Core Concepts -- The Big Picture -- Project Structure -- Inside the Manifest -- Activities -- Creating a Skeleton Application -- Using XML-Based Layouts -- Employing Basic Widgets -- Working with Containers -- Using Selection Widgets -- Getting Fancy with Lists -- Employing Fancy Widgets and Containers -- Applying Menus -- Fonts -- Embedding the WebKit Browser -- Showing Pop-Up Messages -- Dealing with Threads -- Handling Activity Lifecycle Events -- Data Stores, Network Services, and APIs -- Using Preferences -- Accessing Files -- Working with Resources -- Managing and Accessing Local Databases -- Leveraging Java Libraries -- Communicating via the Internet -- Intents -- Creating Intent Filters -- Launching Activities and Sub-Activities -- Finding Available Actions via Introspection -- Handling Rotation -- Content Providers and Services -- Using a Content Provider -- Building a Content Provider -- Requesting and Requiring Permissions -- Creating a Service -- Invoking a Service -- Alerting Users via Notifications -- Other Android Capabilities -- Accessing Location-Based Services -- Mapping with MapView and MapActivity -- Handling Telephone Calls -- Searching with SearchManager -- Development Tools -- Where Do We Go from Here?.

Learn how to develop applications for Android mobile devices using simple examples, ready to run with your copy of the software development kit. Author and Android columnist, writer, developer, and community advocate Mark L. Murphy shows you what you need to know to get started on programming Android applications–everything from crafting graphical user interfaces to using GPS, accessing web services, and more! The Android development platform, created by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, is a platform in its truest sense, encompassing hundreds of classes beyond the traditional Java classes and open source components that ship with the SDK. Some Android books race through the material, trying to cover as much ground as possible in as few pages as possible. Experienced writer and community advocate Mark Murphy shows you how to develop Android applications simply and with care. The book includes dozens of sample projects, ready to run with your copy of the SDK—not just one huge project where you have difficulty finding the specific examples of the technique you are looking for. You can even get these sample programs online at Apress.com.