A newbie’s guide to Android development

Android is a great platform. The development tools are free, all the documentation is online, and you don’t need to purchase a special developer phone or register your hardware as a development device. In fact, thanks to the very slick and functional emulator that comes with the Android SDK, you don’t even have to own an Android-powered device (not that I recommend releasing an app without running it on real hardware).

There are more guides on the Internet for setting up an Android development environment than your average java-script program has semicolons. And not only are there just as many tutorials for writing an Android version of the revered “Hello World!” program, but there is actually a wizard included with the Android Eclipse plug-in that will generate it for you.

Yet despite the wide availability of information and a low-to-no startup cost, I still hear complaints from new developers and experienced developers transitioning to Android from another platform that it’s overwhelming to know where to start. Setting up a development environment and writing a “Hello World” app is vastly different from understanding Android conceptually, and the unique approach required to writing an app that does something useful. I get asked all the time what an Android project looks like, how the layout manager works, and what are the overriding design best practices for implementing Android applications.

My goal with this guide is to answer some of the common questions, and also open a dialogue with TechRepublic readers. I’d like to hear lingering questions of developers new to Android, as well as insights from experienced Android developers. Perhaps collectively we can make the road to creating that first killer app a little smoother.

For more information about iphone application development, android application development, Mobile application development, smartphone application development India, iphone application development India, android application development India, android apps development India please visit www.srishtis.com

content from http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/app-builder/a-newbies-guide-to-android-development/1216