Week 1: Introduction to Module Application Development

The digital space is a world of connection and opportunity. Take this moment, for example. The web has made it possible
for you to enroll in this program where
you will learn from the personal stories
of developers at Meta. By the time you have completed this professional certificate, you can become a creator
of digital experiences. Connection is evolving
and so are you. You might not have a background in tech at all, and that’s okay. Even if you have no experience, this program can get you a job ready within a single year. How can this professional
certificate prepare you for a job at an
organization like Meta? The Android Developer
Professional Certificate will help you build
job-ready skills for a cross-platform
mobile development role while earning a
credential from Meta. From Meta engineers, you will learn about how they
collaborate to create and test responsive high-performance
mobile applications. You will also discuss interesting topics with other
aspiring mobile developers. Complete a range coding exercises
to improve your skills. It’s important to complete all the courses in the
certificate in order- As each course will
build on your skills. Although we have a recommended
schedule for each course, the program is
entirely self-paced- Which means your time
is your own to manage. As you make your way through
the courses in this program, you’ll learn how to code
interactive interfaces using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You will then dive into
the world of React- A widely used JavaScript library that was created here at Meta. It’s mobile version
React Native. Next you will learn
to code and Kotlin, which is a very popular
programming language used by most android
developers to create fast, reliable
mobile applications. You will also learn to
work with data and use the Android Studio to create fully functioning
mobile applications. For your final project, you will create a well-designed, high performance Android
application for your portfolio- Complete with interactivity to showcase during your job search. You’ll also be ready to collaborate with
other developers, as you will have
learned to use Git and GitHub for version control. If you’re hoping to
operate independently or in smaller teams, not to worry. We’ve also got you
covered when it comes to the basics of user experience. You will learn how to
research a user’s needs, create wireframes using
popular industry tools like Figma, and
design interactivity. In the final course, you will prepare for
the coding interview. You’ll practice your
interview skills, refine your resume, and tackle some common
coding challenges that typically form part of
technical job interviews. Once you complete the program, you’ll get access to the Meta Career
Programs Job Board- A job search platform
that connects you with over 200 employers
who have committed to sourcing talent through
Meta Certificate programs. Who knows where you will end up. Whatever the future of
connection looks like, you will be part of its
creation. Let’s get started.

Hello. Welcome to this course on Android mobile development. Today, practically everyone
has a smartphone with Android and iOS serving as the two dominant
operating systems. In fact, it’s understood that smartphones running the
Android operating system held over 70 percent of
the market share in 2021 and this was expected to increase over
the forthcoming years. Additionally, everybody
who has used one of these smartphones has utilized
a mobile application, but how many of us genuinely understand what an
application is, how it functions or how important
application development is to our daily lives? A mobile application
can be simply defined as installable software that utilizes your
phone’s hardware to function on a
smartphone device. Of course, that
explanation gives a simplified explanation of how a mobile
application operates. Let’s quickly go over a
few common use cases for mobile applications to give you an understanding of how they would work in
the real world. For example, mobile banking uses applications to transfer, apply for credit, or
complete transactions. Social media companies use applications to allow
users to access pages, photos, profiles, and much more. Applications for
online retail stores that you browse, order, and schedule goods
deliveries while also saving your personal information
for later purchases. These services are provided by mobile apps that are
created specifically for your smartphone’s
operating system using the hardware and OS that
are at its disposal. Mobile applications
can be developed to perform a variety of
functions, hence, Android developers
should be familiar with programming languages
like Java and Kotlin, have an understanding of
the development tool, Android App Studio, and an understanding of its application components
like activities and services. But if you don’t
fully comprehend any of these concepts,
don’t worry, you’re only getting a
quick introduction to Android application
development right now. You’ll learn more about these ideas throughout
the course, as well as completing
other assignments that will aid you in becoming
a mobile app developer. You’ll learn about what
a mobile app is and gain an understanding of
the difference between mobile apps and mobile websites, learn how a mobile
OS works and be able to explain the operations
of a mobile OS. Additionally, you
will learn about Java and Kotlin and how
software developers utilize them to create a variety of apps for
a variety of devices, including Android,
Web, embedded systems, server apps, and more. You’ll explore the
Android Studio interface and learn how to navigate
its folder structure. You’ll learn about
the many parts of the Android Studio and how to use them to
build your apps. You’ll also get to build your very own application by creating a fully functional
video player app, acquiring talents that
are in demand worldwide. But don’t worry, you
are not expected to be an Android mobile
developer just yet. There are many videos
in this course that will gradually guide
you towards that goal. Watch, pause, rewind, and re-watch the videos until you are confident
in your skills. Then consolidate your
knowledge by consulting the course readings
and put your skills into practice during
the course exercises. Along the way, you’ll
encounter several knowledge quizzes where you
can self-check your progress. You’re not alone in considering a career as an Android
mobile app developer, which is why you will also
work with course discussion prompts that enable you to
connect with your classmates. It’s a great way to
share knowledge, discuss difficulties,
and make new friends. To be successful in this course, it is helpful to commit to a regular approach to learning. You need to keep committed to your learning and if possible, create a schedule with dates and times that you can
devote to your study. It’s an online
self-paced course that allows you to study when
and where you choose, but regular study patterns do help many students
to learn better. In summary, this course provides you with a complete
introduction to Android mobile
application development and forms part of a program of courses that will
lead you towards a career in mobile
application development.

There are many steps involved in the development of a mobile app. Which of these are usually specific to the mobile developer role? Select all that apply.

Integrating app programming interfaces (APIs)

That is correct! Mobile developers integrate third-party APIs to connect their apps with other technologies or code. This supports mobile functionality.

Updating the app after it has been released

That is correct! Mobile developers often continue to support a completed app by adding new content or fixes for bugs and errors.

Writing app code

That is correct! Mobile developers are responsible for writing the code that determines how an app will behave and function.

Writing tests to assess performance

That is correct! Mobile developers write tests to ensure that apps run as expected.

Over the past few decades, the number of applications or
apps being built has grown rapidly. But have you ever wondered who is
responsible for developing such apps? Well, they’re referred
to as mobile developers. With the demand for mobile developers projected to grow
exponentially in the next few years. I’m sure you’re interested to know more
about the role of a mobile developer. In this video, you’ll learn all about
that, including the responsibilities of a mobile developer, the kinds of languages
and skills mobile developers have. And where mobile developers work and
their job roles. So, what kinds of things
does a mobile developer do? Well, no two roles are the same. There are many common tasks and responsibilities shared
by all mobile developers. First, is designing, building and
maintaining mobile applications. This includes tasks like
building a user interface or UI, based on design specifications. Writing code to support functionality and
building animations and transitions to provide
an engaging user experience. Other common tasks include integrating
third party application program interfaces or API’s, to connect the app
with other technologies or code. Writing tests and releasing apps and
updates to the Apple and Google stores. Apart from the many coding tasks, developers also often work as part of
a team which can include other developers, project managers, quality assurance or
QA professionals, and designers. In fact, as a mobile developer, you may
find yourself working with multiple teams. As teams and
development projects become larger, version control becomes
increasingly important. Version control is a system that
allows a development team or teams to track and
manage changes made to the software code. Version control also allows your team or teams to work simultaneously and
collaboratively on projects by enabling access to the most
recent version of the software code. GitHub is one online platform that
can assist you with version control. Amongst other things, GitHub makes it
easy for you to keep track of your and others work and review code
changes in collaborative projects. It allows you to access and navigate between different
versions of online files. Mobile developers also often play
a role in planning projects and participate in the project progression
by attending regular team meetings. In addition, you’ll find that almost
all mobile developers spend some time researching their projects and
keeping up to date with emerging trends regarding their operating system,
whether android or IOS. Many of the mobile developers, tasks and
responsibilities involve coding. So, what other skills do they
need to develop mobile apps? Well, one of the most important is
knowing the language that their apps operating system or OS,
software development kit is built upon. In the case of android developers,
this is Java or Kotlin. iOS developers use objective C and Swift. Being proficient in such languages,
can make you more capable as a mobile developer and can expand your
choice of job roles and projects. Other valuable skills for any mobile
developer who builds the user interface or UI for mobile apps, are design and
user experience or UX as well as knowledge of server technology and
continuous integration or CI. This is the practice of automating
the integration of code changes from multiple contributors into
a single software project. Okay, let’s say that you have mastered
your mobile development skills. Where in the job market do you find work? Well, because mobile development
skills are in demand, there are many roles available. For instance, there are many developer
roles in a large companies such as Meta. As the creators of react native, mobile
development is very important to Meta. Anyone considering a position at Meta,
will understand that knowledge of the react native framework is a common
requirement for their software engineers. Let’s explore some of the job options
available to mobile developers. Mobile development is popular
with small companies and startups who understand how
apps can aid their growth. It is equally useful to large companies,
for instance, they may want to build apps that help
them gain a slight competitive advantage, foster engagement with their user base. Or allow their customers to quickly
access their products and services. You can also use your skills to work
as a freelance mobile app developer. If you are not attracted by any of
the many job options available to you, you may prefer to start your
own development company. With mobile development, you can take
your own ideas directly to the market. You should now have a clearer
understanding of the role of a mobile developer, their responsibilities and
the skills they require. I hope you’re feeling excited about the
opportunities being a mobile developer has to offer, and eager to learn more about what android
mobile app development entails.

As of January 2022, Android OS accounted for more than 70% of the share of
mobile operating system market. That means that, as an Android engineer, you will be building for more than two thirds of the world. Hi, I’m Stephan Fudei,
I’m a full stack engineer at Meta, working as manager on one of
the world’s biggest ads platforms. I hope in this video you will
learn about what the day in the Android engineers life looks like. I took up Android engineering when
I saw how quickly the Android operating system was growing, thousands of different
device models came to market and became very popular all around the world. It was very interesting to be building for
this new and growing platform. Typical Android engineering requires
a lot of collaboration with other people, designers, user research managers and
even iOS engineers. So be prepared to collaborate and
communicate a lot. There is definitely some technical skills
that are particularly important to Android engineering. Android is a very quickly
growing platform and not all of the parts of
the ecosystems keep up with that That means that sometimes there is issues
that you need to get prepared to resolve. So the bugging and understanding
the concepts are by far the most important skills an Android engineer
needs to master. Over the years, Android grew a lot and accumulated
a lot of different approaches and patterns to solve the same problem. This diversity can be overwhelming at
first, so it takes a lot of time to build an understanding of concepts but
it’s very important to do that so that you can make sense of it and
make the right calls as you grow and learn all of these different
approaches and frameworks. If I were to relive my first
year as an Android engineer, I would definitely love to work in
a big company with a lot of other experienced and skilled Android engineers. Working with experienced engineers
helps you understand what are the patterns that work best
versus having to learn this by your mistakes that would save you
a lot of time learning and become an expert much faster as
an aspiring Android engineer, I advise you try as many things as
you can, but take your time and learn and
understand the concepts before moving on. Once you get this understanding,
keep challenging yourself, keep pushing yourself outside of your
comfort zone and grow as much as you can. The Android platform keeps
growing very fast and it keeps expanding to different aspects, it’s not just the mobile phones anymore,
Android is also in the cars, in home devices, even fridges and
Android is the platform of choice for new platforms like augmented or
virtual reality. So an Android engineer
can find themselves in a lot of different roles in
a lot of different companies and I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Android engineering is very rewarding. Once you build the app and see how it’s
used by the users of your product, you can see how it helps make
people’s lives better and easier and that’s what makes
Android engineering very fun.

When you download Android Studio from the developer.android.com/studio webpage, it automatically selects your operating system by default. Is it possible to download Android Studio on other operating systems?

Yes

That is correct! You can download on another operating system by selecting from the download options on the Android Studio webpage.

As you progress through this course,
you’ll have the opportunity to create your own project in the development
environment called android studio. So let’s take a moment to
install Andrew’s studio. Now in this video,
I’m going to show you how to download and install android studio, although I’m
using a Macbook, the download and installation process is similar for
Windows and other operating systems. First go to the official android
studio web page developer dot android dot com forward slash studio. This page has everything you
need to quickly get started. It picks the operating system by default. So because I’m running
this website on a Macbook, it picks Mac Os if you want to
download on other operating systems, you can click download options with this. You can choose between other alternatives
for Windows, mac, Linux and chrome. Now let’s download the software,
android studio because android studio versions are bundled with java
development kit by default, you don’t need to separately download and
install java on your local machine. When you click download android studio,
the terms and conditions are displayed,
which you need to read and agree with, then select the correct version
of android studio for your Mac. Either Mac with intel chip or
Mac with Apple chip. The Mac I’m working on
has the Apple chip M one. So I select Apple chip,
downloading android studio may take some time depending on your
internet speed while waiting. It’s worth mentioning that when you do
create your own project in android studio later, you will use an emulator
to run your project. An emulator conveniently allows you to
simulate your app in android studio without needing to install the application
on an actual physical device. But you’ll learn more about this later.

Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Websites: A Beginner’s Guide

In today’s mobile-first world, you need to reach your audience where they are – on their smartphones. But the question arises: should you build a mobile app or a mobile website? Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice depends on your specific needs and goals.

Let’s delve into the differences:

Mobile Websites:

• Essentially websites optimized for mobile devices.
• Accessible through any browser, no installation required.
• Cost-effective and easier to maintain compared to apps.
• Limited functionality – cannot access device features like camera or GPS.
• Often slower than apps and require an internet connection to work.

Mobile Apps:

• Downloaded and installed software applications tailored for specific devices.
• Offer richer and more interactive experiences, leveraging device features.
• Faster performance and can work offline in some cases.
• More expensive to develop and maintain due to platform-specific coding.
• App Store approval process can be challenging.

Now, how do you choose? Consider these factors:

• Content vs. Functionality: If your focus is primarily on delivering information, a mobile website might suffice. But if you want users to interact with your content (e.g., booking appointments, using maps), an app might be better.
• Offline Access: Need your content or services available even without internet? Opt for an app.
• Budget and Resources: Building and maintaining apps can be costly. Websites are generally cheaper and easier to manage.
• Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach? If they’re tech-savvy and comfortable with app downloads, an app might be a good fit.

Here are some tips for getting started:

Mobile Websites:

• Use responsive design principles to ensure optimal viewing on various devices.
• Prioritize loading speed and keep content concise.
• Test thoroughly on different mobile browsers and devices.

Mobile Apps:

• Choose the right platform (iOS, Android, or both) based on your target audience.
• Focus on a clear user experience and intuitive navigation.
• Leverage device features where appropriate to enhance user engagement.
• Test rigorously on various devices and operating systems.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Weigh your options carefully and choose the approach that best aligns with your goals and resources.

Additionally:

• Explore existing mobile website builders and app development tools to find easy-to-use options.
• Consider hiring a mobile development expert if you need more complex functionalities.
• Stay updated on the latest mobile trends and technologies to ensure your offering remains relevant.

By understanding the pros and cons of each option and making an informed decision, you can reach your target audience effectively and take your mobile presence to the next level!

You need to choose between creating a mobile app or a mobile website. In which of the following scenarios would a mobile app be a suitable choice?

The product needs to use the device’s hardware

That’s right! A mobile app is an installable software on a smartphone device that uses the device’s hardware and software features.

With billions of mobile
users across the globe, mobile apps play a
more significant role in the way people access
information than ever before. While many businesses push
their software products on multiple platforms such
as web and mobile, not everyone has the resources needed to build
multiple solutions. In this case, and
with the number of mobile users now
surpassing desktop users, businesses may
understandably choose mobile apps to reach
their target audiences. With the demand for
mobile apps increasing, it’s important to
understand mobile apps. In this video, you’ll
learn more about them, including the advantages
and disadvantages of developing mobile apps
compared to mobile websites. A mobile website is
a website designed, developed, and optimized
for mobile devices only. While mobile websites
are designed to display and work
on major browsers, they still require an Internet
connection and don’t take advantage of the unique
functionality of a mobile device. That’s where mobile
apps come in. A mobile app is installable software that
runs on a smartphone device. Mobile apps use the
devices hardware, and software features and
usually provide an efficient, more intuitive, and
seamless user experience. When choosing whether to develop a mobile app instead
of a mobile website, one way to decide is to ask
yourself this question. What specific actions do you expect your
product to perform? For example, if you don’t
need your users to perform any operations and your product is mainly content-driven, then you may opt for
a mobile website. But if you want users to perform actions that will require
the device’s hardware, you will need a mobile app. It is also helpful to
understand the pros and cons of mobile apps when
deciding whether to create one. The first advantage
of mobile apps is that they are faster
than mobile websites. They can also access the
device or system resources, such as the location
or Bluetooth, and can work without
Internet access. That said, mobile apps can
be quite expensive to build and are more difficult to maintain when compared
to mobile websites. Another disadvantage is that for a mobile app to be compatible
with different platforms, like Android and iOS, it is often required that
it be built from scratch. It may also be difficult to
have your app approved by the App Store if it does not
meet specific requirements. You’ve now been introduced to mobile apps and
the advantages and disadvantages of
developing a mobile app compared to a mobile website. As you learned earlier, mobile apps are vital in the
mobile development space. I hope you’re looking
forward to creating your own app as you progress
with your learning.

Did you know that
Facebook, Messenger and Instagram were
among the world’s most downloadable and
used apps on Android? Hi, my name is Stepan Furdei. I am a full
stack engineer at Meta, working on Ads Manager, one of the world’s
biggest ads platforms. In general, we try to
launch features on both Android and iOS
at the same time. This means that a lot
of product teams have both Android and iOS engineers. As an Android engineer, you can expect to
collaborate with the iOS engineers a lot and you will learn
about similarities and differences between
Android and iOS quite a bit. You will also work as a part of a larger
Android community, together with Android engineers from all of the teams at Meta. This will give you a chance to work together to improve
the general codebase, introduce new frameworks,
keep them up-to-date and build best practices. At the scale of matter, the codebase evolves quite differently from the
smaller companies. There’s different
libraries and frameworks that are built to support
the operations. Some of them eventually
become open-sourced. Leto is a good example. It’s a framework to
build declarative UIs on Android that bring the famous React pattern from the JavaScript world into
Android development. Other libraries focus on Meta specific problems that other companies don’t
really experience. For example, managing dependencies between
different libraries used at Facebook,
Instagram or Messenger. These problems are typically not something that you
face in a small company. so, keeping the app size stable, preventing accidental
regressions, is something that we need
to care about a lot at Meta and we have a
lot of products and frameworks tailored
to serve that need. Moving fast is one
of the Meta values, so this means that we always try to shorten the time it takes
to build a product. We always try to keep
quality high though. The quality and the user
experience is never a trade-off. Having said that,
we try to launch products fast so that
we can get feedback from our users so that we
see if the product works and if it really solves the problem we want
to solve and if so, we will invest more always
take a step back and think, what do we need to fix? Working at Meta you
will test how far the typical design and user experience
frameworks can scale. With dozens of different
products that you need to fit in the app like
Facebook for example what are the frameworks that
you need in order to keep all of these products
accessible and discoverable for the users
who need to use them? What are these different design patterns that you need to use? What are the trade-offs
between them? Having these problems at scale makes the work here
really challenging, but also rewarding when you finally arrive at a
working solution. Be prepared to test the
knowledge that you get and try to think of what are the
limits to these frameworks, how scalable they are and what you can do about
it as you learn?

Android engineering
offers you one of the most diverse sets of career
opportunities out there. Hi, my name is Stepan Furdei. I’m a full-stack
engineer at Meta, working on as manager, one of the world’s
biggest ads platforms. If you really like
mobile engineering but are unsure about
Android versus iOS, the good news is
that it’s really up to you what to choose. In the modern world, both Android and iOS devices are vastly popular in so many
different countries. What does that mean
for the companies? It means that they need to ship products on both
of these platforms. They also need both
Android and iOS engineers to build
these products. It’s really up to you which
path you want to take. There is definitely
trade-offs between them. If you want to take
both Android and iOS, you will quickly learn about differences and similarities
between those platforms, and you will have a good
product understanding what can you build as a
mobile engineer. At the same time, it will
take you much longer to build deeper expertise
on both Android and iOS. If you focus on
only one at a time, you will develop that
expertise much faster, you’ll become a bigger expert, and you’ll be able to focus on the technological
problems and products. Mobile engineering role
in Android specifically, is very different between
large and small companies. Working in a small company, you will likely need to
focus on the entire app. You’ll be building
a user interface, you will be also managing
the local state, you’ll be working with the
backend in your product, and you will likely
participate in the product launch cycles. You will have an
experience working with everything that
relates to Android. But you will likely have to
spread yourself very thin. When you work in
a large company, you will be most likely focused on just one
product because it’s impossible to comprehend
the entire codebase of a company like Meta. But you will dig very deep into the understanding of products and features you are building, what specific design libraries work and how they
work under the hood, so that you can use them to the maximum advantage to make your product as
successful as possible. Regardless of the industry, there is different career
paths for an Android engineer. You can grow on that and
become expert in Android, in specific libraries,
frameworks, or even in the Android itself. You can eventually become one of the architects in your
company and even help kickoff new tech startups in things like AR
or VR, for example. Another way for you to grow as an Android engineer is
to be a full-stack. You can start working with iOS, you can start building backends
on even database layers, and you will know how different
things work together. Full-stack engineers
are invaluable to bring different teams in
the company together. You can also grow
to a tech lead, a person who has a vision of
the product and works a lot with cross-functional teams of designers, product
managers, researchers. You will be organizing this diverse team to execute on a bold
vision of your product. As an aspiring Android engineer, focus on learning first, expand your horizons,
push yourself outside of your zone of comfort
and try new things. As you do that, try to
think what motivates you, what makes you excited, and it will come very naturally to you which career
path to take, the one that motivates
you the most.

You are creating an Android mobile app. Which language will require less code?

Kotlin

You are correct! Amongst other reasons that Kotlin has become the preferred language for Android mobile app development, Kotlin code is more concise. With simpler, fewer lines of code, Kotlin reduces errors, streamlines programming and improves code readability.

If you are looking to build
Android applications or apps and position yourself in the mobile
technology industry, then it’s essential that
you’re familiar with the different programming
languages you can use. In this video, you will explore two Android languages,
Java and Kotlin. In the world of
Android development, Java and Kotlin are both extremely popular
programming languages. Java, which was released by
Sun Microsystems in 1995, is one of the most popular
programming languages in the developer community. Software developers use Java
for a wide range of apps, such as Android apps, web apps, embedded systems,
server apps, and more. For a long time, Android
developers use Java to develop mobile apps because it was the only
supported language. However, Android
eventually needed a more modern language to complement the features of Java. This need inspired the
development of Kotlin. Kotlin was introduced by
JetBrains in 2011 and has since become one of the supported languages
in Android Studio. In fact, over time, Kotlin has officially become the preferred language for
Android app development. That’s one of the
reasons you’ll be working with Kotlin
in this course. Now, let’s take a moment to consider some of the
benefits of using Kotlin. In comparison to Java, Kotlin is concise
and time-saving. It has simpler and
fewer lines of code reducing code errors and
streamlining programming. Writing less code means
that with Kotlin, it will be easier to maintain an entire project regardless
of its complexity level. Concise code is also
easier to read and change. Another major advantage
of Kotlin is that it is completely compatible or
interoperable with Java. As a result, developers
can use Java commands, libraries, and frameworks in Kotlin projects
without any issue. Also, with a single click, you can convert Java
code to Kotlin. Kotlin also addresses some of the common issues developers
run into with Java. For example, it better handles errors that commonly cause
crashes in Android apps. You have now been introduced to two Android programming
languages, Java and Kotlin, and should have greater
insight into why Kotlin has become the
preferred language for Android app development. Keeping in mind the
benefits of using Kotlin, I hope you’re looking
forward to working with this programming language when creating your own
project for this course.

Mobile App Development with Android Studio: A Beginner’s Tutorial

Welcome to the exciting world of mobile app development with Android Studio! This tutorial will guide you through the essential steps to get started, introducing you to the tools and concepts you’ll need to build your first Android app.

Prerequisites:

• A computer with a decent internet connection.
• Android Studio downloaded and installed (https://developer.android.com/studio).
• Basic understanding of programming concepts (optional, but helpful).

Let’s begin!

1. Setting Up Your Development Environment:

• Open Android Studio and choose “Start a new Android Studio project.”
• Select “Empty Activity” as the template and give your app a name.
• Choose a target API level compatible with most devices.
• Click “Finish” to generate your project.

2. Exploring the Interface:

• Familiarize yourself with the IDE layout:
  • Toolbar: Run your app, access debugging tools, and more.
  • Navigation bar: Browse project files and folders.
  • Editor window: Write and edit your app’s code.
  • Tool window bar: Access tasks like project management, version control, etc.
  • Status bar: Monitor project status and notifications.

3. Building Your First App:

• In the “activity_main.xml” file, you’ll design your app’s layout using XML. Drag and drop UI elements like buttons, text views, and images.
• In the “MainActivity.java” (or “MainActivity.kt” for Kotlin) file, you’ll write code to make your app interactive. Add event listeners to respond to user actions, display text, and perform calculations.

4. Running and Testing your App:

• Click the “Run” button to launch your app on an emulator (simulated device) or a physical device connected to your computer.
• Test your app thoroughly, interacting with different UI elements and ensuring everything works as expected.
• Use the logcat window to view debug messages and identify any errors.

5. Going Further:

• This is just the beginning! Android Studio offers many features to explore:
  • Use pre-built UI components from the Material Design library for a polished look.
  • Connect to databases to store and retrieve data.
  • Integrate with APIs to access functionalities like maps, camera, and more.
  • Learn advanced concepts like multithreading, networking, and animation.

Resources:

• Android Developer Tutorials: <invalid URL removed>
• Kotlin for Android Developers: <invalid URL removed>
• Android Documentation: https://developer.android.com/docs

Remember: Practice is key! Start with simple apps and gradually increase complexity as you learn new concepts. There’s a vast community of Android developers online to help you along the way. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and seek support when needed.

This is just a basic overview to get you started. As you delve deeper, you’ll discover the vast potential of Android app development and the power of Android Studio as your development tool. Happy coding!

Which functionalities are included in the Android Studio Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that enable developers to deliver apps within a single environment? Select all that apply.

A status bar

That is correct! The status bar displays the status of your project and the IDE itself, as well as any warnings or messages.

A tool window bar

That’s correct! The tool window bar runs around the outside of the IDE window and gives you access to specific tasks like project management, search and version control.

A toolbar

That’s correct! The toolbar functionality provides a wide range of actions such as running your app on an emulator or physical device.

An editor window

That’s correct! The editor window allows you to make changes to your code.

As the mobile market
continues to grow enormously, and with the demand
for apps exploding, the mobile app creation business has never had more
tempting opportunities. In order to successfully join this industry as an Android
mobile app developer, you will need a good
understanding of the tools and technologies you need
to do things efficiently. Over the next few minutes, you’ll learn about one of the mobile app
development tools in the market, Android Studio. Google launched Android
Studio in 2013. Since its launch,
many developers have chosen it as their
preferred environment for app development. Android Studio is Google’s official Integrated
Development Environment or IDE for building apps that run on Android
operating systems. It provides developers
with features that not only improve the
development of their apps, but also the overall
quality of work. This IDE supports various
language for app development, such as Kotlin, Java, C++, and more with extensions. Before outlining the
functionalities of Android Studio, let’s take a moment to explore
some of its key features. These include a
complete build system, which will allow you to compile and build
your Android app, a fast emulator that simulates Android devices on
your computer for testing your apps on
different devices, the ability to build apps for different types of
Android devices, free project templates
for quick development, and support for
third-party integrations. Android Studio comprises
essential tools that enable developers to deliver
high-quality apps within a single environment. The toolbar provides a
wide range of actions, such as running your app on an emulator or physical device. The navigation bar allows you to navigate and access
project files. It gives a sleeker view of the structure visible
in the project window. The editor window allows you
to make changes to code. This is dependent on
the existing file type. The tool window bar runs
around the outside of the IDE window and
gives you access to specific tasks like
project management, search, version
control, and more. It contains buttons that
allow you to expand or collapse these
individual tool windows. Finally, the status bar displays the status of your project
and the IDE itself, as well as any
warnings or messages. In this video, you’ve learned
that Android Studio not only supports various languages for mobile app development, but also includes
functionalities that will aid you as you start
developing your own apps. In fact, there are
even more ways that Android Studio can assist
you with app development, which you can look forward
to learning about later.

Android Studio Project Templates for App Development: A Beginner’s Tutorial

Developing mobile apps can be exciting, but getting started can seem daunting. Luckily, Android Studio, the official IDE for Android app development, provides project templates to jumpstart your journey. These templates offer pre-built code structures based on common app functionalities, saving you time and effort.

This tutorial will guide you through:

• Understanding Project Templates: We’ll explore what they are, their benefits, and different types available in Android Studio.
• Creating Your First App with Templates: We’ll walk you through creating a simple app using various templates.
• Exploring Popular Templates: We’ll dive deeper into commonly used templates like Basic Activity, Bottom Navigation, and Empty Activity.
• Customizing Templates: We’ll show you how to modify templates to fit your specific needs.

Let’s begin!

1. What are Project Templates?

Think of project templates as blueprints for your app. They provide a foundational code structure and essential files pre-configured for specific functionalities. Using templates saves you time writing repetitive code and ensures you follow best practices.

Benefits of using Project Templates:

• Faster development: Skip writing boilerplate code and focus on your app’s unique features.
• Clean code structure: Templates adhere to recommended coding practices for better maintainability.
• Platform understanding: Explore basic functionalities supported by Android Studio and the Android platform.
• Reduced errors: Utilize pre-tested and verified code structures to minimize errors.

2. Creating Your First App with Templates:

Open Android Studio and start a new project. In the “Create New Project” window, you’ll see various tabs with template options.

• Phone and Tablet: Suitable for most basic apps with simple user interfaces.
• Other: Explore advanced templates for Wear OS, TV, and more.

Choose the “Phone and Tablet” tab and explore available templates. Let’s try three popular ones:

• Basic Activity: Creates a simple activity with a basic layout and text. Ideal for testing and understanding the structure.
• Bottom Navigation Activity: Provides a bottom navigation bar for easy switching between different app sections.
• Empty Activity: Offers a blank canvas for experienced developers who prefer their own project structure.

Select a template and click “Next.” Customize project details like name and location. Click “Finish” to generate your project.

3. Exploring Popular Templates:

Basic Activity Template:

• This template includes a TextView element displaying “Hello Android!” within an activity.
• Use this as a starting point to modify the layout and add functionalities like buttons, images, and user input.

Bottom Navigation Activity Template:

• This template provides three pre-defined fragments (screens) accessible through a bottom navigation bar.
• Explore each fragment’s layout and modify them to represent different sections of your app.
• Experiment with adding more fragments and customizing the navigation bar.

Empty Activity Template:

• This template provides a completely blank activity with no pre-defined code.
• Use this if you have a specific project structure in mind or want complete control over the code.
• Remember to add essential elements like layouts, activities, and functionalities manually.

4. Customizing Templates:

While templates offer a solid foundation, don’t be afraid to modify them to fit your needs.

• Layout Editor: Use the visual layout editor to drag and drop UI elements, customize their appearance, and add functionalities.
• Code Editor: Modify the provided code within the activity files to implement your app’s logic and user interactions.
• Documentation: Refer to Android Studio documentation and online resources for detailed information on specific functionalities and customization options.

Remember: Templates are a starting point, not a limitation. Use them as a springboard to unleash your creativity and build amazing Android apps!

This is just a starting point for your exploration of Android Studio Project Templates. As you continue learning and building more complex apps, you’ll discover a wider range of templates and customization options.

Happy developing!

You are developing an Android mobile app. What do you think are the benefits of using a project template? Select all that apply.

Project templates will give you a sneak peek at what a particular language or platform has to offer

That’s right! Amongst other benefits, by previewing what a platform has to offer, project templates give you insight into the development environment before you invest your time in learning how to build your app for that platform.

You can start building your app quickly

That’s right! Amongst other benefits, project templates can be used to quickly create new app modules, activities or other specific components of your project.

Your app will be aligned with specific design principles and coding best practices

That’s right! Amongst other benefits, a project template will provide you with a structure that meets the best practices recommended by the operating system (OS) manufacturer.

When you start developing your
own mobile applications or apps, being aware of ways to create apps
efficiently will become invaluable. As you can imagine, the ability to get
started quickly with app development is one of the things developers look out for, when choosing a development
environment for writing code. Luckily, many
Integrated Development Environments or IDEs ensure that there is at least
a base code for any developer to use. They also offer developers a sneak peek at
what a particular language has to offer. More specifically,
these IDEs provide project templates that follow specific design principles and
coding best practices to get you up to speed on creating
beautiful functional apps. These code templates can be used
to quickly create new app modules, activities or
other components of your project. Android studio which is an IDE used for
developing android apps, provide starter code for various basic
implementations of the android platform. With android studio, you can select
from a wide range of app modules and class activity templates
when creating a project. One popular use case of templates is
adding new activities to an existing app. Project for example, imagine you want to create a log in screen
where your users can log into your app. Well with the login activity template, you can get that feature
implemented in less time. Let’s take a moment to explore
a few of the templates available on android studio namely
the basic activity template, bottom navigation activity template and
empty activity template. The basic activity template allows
you to create a base code for your app that includes common
user interface or UI components. This will form a base project to
which you can add more code if you ever want to use bottom navigation for
quick navigation within your app. The bottom navigation activity template is
the easiest way to get started with it. This activity lets your users explore and switch between top level or
key screens of your app with a single tap. The empty activity template allows
you to start building your app from the very beginning. No initial code base is
included in this template. This kind of template works best if you
already have a project structure in place. Now that more about project templates, let’s outline some of
the benefits of using them. The first advantage of using project
templates is that they offer a clear understanding of the project structure. The templates provide you with a structure
that meets the best practices recommended by the operating system or
OS manufacturer. Next as mentioned earlier. Project templates give you a preview
of what the platform has to offer. This way, you can get insight into
how things work behind the scenes before investing your time in learning
how to build apps for that platform, last but certainly not least. Project templates allow
you to build quickly. You can start building apps in minutes
just by using inbuilt project templates. You should now understand what
project templates are and be able to list some of their benefits. You’ve also been given a sneak peek
at the kind of templates available in the android studio and can look forward
to learning more about what this IDE has to offer you as a future developer.

Creating Your First Android App in Android Studio: A Step-by-Step Guide

Excited to embark on your Android app development journey? Buckle up! This tutorial will guide you through creating your very first app using Android Studio, the official Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Android app development.

Prerequisites:

• Download and install Android Studio on your computer: https://developer.android.com/studio
• Basic understanding of programming concepts (optional)

Let’s begin!

1. Launch Android Studio: Open the app and get comfortable with the interface.

2. Create a New Project:

• Click “New Project” on the Welcome screen.
• Choose a template for your app. We recommend “Basic Activity” for a simple starting point.
• Give your app a unique name and package name (e.g., MyFirstApp, com.example.myfirstapp).
• Select your preferred development language (Kotlin is the current standard).
• Set the minimum API level to ensure your app works on most devices (API 21 or later is a good starting point).
• Click “Finish” to create your project.

3. Explore the Project Structure:

• Android Studio organizes your project files efficiently. Familiarize yourself with the following key folders:
  • app: Contains the main source code for your app.
  • manifest: Defines essential app information and permissions.
  • res: Holds resources like images, layouts, and strings.
  • build: Contains generated files for building your app.

4. Design Your App Interface:

• Open the “activity_main.xml” file in the “res/layout” folder. This defines your app’s main screen layout.
• Use drag-and-drop tools to add elements like buttons, text views, and images.
• Customize their properties like text, color, and size in the Attributes panel.

5. Write App Logic:

• Open the “MainActivity.kt” file in the “app/java” folder (or “app/kotlin” for Kotlin). This is where your app’s code lives.
• The existing code handles basic functionality like displaying elements.
• Add your own code to make buttons trigger actions, display data, and interact with users.
• Use online resources and tutorials to learn more about Android development concepts and coding syntax.

6. Run Your App:

• Click the “Run” button (green triangle) in the toolbar.
• Select a virtual device or connect an Android device.
• Your app will launch on the chosen device or emulator, allowing you to test and interact with it.

7. Congratulations! You’ve created your first Android app!

Remember, this is just the beginning. Keep exploring, learning, and experimenting with different features and functionalities to build amazing apps!

Additional Tips:

• Take advantage of online tutorials and documentation for further learning.
• Utilize the built-in Android Studio tools and features for code completion, debugging, and more.
• Don’t hesitate to experiment and break things! Learning happens through exploration and troubleshooting.
• Join online communities and forums to connect with other Android developers and get help.

When you create a new project, you have the option to choose from a range of templates.

What is one of the benefits of using a template to get started?

Templates provide you with a default code base.

That’s right! Templates come with a default code base that allows you to quickly get started building applications for different devices. 

When starting your career as an android
developer, one area you will need to understand is how android projects
are created in android studio. To help you get started this video
will serve as a quick guide to creating your first android project. Although this integrated
development environment or I D E is designed to perform several
operations beyond just creating projects. In this video, the focus is just on how to
use android studio to start your project. Notably an android project
contains all the files that your IDE will need to build and
generate your android app. With the android software
development kit or SDK tools, which is a component of the android
SDK that includes a complete set of development tools for android,
it’s easy to start a new android project with a set of default
project directories and files. Okay, so you’ve got to create
a new android app, let’s begin. In this video, I’m going to demonstrate how to start
a new project in android studio. The 1st Step is to launch
your android studio. The Welcome to android
studio window is displayed. In the projects tab your previously
created projects are available. There are also additional buttons
on the right hand side, for now let’s focus on the new project button. To create a new project,
click on new project. This opens a new window which
gives you access to many different templates for
a range of devices including phone and tablet, wear OS,
android TV and automotive. These templates come with a default
code base that allows you to quickly get started building
applications for different devices. Note that the no activity option
enables you to create a new project that does not include
any default code base. For this video, let’s select the basic
activity template that works for phones and tablets. Once you selected your template,
click on next. In the next window,
you need to provide a name for the application, let’s call it sample app. There’s also the package name you
can leave as com dot example dot sample underscore app. The package name is unique to
every app as its purpose is to identify your app uniquely
on the play store. You can also retain the save location
line which refers to where you’d like your project to reside. Next, you are given the choice
between the two supported languages in android development,
java or kotlin, take kotlin as this is the language you
are going to use throughout this course. After that you can set the minimum version
of the SDK or software development kit. Let’s leave it at API 21. The API level is equivalent to
the operating system version. API 21 means that your app
will be functional for android devices with an operating
system of 5.0 and above. To create the application, click finish. So here is the new android project
in the android studio environment. You can close any pop ups if necessary. On this page,
the project Pain is on the left. It may take a moment to load. From the project Pain, you have access
to the project files that have been generated by the template and
android studio. It contains different folders for
app development. And that’s how to create
a project in android studio. You should now know how to launch
a new project in android studio, a fundamental first step in creating
your own android apps in future. You are now ready to move on to exploring
all the project files generated by the android studio environment and how you can use them when
creating your very own project.

Which of the following is a major component an Android app is made up of? Select all that apply.

Content providers

That’s correct. Content providers is one of the four major components of an Android app.

Broadcast receivers

That’s correct. Broadcast receivers is one of the four major components that make up an Android app.

Activities

That’s correct. Activities is one of the four major components that make up an Android app.

Services

That’s correct. Services is one of the four major components of an Android app.

Mobile apps have become integral to everyday
life for most of us. In fact, there are millions of Android apps with
wide-ranging purposes available for users to download but as an
aspiring mobile developer, you may be wondering what are the different components that go into making these Android apps. Let’s find out by exploring the anatomy or structure
of an Android app. An Android app is made up of four major components
that serve as the building blocks of any
Android app in the market. Each component has its own
purpose and unique behavior. These major components
are activities, services, broadcast receivers,
and content providers. Let’s unpack each of these
major components in turn. An activity is a class
considered an entry point for users that
represents a single screen. It is like the Window
or frame in Kotlin. With the help of activity, you can place all your
user interface or UI components or widgets
on a single screen. For example, a music
player app may have an activity that shows you a list of your
favorite songs, another activity that allows you to play a specific song, and another which shows you
a list of trending songs. Each activity is
independent of the others. Then there is the
services component, which runs in the background, serving as the invisible
background worker of any Android application. Its function is to
constantly update the data sources and activities
with the latest changes. It also performs tasks when users are not active
on applications. A good example of a service is chatting with someone
whilst listening to music. Another component is the
broadcast receivers component. Its purpose is to
respond to messages from other applications
or systems in real-time. To illustrate, imagine you’re enjoying your favorite
song on your music app, when you get a notification that you’re running
low on battery power. Have you ever wondered how you get
notifications like this? Well, broadcast receivers are responsible for
such activities. This example is just one of many use cases of
this component. Content providers is the
last major component and is responsible for sharing data between one or
more applications. This operation is
based on request. A typical example is a social media app that allows users to share their
images online. The app can show you
all the images from your gallery with the help
of content providers. These Android components
are coupled by a configuration file called
AndroidManifest.xml. It is used to specify each component and how they
interact with each other. Let’s explore this
configuration file. In Android Studio, I have the project folder
for an example application, as well as its Android
manifest file open. This is a configuration
file that is required by all Android apps and defines the major
components of the app. It also contains
information about what the app needs in order to
run on an Android device. One of the major
components activity is defined in this file already. Currently, it has specified
details such as name, label, and theme. However, let’s further expand the file by defining
another major component, such as a receiver. To do this, I’ll start
by adding a line below the activity block
and typing . Next, I can add a services subclass to this
receiver by advancing to the next line and adding
an indent before typing service android
name equals.service inside of angle brackets. Finally, let’s add a content
provider for this receiver. On the next line, I type
<provider and then follow with lines for Android:
authorities and Android: name. I won’t define the
receiver component in detail in this example, but this should give you
an idea of what type of information is
typically expressed in the AndroidManifest file. For now, I’ll delete the additions I’ve
made, but later, you’ll explore how to use
the AndroidManifest file in depth for configuring
your application with all major components. You now know more about the major components that
make up Android apps. Well done. You’re making
great progress towards creating your very own
project in Android Studio.

We’ve reached the
end of this module on introduction to Android. In this module,
you’ve explored what a mobile app is and
how a mobile OS works. Received an intro to the Android languages,
Java and Kotlin, discovered the steps for
selecting and launching a project and explored the basic structure
of an Android app. It is now time to recap the key points and
concepts you learned, and the skills you gained. You began the module
with an overview of mobile apps and explored
how a mobile OS works. Following the completion
of this first lesson, you should now be able to provide an overview of
what a mobile app is, explaining the
difference between mobile apps and mobile websites, and explain the operations
of a mobile OS. You can now also explain
the pros and cons of mobile apps to help you decide whether to
create an app or not. You can provide an overview
of how a mobile OS works. Following your introduction
to mobile platforms, you were then introduced
to Android development. This final lesson focused on Android development and the programming
languages it uses. During this lesson,
you’ve explored the programming languages
of Kotlin and Java, and we’re introduced to
the Android Studio IDE. You can also now complete the initial steps for starting a project in Android Studio, and you can also explain the composition of a
simple Android app. What a great start to your Android application
development journey? You’re now familiar with the basics of mobile
application development. You can explain
what a mobile app is and how a mobile OS works. You have an understanding of the programming
languages that are used and can launch a project within Android
Studio. Well done.