Practical Android Projects

Take a practical approach to becoming a leading-edge Android developer, learning by example while combining the many technologies needed to create a successful, up-to-date web app.

Practical Android Projects introduces the Android software development kit and development tools of the trade, and then dives into building cool-looking and fun apps that put Android’s amazing capabilities to work. Android is the powerful, full-featured, open source mobile platform that powers phones like Google Nexus, Motorola Droid, Samsung Galaxy S, and a variety of HTC phones and tablet computers.

This book helps you quickly get Android projects up and running with the free and open source Eclipse, NetBeans, and IntelliJ IDEA IDEs. Then you build and extend mobile applications using the Android SDK, Java, Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A), and languages such as Python, Ruby, Javascript/HTML, Flex/AIR, and Lua.

What you’ll learn

In Practical Android Projects, you’ll work on real-world projects such as:

• Hosting an Android BASIC interpreter
• Extending your Java-based Android applications with embedded Lua
• Scripting your Android device with SL4A
• Adding Twitter and Facebook to your applications
• Using 2D graphics and animations for casual games
• Creating cross-platform apps with Javascript/HTML and Flex with AIR

Who this book is for

Practical Android Projects is for any developer new to the Android platform who wants to learn to build mobile applications. Knowledge of the fundamentals of Java programming is assumed.

Table of Contents

1. Android Fundamentals
2. Development Tools in Practice
3. Roll Your Own Android Scripting Environment
4. Embedding Lua in Android Applications
5. Introducing SL4A: The Scripting Layer for Android
6. Creating a GUI with HTML/JavaScript and AIR
7. Using REST with Facebook and Twitter
8. Using the Google App Engine with Android
9. Game Development: Graphics
10. Game Development: Animation
11. App Inventor