Android in Action

Book excerpt: Summary Android in Action, Third Edition is a comprehensive tutorial for Android developers. This fast-paced book puts you in the driver's seat -- you'll master the SDK, build WebKit apps using HTML 5, and even learn to extend or replace Android's built-in features by building useful and intriguing examples. About the Technology When it comes to mobile apps, Android can do almost anything, and with this book, so can you! Android, Google's popular mobile operating system and SDK for tablets and smart phones, is the broadest mobile platform available. It is Java-based, HTML5-aware, and loaded with the features today's mobile users demand. About this Book Android in Action, Third Edition takes you far beyond "Hello Android." You'll master the SDK, build WebKit apps using HTML 5, and even learn to extend or replace Android's built-in features. You'll find interesting examples on every page as you explore cross-platform graphics with RenderScript, the updated notification system, and the Native Development Kit. This book also introduces important tablet concepts like drag-and-drop, fragments, and the Action Bar, all new in Android 3. Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book. What's Inside Covers Android 3.x SDK and WebKit development from the ground up Driving a robot with Bluetooth and sensors Image processing with Native C code This book is written for hobbyists and developers. A background in Java is helpful. No prior experience with Android is assumed. ================================== Table of Contents PART 1 WHAT IS ANDROID? THE BIG PICTURE Introducing Android Android's development environment PART 2 EXERCISING THE ANDROID SDK User interfaces Intents and Services Storing and retrieving data Networking and web services Telephony Notifications and alarms Graphics and animation Multimedia 1Location, location, location PART 3 ANDROID APPLICATIONS Putting Android to work in a field service application Building Android applications in C PART 4 THE MATURING PLATFORM Bluetooth and sensors Integration Android web development AppWidgets Localization Android Native Development Kit Activity fragments Android 3.0 action bar Drag-and-drop