Introduction to Renderscript

Renderscript - an important feature of Honeycomb, which was not discussed previously. There will be two articles, this - a simple overview Renderscript, following the same will contain more technical detail and a simple example. 

Renderscript - this is a new API, aimed at high performance in 3D rendering and complex computing operations.Renderscript will be of interest to developers who are trying to maximize their overall experience and feel comfortable when working at low levels. For developers, there are three tools: a simple API for 3D rendering that supports hardware acceleration, API to model complex algorithms (similar to CUDA ), and standard language is close to C99 .

Renderscript has been used previously to create a new, more beautiful visually, applications Books and YouTube.He has also been used to write living wallpaper that shipped with Honeycomb.

How to promote Android apps

Recently my friend asked me to answer a few questions to promote applications for Android. We dogovorlis that I would write a post. Over the last year I got the definite impression on the market Android Market. I am pleased to share my opinion. I hope my experience will be useful to developers. I would be happy if the post will generate a constructive discussion. 

On Android Market:

1. How often do updates for whether these updates in some real bug fixes, or users' trust and silently update "?

As a user I am a "trust and silently update the" application or not at all if I update the application is not interested. Everyone is different and there are users who are always watching the ongoing changes in apdeyte, my IMHO - is dominated by people who install updates, rarely going into the details. There is also a category of applications, in which each update brings new features. As a rule, the loyal users of such applications are always waiting for the upgrade of new functionality or content.

Using Android Search Dialog. Part 3 - Custom Suggestions

This is the final article on the use of Android Search Dialog (previous are here and here ). In it, I'll show you how to add dynamic dialogue in the search for clues, as well as how to integrate search into your application system Quick Search Box (QSB). QSB advantage that it can be used to obtain information from virtually anywhere in the OS.

Android-compatible applications on different devices

It's no secret that the number of devices on the Android large, they differ in hardware, screen size and quality, processing power, and others. Unlike the iPhone-programmers who know for sure on which device will be running their app, Android-developers need to focus on application compatibility with different devices. 

This article focuses on the interoperability of applications, especially applications display on screens with different resolutions and diagonals.



First we need to understand the opportunities offered by Android for the screen.

Standard application development for Android

Android developer is faced with large numbers of files and resources designed for different parts of the program.Even after a month he can not remember which file or resource to which belongs. 

Material presented below is based on my experience of many development projects for Android and has been tested in several projects. As a result, simple rules pile of files and resources into a readable project, saves time and nerves. Especially when it is convenient to work in a team where the project can join the new programmers.In Eclipse, you can easily find any resources because they are unique, easy-to-find and understandable manner are sorted in any lists. General rules allow convenient easy to read someone else's code and find the necessary resources. 

Recommendations to the style code

The rules of the Java language

We follow standard conventions for the design of code in Java. We have added to them some of the rules:

1. Exceptions: never steal and do not ignore them without explanation.
2. Exceptions: Do not use generic exceptions, but the code in the libraries at the root of the stack.
3. Finalizers do not use them.
4. Imports: fully qualify the imports.

Settings in the Android-applications

Interested in the topic of development under Android. I am writing a small application. Faced with the fact that not fully understand how to make settings for the application. A little Googling and found an article that helped to understand. Decided to translate the article for the Russian-speaking community, including some comments to the original. 

Options are an important part of applications for Android (and not only on Android - hereinafter translator's note). It is very important - allow users to change application settings, depending on their preferences.

There are two ways to work with the settings in Android - you can create a file in a directory preferences.xml res / xml, or work with the settings from your code. In this article I'll show you how to work with the settings using preferences.xml file.

Android. Create a file manager

Android - a promising and rapidly growing operating system. And many programmers want to learn how to program applications for OS Android, but a quick search of structured materials in the Internet and, in particular, Lesbian, leads them into a stupor. Indeed, there is still a problem finding tutorials (especially in Russian) to develop applications for this very popular operating system.
Well, we will gradually improve the situation with Habra.
I shall warn that the materials are intended for those who do not have experience in developing applications for Android, but very, very much wants to get this experience.

Write your first application on Android

Preface

The purpose of this post - on the one hand to share their successful experience in start developing applications for the Android platform and on the other hand contribute to the development of the market of software for this remarkable and rapidly growing platform for the account (without false modesty, I say) you may have read this post. The network, of course, you can find information on application development, "a little more complicated than helloworld», but as a rule they scattered and they do not describe the various small underwater stones. In this post we look at the full cycle of application development, starting with a clean computer to finished apk-file.Under the cut screens.

The basic UI design patterns Android apps

Since the development of applications for Android is gaining popularity, think review of major UI patterns for Android-applications will be useful to someone. Pending patterns: Dashboard, Action Bar, Quick Actions, Search Bar and Companion Widget. 

In my opinion theme UI patterns is important for several reasons:

1. Attracting users: patterns help make the application more usability, easier to understand.
2. Entrance to the market: following patterns may play an important role in promoting the application on the app market'y.
3. It is not necessary to build a bicycle with a knowledge of patterns is much easier to be engaged in designing application interface, using existing solutions.

Android, the history of the first application

         Preface

Good day. I hasten to note that this post does not pull or how much a benefit, it's only a story of a beginner, novice, telling about the beginning of my conquest of the android. Let's begin.

The idea to write his first in the life of an application for android appeared spontaneously. Basic knowledge of java were available, and in my head immediately got the idea to write a program to send SMS through serviceorangetext.md (yes, this is the Republic of Moldova). This proved harder than I thought at first glance.

Android. Working with a status line.

The article tells about how to deal with the status bar in Android. This article is intended for beginners only studying for the Android platform under development. Also worth noting that the status bar is more used to notify the user of any events occurring in a system that unites its target with pop-up notifications Toast. On Habrahabr already has a fairly complete article on using Toast, and this post only develops the theme of the notifications.

The text itself was written articles for the sandbox, and in fact Hello world as it is. Now I'm interested in wondering whether anyone at all, or a direction, or it's not worth it.

Interaction with the touch screen

Catching up on programming for Android need to know how to interact with a touchscreen - the main input device for most of the Android devices. This article will be considered: 

• Low-level interaction with the touch screen, right above all for game development.
  
  • Class MotionEvent
  • Processing MotionEvent'ov
• Working with MultiTouch.
• Some high-touch processing techniques.

There will also be shown various examples of ...

Using Android Search Dialog. Recent Query Suggestions. (part 2)

Using Android Search Dialog. A simple application (part 1)

This article is for those who have already written the HelloWorld for Android, and know what the Activity and Intent, as well as where there is manifest, and why you need layout'y. Otherwise, you acquainted with this material, for example, developer.android.com .

The article describes how to create a simple application that uses a mechanism to implement the search capabilities built based on the framework. After reading, you can also configure your application so that it searches through the data using a standard Android Search Dialog.

10 useful solutions for the Android Developer

Content

1. Entry
2. About the adapters list ( ListView ) with subcategories (for grouping items in the list)
3. About the lists that contain any of the (list items do anything complicated or alter themselves for selection)
4. About forced invalidation of the lists
5. About caching images for ListView (for lists with images)
6. About adapters, iterates through the cursor (to support pagination on the list)
7. About authorization via OAuth to Android
8. About using MediaPlayer and bufferring video feed over HTTP
9. About the turn of a few AsyncTask (alternate to perform background tasks)
10. About changing illumination of the selected item in ListView
11. About adding QuickActions in project
12. Three more small solving

Android Calendar API

This article focuses on the use of undocumented API to work with standard calendar Android. 
For what?! 

Android dialog box with icons in the menu

The idea was conceived Insanely simple and I would even say stupid. And when I startedto do something here that I wanted to do dramatically beautiful dialog box by selecting themenu icons. Such a dialogue is present in the standard Android, for example, a long tapon the desktop opens the dialog to add content (widget oboiny, etc.). So, welcome to acat ...


As mentioned above, in front of me was to make a dialog box like this:

NumberPicker use and customization of its appearance

Probably many of you have used widgets such as DatePicker and TimePicker. But the functionality of the widget is limited ability to choose the date and time, but I wanted more- to use this feature to select any number in a specified range (as inkontroleNumericUpDown in C #). Such a possibility exists. DatePicker widget andsystem-based TimePicker widget NumberPicker, you can not use the box. To use it you need to write a little code.

First, add NumberPicker in our main layout, xml-code is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
    <com.android.internal.widget.NumberPicker
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/numTestNumberPicker" android:layout_centerInParent="true">
    </com.android.internal.widget.NumberPicker>
</RelativeLayout>

How to make android user interfase (UI) more easy

I thought that it would be nice to have a program / ​​site to automatically generate UI and simply drag and drop items. I found this.

Have a nice day!