Network and Security

Android represents a big potential market. It is also the most open of the "big" phone platforms. All the tools you need to create an Android App are free. You don;t need to pay anything to join a club to create and even distribute your Android App. If you want to sell using a well known marketplace such as Google Play or Amazon then there is usually a small annual fee, but you don't have to use any particular distribution method. All that stands between you and your Android app is your imagination and programming ability. I can't do much to improve your imagination but I can help with the programming side of things. In this ebook I will show you the fundamentals of Android programming. Not the tips and tricks, but how to think about what is going on - that is the general principles that will make it possible for you to master anything that you encounter that is new in the future. What do you need to know to get started? You need to be able to program in a modern obje...

The action bar is an important design element, usually at the top of each screen in an app, that provides a consistent familiar look between Android apps. It is used to provide better user interaction and experience by supporting easy navigation through tabs and drop-down lists. It also provides a space for the app or activity’s identity, thus enabling the user to know their location in the app, and easy access to the actions that can be performed. The action bar was introduced in Android 3.0, although support for older versions can be achieved by using the Android Support Library. Before its release, the Options Menu was usually used to provide the actions and functionality that are now put on the action bar. The action bar is included by default in all activities for apps with a minSdkVersion of 11. You can disable it and opt to only use the options menu, but for better user experiences it’s better to use the action bar as it is visible to the user, while the options menu ...