Android in Practice

Book excerpt: Summary Android in Practice is a treasure trove of Android goodness, with over 90 tested, ready-to-use techniques including complete end-to-end example applications and practical tips for real world mobile application developers. Written by real world Android developers, this book addresses the trickiest questions raised in forums and mailing lists. Using an easy-to-follow problem/solution/discussion format, it dives into important topics not covered in other Android books, like advanced drawing and graphics, testing and instrumentation, building and deploying applications, and using alternative languages. About the Book It's not hard to find the information you need to build your first Android app. Then what? If you want to build real apps, you will need some how-to advice, and that's what this book is about. Android in Practice is a rich source of Android tips, tricks, and best practices, covering over 90 clever and useful techniques that will make you a more effective Android developer. Techniques are presented in an easy-to-read problem/solution/discussion format. The book dives into important topics like multitasking and services, testing and instrumentation, building and deploying applications, and using alternative languages. 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 Techniques covering Android 1.x to 3.x Android for tablets Working with threads and concurrency Testing and building Using location awareness and GPS Styles and themes And much more! This book requires a working knowledge of Java, but no prior experience with Android is assumed. Source Code can be found at https://code.google.com/p/android-in-​practice/ Table of Contents PART 1 BACKGROUND AND FUNDAMENTALS Introducing Android Android application fundamentals Managing lifecycle and state PART 2 REAL WORLD RECIPES Getting the pixels perfect Managing background tasks with Services Threads and concurrency Storing data locally Sharing data between apps HTTP networking and web services Location is everything Appeal to the senses using multimedia 2D and 3D drawing PART 3 BEYOND STANDARD DEVELOPMENT Testing and instrumentation Build management Developing for Android tablets