The basics of Android development

I always hear the same question asked in various ways. “Can I really learn how to produce Android apps?” “How hard is it to study Android programming?” “Where should I go to learn Android programming?” “I just bought a new Android device and I’m feeling so inspired! I have an idea for a new app, but where do I start?”

Mobile app development is very much in vogue these days, and Android is now ahead of the rest in the world of mobile apps. And if you’ve already read this far in this article, I’m sure it’s because you’ve already been asking a different version of one of the questions listed above. You’re lucky today, because I’ve already been down this path and I have a resounding answer: “Positive! It’s really doable to be able to write Android apps, no matter your background, and the tools for studying and developing are free and easy to use!”

So, let’s start with the tools. The number one tool for Android programming is Eclipse IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Eclipse is free, runs on many operating systems (including Windows and Linux), and is often updated to provide better development performance. In addition, Google’s Android development team has provided the Android Development Toolkit (ADT) plugin for Eclipse which makes it an Android mobile app building powerhouse. It makes building apps a one-click task, provides custom editors for resources and layout files, and automates updates to the latest Android SDK revisions. Some developers find Eclipse a bit quirky, or even buggy to use at times (myself included). For example, it won’t always recognize new resource files until you restart it, which is sometimes a pain. However, I always use Eclipse with the ADT plugin for all my Android programming and I suggest you do the same.

You can always choose to use a different piece of software, and there are plenty out there. But a word of caution about IDEs: Many Android IDEs claim to make mobile programming a drag-and-drop process, or allow Android programming in languages ​​other than Java. Is it easy to create mobile applications with these tools? Of course. Will the apps be okay? Maybe. But will they be great apps, apps that truly exceed expectations and are easily extended with new features as the Android mobile platform evolves? No. Mobile programming is like any other task worth doing: do it right (in this case, do it the Android way) and you’ll always be more successful.

Now we go to the study part. This part will take a lot more time than just downloading a simple tool. Learning Android development is like studying any other foreign language (and that’s what it is: just a foreign language, except a language that allows you to speak to a computer instead of another human being). It will require persistence and a lot of trial and error. A good part of the readers will give up, telling themselves that it is not worth it. That’s okay – the rest of us will succeed in the Android app market in your absence! For those readers who don’t give up, they will find the process very rewarding in many ways.

If you don’t understand Java, this is how you should start. When I started learning Android I got a bit frustrated because I didn’t understand Java beforehand. After spending a week with the basics of Java, I learned that I could read the code samples and understand the examples. So start there.

Next up is the Android SDK itself. There are so many Android studio tutorials available that I don’t really have the space to list them all in this post. But Google does, so look it up. Search for “Android App Tutorial” and start with the tutorial that suits you best. It’s really that easy. I would also suggest the Android lessons found in the Android SDK online documentation for all your coding reference needs on the Android platform. And don’t forget those newsgroups! They’re one of my favorite places to find instant help from real developers who enjoy helping new programmers.