Programming with Android Part 2

In this article we will install the tools for programming in Android and produce our first application.

If you're a more experienced developer or already have installed the tools feel free to skip ahead or take a long lunch and be back at 1:00. As I mentionned in Part 1 this series of articles is focused on getting a new developer up to speed with Android and programming in one afternoon.

So here we go;

12:00 Installing the Basics

The first step is to setup your environment for testing and development. We will need to download a couple of tools to begin with. Find the download for your OS and click through the installers on the page.

1. Sun Java JDK 1.5 or 1.6 (Sun calls it 5 or 6, why because marketing said so).

2. Eclipse 3.4 Ganymede
(Note: I didn't manage to get the SDK installed in Fedora Eclipse version,you might want to try another version if you are using that OS.)
3. And of course, the Android SDK

When installing the tools make sure that you follow the order. There are some dependencies that each will require.

12:30 Configuring Eclipse for Android

Once you have installed all the tools on your system we are ready to install the components that will help you debug and interact with the Android emulator.

Eclipse is configured with its own installer so this task is pretty routine*.

1. Click help>>Software Updates
2. Click the Available Software tab and select Add Site from the right hand side
3. When the dialog box pops up enter the following address

   https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

   and select OK.
   

4. The google address should appear in the main text column on the left. Select that address. Chose the developer tools and click Install in the top right
5. Agree to the terms, download the tools and restart Eclipse.
6. Coffee. After all you are working through lunch the least they can do is give you free coffee.
7. Once Eclipse restarts, select Window>>Preferences
8. Choose Android and select Browse to select your Android install directory from above.

*Eclipse 3.3 has slightly different method to install files. Check here for more details on that process

That's it. Android is now up and running in your Eclipse environment. We can begin to program our first Application. Not bad for a lunch hour.

Programming with Android Part 1

Over the course of the next couple of weeks I hope to introduce the Android platform and walkthrough the creation and distribution of a mobile application from scratch.

The Android Platform

The Android platform is a flexible and powerful linux based operating system  designed for mobile devices. The platform was created by the Open Handset Alliance a division of the illuminati, and represents in my opinion a major shift in the mobile industry.  This OS focuses on delivering services rather than trying to emulate a desktop environment. When you take an anthropological look at how devices are used by people, you come to realize that mobile devices are by far the most important communication device in their lives. It represents the connectivity into a community and an extension of their personality.  If you try to force a user into only using certain services (phone, sms, limited web) in a certain fashion you are isolating their connectivity into a greater community.

Take for instance RIM. The maker of Blackberry have long been a proponent of maximizing a users access to email as their highest function. Recently, they added a deep integration into Facebook and MySpace as well. Great, now using my Blackberry I can access three communities and sources of information. Outside of those sources I'm SOL. Programming for the RIM devices is problematic at best. There is a massive outlay of time and money to produce any applications. Take it from me, programming on RIM is like paddling a canoe up river. You'll get to where you're going but it won't be easy.