B. Android App Development Basics

• Android Packages (APKs)


  Contains all the contents of an Android app
• Android operating system


  • A multi-user Linux system in which each app is a different user
  • Each app is assigned a unique Linux user ID by the system
  • Each process has its own virtual machine so an app's code runs separately from other apps
  • Every app runs its own Linux process by default
• Four types of App Components

  • Activity (represents a single screen with a user interface)
  • Service (runs in the background to perform long-running operations or work for remote processes)
  • Content Provider (manages a shared set of app data)
  • Broadcast Receiver (responds to system-wide broadcast announcements)
• Four Phases of Application Workflow

  • Setup (install and setup IDE, create AVD, connect hardware)
  • Development (set up and develop Android project and application modules)
  • Building, Debugging, and Testing (build debug-able .apk, debug using tools, test using SDK tools)
  • Publishing (configure and build for release, distribute to users)
• Android Development Tools (ADT)


  • Android SDK (contains necessary tools)
  • Android debug bridge (ADB) (client-server program to connect to virtual or real Android device)
  • Gradle and Android plug-in for Gradle (build toolkit, manages dependencies, custom build logic)
  • Android Developer Tools (ADT) Plugin (Eclipse IDE plugin)
  • Android Studio (official IDE for Android App development)
• Android Runtime


  The managed runtime used by applications and some system services on Android
• AVD Components

  • Hardware profile (defines hardware features)
  • Mapping to a system image (defines Android platform version)
  • Dedicated storage area (stores device's user data and emulated SD card)
  • Other options (emulator skin, emulated SD card)
• Enabling Developer Options on an Android Device

  1. Go to Settings

  2. Choose About Phone or similar

  3. Tap Build Number seven (7) times
• Android Project


  Contains everything that defines the Android app
• Types of Application Project Modules

  • Android Application Module (contains app's source code, resource files, and application level settings)
  • Test Modules (contain code to test application project)
  • Library Module (holds shared Android sources and resources)
  • App Engine Module (allows implementation of functionality such as sending push notifications)
• Android Project Files


  Provide project-wide settings that apply across ALL modules in an Android app project