Book excerpt: Learn all the Java and Android skills you need to start making powerful mobile applications About This Book Kick-start your Android programming career, or just have fun publishing apps to the Google Play marketplace A first-principles introduction to Java, via Android, which means you'll be able to start building your own applications from scratch Learn by example and build three real-world apps and over 40 mini apps throughout the book Who This Book Is For Are you trying to start a career in programming, but haven't found the right way in? Do you have a great idea for an app, but don't know how to make it a reality? Or maybe you're just frustrated that “to learn Android, you must know java.” If so, Android Programming for Beginners is for you. You don't need any programming experience to follow along with this book, just a computer and a sense of adventure. What You Will Learn Master the fundamentals of coding Java for Android Install and set up your Android development environment Build functional user interfaces with the Android Studio visual designer Add user interaction, data captures, sound, and animation to your apps Manage your apps' data using the built-in Android SQLite database Find out about the design patterns used by professionals to make top-grade applications Build, deploy, and publish real Android applications to the Google Play marketplace In Detail Android is the most popular OS in the world. There are millions of devices accessing tens of thousands of applications. It is many people's entry point into the world of technology; it is an operating system for everyone. Despite this, the entry-fee to actually make Android applications is usually a computer science degree, or five years' worth of Java experience. Android Programming for Beginners will be your companion to create Android applications from scratch—whether you're looking to start your programming career, make an application for work, be reintroduced to mobile development, or are just looking to program for fun. We will introduce you to all the fundamental concepts of programming in an Android context, from the Java basics to working with the Android API. All examples are created from within Android Studio, the official Android development environment that helps supercharge your application development process. After this crash-course, we'll dive deeper into Android programming and you'll learn how to create applications with a professional-standard UI through fragments, make location-aware apps with Google Maps integration, and store your user's data with SQLite. In addition, you'll see how to make your apps multilingual, capture images from a device's camera, and work with graphics, sound, and animations too. By the end of this book, you'll be ready to start building your own custom applications in Android and Java. Style and approach With more than 40 mini apps to code and run, Android Programming for Beginners is a hands-on guide to learning Android and Java. Each example application demonstrates a different aspect of Android programming. Alongside these mini apps, we push your abilities by building three larger applications to demonstrate Android application development in context.