Hello, Android

Google's Android is shaking up the mobile market in a big way. With Android, you can write programs that run on any compatible cell phone in the world. It's a mobile platform you can't afford not to learn, and this book gets you started. This third edition covers all Android versions from Android 1.5 (Cupcake) through Android 2.1 (Eclair MR1).

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Android is a software toolkit for mobile phones, created by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. It's inside millions of cell phones and other mobile devices, making Android a major platform for application developers. That could be your own program running on all those devices. Getting started developing with Android is easy. You don't even need access to an Android phone, just a computer where you can install the Android SDK and the phone emulator that comes with it. Within minutes, "Hello, Android" will get you creating your first working application: Android's version of "Hello, World." From there, you'll build up a more substantial example: an Android Sudoku game. By gradually adding features to the game, you'll learn about many aspects of Android programming, such as creating user interfaces (including touch, D-pad, and keyboard input), building location-based services (including GPS and cell-tower triangulation), and working with sensors (harnessing the compass and the accelerometer). You'll also learn how to publish your applications to the Android Market. This third edition has been revised for Android 2.1 (Eclair MR1) and 2.0/2.0.1 (Eclair). It also covers Android 1.6
(Cupcake) and 1.5 (Donut). Every page and example was reviewed and updated for compatibility with the latest versions and streamlined based on reader feedback. Freshly added material covers the new multi-touch and live wallpaper programming interfaces, in addition to best practices on supporting the wide variety of screen resolutions and Android versions in use today. If you'd rather be coding than reading about coding, this book is for you.