This document provides an overview of mobile application development using the Android platform. It discusses Android's architecture including the Linux kernel, libraries, Android runtime using the Dalvik virtual machine, and application framework. It also covers application building blocks like activities, intent receivers, services and content providers. The document concludes with a discussion of development tools, network connectivity, devices, and some limitations of the Android platform.

2. Mobile Application Development
(MAD)
Intro to Android platform
Platform Architecture
Application Building Blocks
Development Tools
Hello Android

3. Few reasons to go MAD…
•Smart Phones
Internet access anywhere
Social networking
•Millions of mobile users
•Open Standards

4. Introduction to Android
•Open software platform for mobile
development
•A complete stack – OS, Middleware,
Applications
•An Open Handset Alliance (OHA) project
•Powered by Linux operating system
•Fast application development in Java
•Open source under the Apache 2 license

6. Linux Kernel
• Works as a HAL
• Device Drivers
• Memory Management
• Process Management
• Networking

7. Libraries
• C/C++ libraries
• Interface through Java
• Surface Manager – Handling UI Windows
• 2D and 3D graphics
• Media codes, SQLite, Browser engine

8. Android Runtime
• Dalvik Virtual Machine
 Dex files
 Compact and efficient
than class files
 Limited memory and
battery power
• Core Libraries
 Java 5 Std edition
 Collections, I/O etc…

9. Application Framework
• API interface
• Activity Manager – manages
application life cycle.

10. Applications
• Built in and user apps
• Can replace built in apps

11. Application Building Blocks
•Activity
•Intent Receiver
•Service
•Content Providers

12. Activities
•Typically correspond to one UI
screen
•But, they can:
•Be faceless
•Be in a floating window
•Return a value

13. Intent Receivers
•Components that respond to
broadcast ‘Intents’
•Way to respond to external
notification or alarms
•Apps can invent and broadcast their
own Intent

14. Intents
•Think of Intents as a verb and object; a
description of what you want done
E.g. VIEW, CALL, PLAY etc..
•System matches Intent with Activity that can
best provide the service
•Activities and Intent Receivers describe what
Intents they can service

15. Services
Faceless components that run in
the background
E.g. music player, network
download etc…

16. Content Providers
•Enables sharing of data across
applications
E.g. address book, photo gallery
•Provides uniform APIs for:
querying
delete, update and insert.
•Content is represented by URI and
MIME type

17. Development Tools
Eclipse
Android SDK 1.0-2.0
developer.android.com

18. Network Connectivity
It supports wireless communications using:
 GSM mobile-phone technology
 3G
 Edge
 802.11 Wi-Fi networks

19. Devices

20. Application Lifecycle
•Application run in their own
processes (VM, PID)
•Processes are started and stopped
as needed to run an application's
components
•Processes may be killed to reclaim
resources

21. Views

22. Views

23. Notification Manager

24. What is the Open Handset Alliance
(OHA)???
• Devoted to advancing open standards for
mobile devices
• Develop technologies that will significantly
lower the cost of developing and distributing
mobile devices and services

26. Limitations
Bluetooth limitations
o Android doesn't support:
 Bluetooth stereo
 Contacts exchange
 Modem pairing
 Wireless keyboards
Firefox Mobile isn't coming to Android
o Apps in Android Market need to be
programmed with a custom form of Java
 Mozilla and the Fennec won't have that