Professional Android, Fourth Edition

"Professional Android," 4E, is a professional developer's guide to building mobile applications using the latest (upcoming) major release of the Android SDK and Google Play services. This hands-on approach provides in-depth coverage of the Android SDK through a series of projects, each introducing a new Android platform feature and highlighting the techniques and best practices to get the most out of Android. Providing concise and compelling examples, "Professional Android, 4E, " shows developers how to quickly construct real-world mobile applications for Android devices running the latest version of Android, utilizing both the Android framework and the Google Play services. Some of the most important features introduced (or significantly revised for version 5.0) include: Using Android Studio as an IDE for developmentIntroduction of Android Design GuidelinesExpansion of notification APIsIntroduction of DaydreamsNew multiuser / restricted profiles supportExpansion of NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy, and printing chaptersNew official calendar and SMS APIsExpanded localization and accessibility supportIntroduction of Google Play servicesIn-App BillingSignificant improvements to the animation framework.Expansion of the chapter on sensors to include newly supported sensors.Addition of a chapter on testing.Expansion of support for tablet devices and new user interface components. The exercises begin as simple tasks that introduce readers to the anatomy, lifecycle, and UI metaphor of an Android application. Each step adds a particular piece of functionality to construct increasingly feature rich Android applications. Readers can use the exercises and the completed projects as a basis for developing their own Android applications. With two significant releases since the previous edition, and at least one major Android SDK release scheduled for later this year, "Professional Android," 4E, will introduce each of the new and updated APIs available to developers, as well as providing an revised look at the existing platform features after two years of active development. Note that as with the previous revisions, the included projects will be written in Java - however they will be updated to use Android Studio (rather than Eclipse with the Android plugin).