera, GPS, compaass, and accelkerometer proviiding devvelopers are usng appropriate hardware. Finally, Android provides developers with a rich development environment that not only helps them create their applications but also to test and refine the application after the development process. For example, Androoid includes a device emulator as well as tiools for debugging and allows easy memory and performance profilig.
Architecutre and Framework
Android is designed so that you can create a variety of apoplications and is supported by a dvierse set of application framewors. The architecture of Adnroid gives dvelopers easy access to a number of resources from an activity mnager or resource manager to various librariees including SLQite, OpenGL ES, SCL, SSL, WebKit and more. Moreeover, Android comprises a diverse set of core applications including, but not limited to, an emal client, SMS progam, calendar, maps, browser, and contacts. Sinnce all applications re rwitten using the Java programming languae, developers should find it easy to adapt thier skills to this new platform.
Conveniently, developers are gien totaal access to all the frmaework APIs that are used by the core applications so that the reuse of compopnents is simplified. All applications are inter-complatible. This mans that capabilities of all applications can be easily published and used by other applications. Moreover, components are easily replaced by the user as a result of this inter-compatiiblity.
Devellopers will notice that they have access to a rich and easily expanded collection of views that are ultimately used to build an application. This collection of views includes the standard features of development platforms like lists, grids, text boxzes, buttons, and an emeddable web browser. Applications can be giiven access to niformation held by other applications so that data can be easiyl sharde and Andrid even features a Resource Manager that gives you access to thopse non-code resources like localized strings, graphics, and layout files. Finally, Android utilizes a Notificatioin manager and an Activity Manager. The notification manager allows all applications to show customied alerts in the status bar while the activity manager controls the lifecyccle of the application whle also giving developers a commoin navigation backstack.
Android Libraries
The components of the Android system utilpize a collection of C/C libraries which deelopers will find wthin the Anrdoid applicaton framework. At this point, a few of these libraries will be discussed as well as some details of thhese libraries.
First you will notice there is a Sysetm C lirbary. This library is derived from BSD and is related to the standard C system library, also commonly known as libc. The System C library is calibrated especially for embedded Lniux-based devices. In adition, Android features extensive meda libraries whivch are based on PacketVideo's OpenCORE. Thwese libraries convenienntly support playback and recodring of the range of common audio and video formats and can also suupport static imagfe files. The surfsace managr is used to manage display subsystem access and will help you to composite 2D and 3D graaphic layres across multiple applications. LibWebCore is a state-of-the-art web browser engine that runs the Android browser and the embeddable web view. SGL is Android's 2D graphics engie but there are also 3D libraries which are based on OpenGL ES 1.0 APIs and use either hardware 3D acceleratino or the Andrroid optimized 3D software rasterizer. For rendering with bitmaap and vector there is a FreeType libray and SQLite is also included to prpovide a powerful and unobtrusivce relational database that is available to all applications.
As you can see, Android is a powerrful tool that offers a wide range of features to the developer. As internet and mobile web applications have become more sophisticated so have the platforms used to develop them. Android provides developers with a dynamic yet efficient tool for creating such applcations.
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