The amazing features included in apps are what piques the attention of users. Apps can make smartphones “smart” and, through their advantages apps have completely changed the way we work in the present. Professional programmers are engaged in designing, creating, and creating applications of their own, and integrating them with useful features. In this article, we’ll discuss the top five Android App fundamentals of development that you need to know before you start creating your Android application:
- Learn the language
- Familiarity with the proper tools and environments for the development of applications.
- The application components must be understood.
- Be aware of fragmentations and loaders, threads, and even tasks
- Selecting the best tools.
Android App Development Fundamentals
1. Learn the language
Java as well as XML is the name of the two primary programming languages utilized to develop Android App development. Understanding and proficiency in these languages are consequently, essential to developing an Android application. The fundamentals that are part of that Java programming language are:
- Packages
- Classes and objects
- Inheritance and interconnections
- Strings & numbers, generics,
- Collections
- Concurrency
Knowledge about Java and XML can help you create or develop an elegant and robust Android app.
2. Experience with the right Application Tool and Environment for Development
If you’re stepping into Android App development, it is essential to become familiar with build automation tools and an integrated development platform before you start creating your application. You can utilize Android App Studio IDE or Eclipse for the tools. they can help you understand the basics, as well as other aspects that can aid in improving the quality of your code. It is possible to learn Apache Maven, Apache Ant, and Gradle since they are an extensive collection of tools that can assist manage your build.
It is also essential that you are familiar with the tools used to control source code and concepts. Learn about git, and then set up the Git-source repository (by setting up an account on Bitbucket as well as GitHub). To grasp the fundamental concepts and how the platform works it is recommended to read this guide. Git Pocket Guide.
3. The application components must be understood.
Application components are the primary components that are the foundation of Android apps. Each component represents an individual point at which the system will be able to enter your application. Each is an independent entity and has a particular function, some depend on each other but they are not all actual entry points.
There are five distinct kinds of components for apps, each with a specific objective with a specific cycle of life that determines the way it is developed and destroyed. These include:
Activities:
It is a part that is a single screen that has an interface for the user (for example an email application could include one activity that displays the latest emails, another one composing emails, and a third to read emails). However, each of them is independent.
Services:
This is a part that is run in the background, performing tasks for remote processes or long-running tasks. It doesn’t provide an interface for users (for instance, it could play music while the user is using a separate application).
Content providers:
This component handles a shared set of data from the app. This component allows the information you store in your file system or on the internet, in or in an SQLite database, or in any other way can be accessed and even altered (as long as your content provider permits it). This feature is also helpful to write and read data that isn’t accessible to other users and is confidential to the application.
Broadcast receivers:
This is the part that responds to system-wide broadcast announcements. Broadcast receivers in the majority originate from the system even though they don’t display an interface for users but they can generate a status bar alert that informs users when an event on broadcast occurs. In general, it functions as an intermediary between the other components and performs a minimal amount of tasks.
Activating components:
A synchronous message, also known as intent, activates three of the four components (i.e. activities, services as well as broadcasters). Additionally, intents connect components at the time of runtime, whether the component is connected to your application or not.
4. Awareness of Fragmentations, Android Application, Threads Loaders, Tasks, and Threads
Android is a market that is fragmented with a variety of operating systems and devices. If your device is compatible with multiple versions or devices, it is likely to need more testing and maintenance and the costs associated with it. It’s the same for vice versa. It is also necessary to have suitable fonts, assets, and layouts to assist in providing the best possible experience on the different screen types offered. It is also important to look at the range of android-supported sensors, or UI features. Each Android app comes with an application class and one or more actions as well as one or two parts.
Sometimes, you might be running background services that must run continuously, but at other times, you might not. If you wish to provide an excellent and seamless user interface, make sure that the thread does not get blocked. So, the lengthy tasks (computations I/O, network, etc.) must be executed at an asynchronous pace in the background (mainly in a separate thread for execution). This is why it’s essential to master the Java language’s concurrency features.
5. Making the Right Decision about needed Tools
The most basic tools you require for Android application development are a Mac or Windows PC, any version of Linux and Eclipse as well as Eclipse, the ADT Plugin, and the Android SDK. All of them are available for free. You can read the instructions for installation on Google for more information on how to configure your development environment. It contains a comprehensive guide to everything that is required. Android offers a variety of distinct features that you must be aware of when creating an Android application. These include:
Reliability and performance Reacting to input from users within 5 seconds or the operating system may not respond to you. (ANR application does not respond – the best choice that you have is to force the closing of the application.)
The time it takes to complete a task is noticed by users. As stated above that the UI thread is not to be blocked as it’s just one.
In the case of limited resources, wake locks (the mechanism that forces the device to act regardless of the suggestion to shut your device in sleep mode by battery managers) should only be used in moderation. Avoid polling hardware (e.g. Accelerometer, GPS) as it could reduce the battery.
Take a look at our video that will walk you through the intro to Android Application Development to get an idea of what this course is about.
Conclusion
77 percent of Americans have smartphones which are where bulk of their time. In 2017 the number of apps downloaded was 197 billion. downloaded, making sure that the career path of An Android App Developer is steady with plenty of potentials to grow. In terms of Android App development, there is a lot to learn to master, so you might want to start by taking Simplilearn’s official Google Certified Android App Developer training course. Learn to master Android fundamentals and other essential skills that you need through practical experience in the development of six applications that are trending throughout the course. The course is in line with an Associate Android Developer (AAD) Exam which is conducted by Google. Enjoy app development!