Related
I downloaded the ''Bookworm'' app from Market Place today. I've wanted an ebook reader on the HD2 for a while now, just never got round to it. I just wondered if anyone knew of any websites where I could download ebooks, preferably free ones!
Thx.
i dont know if your programm can read the offered formats (the ebook tab in 6.5.x roms can), but you can try the gutenberg project. they republish books that are free of copyrights because they are older then 70 years. so dont expect actual stuff, but a lot of classics.
mad
Doesnt bookworm allow you to download straight from project gutenberg?
conantroutman said:
Doesnt bookworm allow you to download straight from project gutenberg?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you're right, but I'm not into classic novels, I just want a straightforward book to read. I prefer non-fiction, auto-biographies etc.
madbird said:
i dont know if your programm can read the offered formats (the ebook tab in 6.5.x roms can), but you can try the gutenberg project. they republish books that are free of copyrights because they are older then 70 years. so dont expect actual stuff, but a lot of classics.
mad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx for the reply.
The bookworm app gives direct access to the project gutenberg library, however I'm not into classical novels etc. I just want a straightforward read.
ebooks
i like fiction ebooks
Free books won't usually be real books or good books because it costs money to publish books, etc. and free doesn't cover those costs. You can download books for free but that is considered warez and we are not allowed to post that on the website. But just search on google for files such as .mobi, .pdf, .epub, and others like that...
as for free books - there's at least one author who publishes for free and earns a living on it: Cory Doctorow
Bookworm App for ebooks
RoN_HD2 said:
I downloaded the ''Bookworm'' app from Market Place today. I've wanted an ebook reader on the HD2 for a while now, just never got round to it. I just wondered if anyone knew of any websites where I could download ebooks, preferably free ones!
Thx.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's been awhile, but do you happen to have the cab file for Bookworm reader? I somehow lost it in between two rom update
Hello I am looking for a free or low cost app that will let me look at comic books on my phone. most of my digital comics are in .cbr format.
I found what looks like a nice program on the market place but they want $15 for it.
thanks for any help and please be nice this is my first post!
-CrazyPostalGirl
Crazypostalgirl said:
Hello I am looking for a free or low cost app that will let me look at comic books on my phone. most of my digital comics are in .cbr format.
I found what looks like a nice program on the market place but they want $15 for it.
thanks for any help and please be nice this is my first post!
-CrazyPostalGirl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome, crazy!
There's only one (still) free reader that I know of that will read .cbr format comix, you'll find it at the link below.
If that doesn't suit your fancy, there is a way to get around using a dedicated reader with .cbr files, but it takes a little bit more effort (not too much though). Let us know if this solution doesn't cut it:
http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/Others/Comic-Reader-71662.shtml
Crazypostalgirl said:
Hello I am looking for a free or low cost app that will let me look at comic books on my phone. most of my digital comics are in .cbr format.
I found what looks like a nice program on the market place but they want $15 for it.
thanks for any help and please be nice this is my first post!
-CrazyPostalGirl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. One of the mods here built one, but it's not free.. ComicReader Mobi is the name (google it). I bought it for $9.99, well worth it too, with the awesome way you can click on the text and get it to zoom right in.
Currently reading the Dark Tower series (still on Gunslinger: Born).
thanks for the help guys! I am great full for the link, since that is at least giving me a trial version. I was tempted to pay for the app through the market place but with no reviews I wasnt gonna go near it ;-)
I just got my hd2 on saturday and I'm slowly trying to trick it out! lol
anyone want to suggest anything else for a total noob who is taking baby steps with her new toy?
I just got omarket and I keep reading about cookies home tab and bsb tweeks (I'm sorry if I remember the names wrong!)
I am hoping to soon be adventurous enough to play with some new themes.
thanks for the help and being a nice group of people (well so far ;-)
-CrazyPostalGirl
I think if you can find an earlier version of ComicReader Mobi when it was still called Comic Reader Mobile, you can find a free version. It still worked great in its earlier forms.... that's what i've been using to reread my Sandman series. I think it was free from version 1.6 and before, but I'll have to check. But if you're gonna use it a lot, it would probably be better to get the newer paid versions, as you will get updates and support, and it's good to support developers for good apps.
Hope you have fun with your new HD2. You can find pretty much anything you need to know on this site. Remember to look in the original Leo subforums too, because you can use the same programs and tweaks on the US T_Mo HD2. Also check the Windows Mobile Development and Hacking subforums... you will find a lot of apps there that you won't find in the specific phone model subforums.
zarathustrax said:
I think if you can find an earlier version of ComicReader Mobi when it was still called Comic Reader Mobile, you can find a free version. It still worked great in its earlier forms.... that's what i've been using to reread my Sandman series. I think it was free from version 1.6 and before, but I'll have to check. But if you're gonna use it a lot, it would probably be better to get the newer paid versions, as you will get updates and support, and it's good to support developers for good apps.
Hope you have fun with your new HD2. You can find pretty much anything you need to know on this site. Remember to look in the original Leo subforums too, because you can use the same programs and tweaks on the US T_Mo HD2. Also check the Windows Mobile Development and Hacking subforums... you will find a lot of apps there that you won't find in the specific phone model subforums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried an older version of ComicReader Mobi (for some reason it's mobi instead of mobile) and got a warning message "This application has expired. Please download an upgraded version."
That's really the only reason I ended up buying. I know there are others out there, but I haven't found any that are so intelligent about only magnifying the speech balloons instead of attempting to magnify the entire image.
Does anyone have a good site online where I can purchase comic books in digital format? I noticed someone mentioned the Dark Tower Series as well as the Sandman series. I'd love to be able to get those for my HD2.
wish I could help you. I dont always pay for my comics ( not sure if I can used the "T" word here) lol
Snarksneeze said:
I tried an older version of ComicReader Mobi (for some reason it's mobi instead of mobile) and got a warning message "This application has expired. Please download an upgraded version."
That's really the only reason I ended up buying. I know there are others out there, but I haven't found any that are so intelligent about only magnifying the speech balloons instead of attempting to magnify the entire image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The version I've been using is good about only magnifying the speech balloons. I have ComicReaderMobile 1.6. I think it was the last update before it went paid.
Crazypostalgirl said:
wish I could help you. I dont always pay for my comics ( not sure if I can used the "T" word here) lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, torrents are definitely frowned upon on this site... But I have to admit it's the only source I have found for my digital comics. But I actually own physical copies of the majority of my cbr/cbz comic collection, anyways.... I was a huge comic book collector during my teens.
A *.cbz file is, in reality, a renamed folder that has been compressed via ZIP or packaged with RAR.
You can actually unzip the file using Window's built-in zip option, if you use Windows. Over here on KDE, I can use Ark to decompress or compress the file.
Inside the folder you will find a series of images, most likely in JPEG format, though I have seen some with PNG image files.
These are generally images that have been imported via a scanner, much like the one that is built into the usual all-in-one scanner, copier, printer that retails for less than $100 at your local retail store.
Now for the legal bit:
You are not allowed to scan your comics, put the resultant images in a folder and then compress that folder with WinZip, rename the extension to *.cbz and then place that new file on your phone's microSD card.
The reason you are not allowed to do so is because the people that published the comic to begin with are the only people that are allowed to make such decisions about how the copyrighted material in the comic is distributed. This means that if they want the comics scanned, zipped and sent out via the Usenet's alt.binaries.comics or isohunt.com's torrent tracker, they will do so themselves. You just aren't allowed to.
According to the laws of the USA, you may be allowed to make personal copies of your materials, including digital copies, for personal use but you can not distribute those copies in any way.
Hopefully that clears that up.
Snarksneeze said:
A *.cbz file is, in reality, a renamed folder that has been compressed via ZIP or packaged with RAR.
You can actually unzip the file using Window's built-in zip option, if you use Windows. Over here on KDE, I can use Ark to decompress or compress the file.
Inside the folder you will find a series of images, most likely in JPEG format, though I have seen some with PNG image files.
These are generally images that have been imported via a scanner, much like the one that is built into the usual all-in-one scanner, copier, printer that retails for less than $100 at your local retail store.
Now for the legal bit:
You are not allowed to scan your comics, put the resultant images in a folder and then compress that folder with WinZip, rename the extension to *.cbz and then place that new file on your phone's microSD card.
The reason you are not allowed to do so is because the people that published the comic to begin with are the only people that are allowed to make such decisions about how the copyrighted material in the comic is distributed. This means that if they want the comics scanned, zipped and sent out via the Usenet's alt.binaries.comics or isohunt.com's torrent tracker, they will do so themselves. You just aren't allowed to.
According to the laws of the USA, you may be allowed to make personal copies of your materials, including digital copies, for personal use but you can not distribute those copies in any way.
Hopefully that clears that up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're kinda pushin it there posting the usenet and isohunts address.... I know it's not links, but it still might be too much if a moderator sees it. They should at least have to search for the sites if they want to learn how to illegally download.... you're making it way to easy.
anyone knows how to go to the next page in comic reader mobi?
Crazypostalgirl said:
I just got omarket and I keep reading about cookies home tab and bsb tweeks (I'm sorry if I remember the names wrong!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much the main things you'd want to start right there.
This is me: college kid, no developing experience whatsoever (unless you could a basic HTML course in like 9th grade... lol), relatively intelligent, interested in technology.
What do I need to learn?
I found a "java 101" article to read here: Learn Java from the ground up - JavaWorld
Is android just Java or is there any other kind of language..? I've heard something about C++? or is that part of Java?
As you can tell, I'm a noob lol.
Then I read that I need Eclipse (what does that do again?), which one should I get (I'm on a Mac): Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers, Eclipse IDE for Java Developers, or Eclipse Classic 3.6?
Is this a bad idea considering I know nothing? Like am in way over my head?
Any other ideas or links anyone can share?
I made this same post on a different forum, and someone told me that XDA was a great place to learn programming and such.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Oh and can I program without a problem from OS X or should I use bootcamp and do it all under Windows 7?
This is me: high school kid who is a noob Java programmer.
1. Learn Java. That's what Android apps are written in (I think).
2. C++ is a different language. Don't think it's of use here.
3. Eclipse for Java Dev.
4. Embrace your Mac.
I'm in much the same boat you are. I went and grabbed a book called, "Android Application Development" from my local book store tonight (oreilly.com). I am not endorsing the book yet as I'm only a few pages in and it was the only Android book at the store. There was not a single book on Java. I'll be turning to the many many web sites available for that until I get a solid recommendation for a book from someone.
The only thing I've ever done that's even remotely close is built SQL databases, reports and queries which I now manage as a cardiac researcher. I have no classes or anything else useful other than I know my way around PCs enough to build them and install my own OS's.
The advice in the book for the dev environment is:
1. JDK 5 or 6 and the book says that OSX comes with 5.
2. Eclipse IDE for Java Developers for your OS. Get the latest version (which defaulted as such for me for Vista 64).
3. The Android SDK.
After the above, there are some steps to take a look at on the Android SDK site. Follow those and read it all. I'm pretty sure I'm just a person of average intelligence and I think I have a handle on getting to where I can start working and the Hello World bit seems to make sense right now. We'll see how things go as I learn more of the Java syntax.
Good luck!
I would love any advice on sites/books for a non-programmer to start to get a grip on Java and creating an Android app in general. I have some plans for some specific medical uses for my job and I have always been interested in writing programs. Seems like a great time to start.
For Java, a good place to start (other than the Sun site itself) is JavaRanch. I'm too new to post links, but the URL is easy to figure out, and a quick search would turn it up as well. The site has lots of information, links to book reviews for Java, forums and so on. It was a good resource when I was studying Java in college!
Good luck!
nebulosity said:
For Java, a good place to start (other than the Sun site itself) is JavaRanch. I'm too new to post links, but the URL is easy to figure out, and a quick search would turn it up as well. The site has lots of information, links to book reviews for Java, forums and so on. It was a good resource when I was studying Java in college!
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks much! I found an Intro to Programming with Java class at the local community college here but it doesn't start until Sept. =/ That site looks good though, hopefully I can find a book that seems to fit.
(edit: the following assumes you've more or less mastered Java already; I really don't know what to recommend for someone who's trying to learn Java AND Android programming simultaneously. I suspect part of the reason for the lack of books for THAT niche is due to the fact that it's more or less impossible to take any programming class in college that doesn't either involve Java or have it as a non-negotiable prerequisite, even if Java per se isn't directly relevant. It's just part of the baseline cultural background noise).
If you buy nothing else, buy "Beginning Android 2" by Mark Murphy. If you're not totally broke, buy "Pro Android 2" by Sayed Hashimi while you're at it. Don't try to skip the first and go straight to the second... there's a lot of medium-level stuff that's covered thoroughly in "Beginning" that's barely touched upon in "Pro".
Those two books aren't great if you like to jump around and learn things in random order as need arises, but they're probably the gold standard right now for books that comprehensively teach Android Programming in a sensible order from start to finish.
"Professional Android 2 Application Development" by Reto Meier is a great complement to those books, because it IS more of a "jump around and grab important details as the need to learn them arises" book. I refer to all three on a regular basis.
"Hello, Android" is one of those books that you'll probably never look at again two weeks after you first start reading it... but if cash isn't really a problem, it's a nice tutorial for brand new Android developers.
Content-wise, the pdf commonsware.com books by Mark Murphy (yeah, the same Mark Murphy who wrote the Apress book) are probably the best of all, because they literally ARE updated regularly as typos & bugs get found (every book has 'em, few books ever usefully fix 'em) and new versions of Android get released. The problem is, unless you have an ebook reader, let's be honest... ebooks kind of suck. Sometimes, a real book is nice to have. So, I'd say Murphy's books kind of break new ground between online articles and real books... they go into a lot more depth, more coherently, than any one online source of info about Android programming... but unfortunately, because they're ebooks, they're about as pleasant to casually read as those same online articles.
18 months from now, when Android tablets with 1280x720(*) displays or better are common and relatively cheap, eBooks are going to be the norm for Android books going forward, because THEN they'll let you have the best of all worlds -- the coherent editing and comprehensive content of "real" books, the up-to-date accuracy of the best online sources of info, and a reading experience that doesn't kind of suck. Five years from now (when the eBook experience has finally become civilized), I'll be shocked if programming books even exist anymore in printed form, aside from maybe books like "${Language}: How to Program" that deal with topics that don't really change radically from month to month and are more or less universal as college textbooks. Programming and system administration are the kind of topics that are really too volatile for paper books, and for they most part they've ALWAYS been... there just hasn't really been a civilized alternative to them. IMHO, Android tablets will be what finally make it a civilized experience, because for the first time normal people (meaning developers who don't work for huge corporate entities like Amazon and Sony) will be able to develop ebook apps with their own UI experiments. Right now, all we have are devices optimized for reading mass-market top-20 fiction... devices that largely suck for the specific task of reading (and referring to) programming books (where you generally flip around a lot, and 700ms latency every time you change a page will drive you insane in 3 minutes).
So, in summary, here's my recommended buying order:
If cash is abundant and you want a nice intro: Hello, Android (latest edition)
Absolutely mandatory: Beginning Android 2
Equally mandatory, but maybe a few weeks later: Pro Android 2
then, it's a toss-up between a commonsware "Warescription" for Murphy's other books (which gives you access to the latest and greatest versions of them for a year, plus perpetual ownership the last copies you downloaded before the year ran out) and Meier's book (if you really hate ebooks). Personally, I'd recommend the Warescription AND Meier's book
(*)1280x720 is the rock-bottom minimum resolution viable for comfortably reading an O'Reilly-Manning-sized book in pdf form two pages at a time. 800x480 is just a hair below the resolution you really need to comfortably read ONE O'Reilly-Manning sized page at a time.
bitbang3r said:
<snip>
18 months from now, when Android tablets with 1280x720(*) displays or better are common and relatively cheap, <snip>
So, in summary, here's my recommended buying order:
If cash is abundant and you want a nice intro: Hello, Android (latest edition)
Absolutely mandatory: Beginning Android 2
Equally mandatory, but maybe a few weeks later: Pro Android 2
then, it's a toss-up between a commonsware "Warescription" for Murphy's other books (which gives you access to the latest and greatest versions of them for a year, plus perpetual ownership the last copies you downloaded before the year ran out) and Meier's book (if you really hate ebooks). Personally, I'd recommend the Warescription AND Meier's book
(*)1280x720 is the rock-bottom minimum resolution viable for comfortably reading an O'Reilly-Manning-sized book in pdf form two pages at a time. 800x480 is just a hair below the resolution you really need to comfortably read ONE O'Reilly-Manning sized page at a time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bolded above is the exact reason I am learning. I need to be able to write my own app for the upcoming tablets. We are planning to move a lot of document work to tablets over the next few years in the medical industry and the existing product lines are hilariously and prohibitively expensive. Since I already work extensively with our privacy laws and and regulations, I'm fairly sure that I can get a working solution for us over the next three years instead of investing millions of dollars in proprietary systems.
Thank you SO much for this advice. I'm ordering Beginning Android tonight and will pick up the other suggestions about halfway through the first book. My class will start in September. If you happen to have any other suggestions that might ease my way into programming concepts in general I would also appreciate those. Again, thanks a ton for the great advice.
Yeah i hear ya man. I took Java Programming in my senior year of highschool and got an A in it. So i know im capable for doing android, but im still finding my way around. hopefully one day i can actually do it! I hope!
bitbang3r said:
(edit: the following assumes you've more or less mastered Java already; I really don't know what to recommend for someone who's trying to learn Java AND Android programming simultaneously. I suspect part of the reason for the lack of books for THAT niche is due to the fact that it's more or less impossible to take any programming class in college that doesn't either involve Java or have it as a non-negotiable prerequisite, even if Java per se isn't directly relevant. It's just part of the baseline cultural background noise).
If you buy nothing else, buy "Beginning Android 2" by Mark Murphy. If you're not totally broke, buy "Pro Android 2" by Sayed Hashimi while you're at it. Don't try to skip the first and go straight to the second... there's a lot of medium-level stuff that's covered thoroughly in "Beginning" that's barely touched upon in "Pro".
Those two books aren't great if you like to jump around and learn things in random order as need arises, but they're probably the gold standard right now for books that comprehensively teach Android Programming in a sensible order from start to finish.
"Professional Android 2 Application Development" by Reto Meier is a great complement to those books, because it IS more of a "jump around and grab important details as the need to learn them arises" book. I refer to all three on a regular basis.
"Hello, Android" is one of those books that you'll probably never look at again two weeks after you first start reading it... but if cash isn't really a problem, it's a nice tutorial for brand new Android developers.
Content-wise, the pdf commonsware.com books by Mark Murphy (yeah, the same Mark Murphy who wrote the Apress book) are probably the best of all, because they literally ARE updated regularly as typos & bugs get found (every book has 'em, few books ever usefully fix 'em) and new versions of Android get released. The problem is, unless you have an ebook reader, let's be honest... ebooks kind of suck. Sometimes, a real book is nice to have. So, I'd say Murphy's books kind of break new ground between online articles and real books... they go into a lot more depth, more coherently, than any one online source of info about Android programming... but unfortunately, because they're ebooks, they're about as pleasant to casually read as those same online articles.
18 months from now, when Android tablets with 1280x720(*) displays or better are common and relatively cheap, eBooks are going to be the norm for Android books going forward, because THEN they'll let you have the best of all worlds -- the coherent editing and comprehensive content of "real" books, the up-to-date accuracy of the best online sources of info, and a reading experience that doesn't kind of suck. Five years from now (when the eBook experience has finally become civilized), I'll be shocked if programming books even exist anymore in printed form, aside from maybe books like "${Language}: How to Program" that deal with topics that don't really change radically from month to month and are more or less universal as college textbooks. Programming and system administration are the kind of topics that are really too volatile for paper books, and for they most part they've ALWAYS been... there just hasn't really been a civilized alternative to them. IMHO, Android tablets will be what finally make it a civilized experience, because for the first time normal people (meaning developers who don't work for huge corporate entities like Amazon and Sony) will be able to develop ebook apps with their own UI experiments. Right now, all we have are devices optimized for reading mass-market top-20 fiction... devices that largely suck for the specific task of reading (and referring to) programming books (where you generally flip around a lot, and 700ms latency every time you change a page will drive you insane in 3 minutes).
So, in summary, here's my recommended buying order:
If cash is abundant and you want a nice intro: Hello, Android (latest edition)
Absolutely mandatory: Beginning Android 2
Equally mandatory, but maybe a few weeks later: Pro Android 2
then, it's a toss-up between a commonsware "Warescription" for Murphy's other books (which gives you access to the latest and greatest versions of them for a year, plus perpetual ownership the last copies you downloaded before the year ran out) and Meier's book (if you really hate ebooks). Personally, I'd recommend the Warescription AND Meier's book
(*)1280x720 is the rock-bottom minimum resolution viable for comfortably reading an O'Reilly-Manning-sized book in pdf form two pages at a time. 800x480 is just a hair below the resolution you really need to comfortably read ONE O'Reilly-Manning sized page at a time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks a ton! I'll be sure I pick up those 4 things later on.
Since I wrote the original post in this thread a couple days ago, I've spent some time trying to learn Java. As a total noob to programming, this has proven to be quite a challenge. Just about every book or eBook I see (A couple "java for dummies", "eclipse for dummies", "thinking in java", and I'm about halfway through the free sample of VTC's Java: Introduction to the Java Programming Language, which is an audio/video presentation thing) says that prior programming knowledge is necessary or that I should have some basis in C or something like that.
Also, there's command line as well as all of the different IDEs.. I'm assuming that these are all mainly interchangeable or what?
Should I just continue trying to learn Java and once I think I've figured it out just move on to Android or do you guys think I won't be able to get by without taking some sort of a programming class in school?
Thanks for all your help guys! By the way, how long do you think it might take to go from a noob to someone who can actually write an Android app?
for those of us that might be a bit hard up on cash http://developer.android.com/index.html
has a wealth of free information and sample programs. CHECK IT OUT!
Hello all, nice conversation that hasn't been diverted yet so I think I shall make a small contribution to this.
Programming courses and books that you can buy are a good way of learning but is not always an option due to mainly money constraints luckily we have this thing called internet , it has never been easier to learn programming than it is at the moment the plethora of resources available is absolutely incredible the only problem might be in finding things in a structured and well ordered way.
One of the tricks I've used in the past is to look up books that either get recommended or you like the look of and then find the index listing for that book which is usually given away free by sites selling books, then all you need to do is Google for the given topics =o)
As for learning Java to get started on the path to Android application building I think the biggest issue most people will be facing is that they find Java books but none of them seem to be making anything exciting, the problem is to make exciting things you really need to know a fair bit more about developing.
So that having been said I think as a short check list for someone looking to go from zero programming experience to developing their first android apps I would recommend something like this:
1. Go and read about Object Oriented Programming model
You won't fully grasp all the concepts straight away without having done any programming but it is good idea to get this stuff into your head straight away as it will start making more sense once you've learned a bit and then makes it easier to later on come back to this and get the lovely eureka! moments. Good place to start could be something as simple as Wikipedia.
2. Write console applications
By this I mean little java applications that you will be running from the command line on your computer. This is where most people I think get discouraged as they can't see how this relates to Android development.
Forget about graphics, user input, mobile devices etc for now, you can learn so much by writing these:
-Basic types & Variables
-Arrays
-Basic arithmetic and working with strings
-Loop structures
-Logic such as IF statements
-Creating new classes and objects
-Calling functions and returning values
Now all of the above will be used over and over and over again no matter whatever you are writing and the good thing is that it can all be learned by learning 1 additional non android specific thing: how to print out text to command line.
A good example application that you can write that uses most of the above would be a simple application you run from the command line, it fills an array with randomly generated integers between 1 and 20, lets say it generates 10 of them and then displays them to you in the order of smallest to highest.
No user input required, no graphics required etc, its not the most exciting thing but it will get you using all the basic building blocks.
3. Revisit the object oriented model
Do this again as it is pretty vital you understand it and after completing step 2 it will start making a whole lot more sense.
4. Install Eclipse and complete the Hello World tutorial on the android site:
There are plenty of guides on how to install the Android SDK and Eclipse environment and the best ones are from Google themselves. Follow them, if something doesn't work, try and figure out why it doesn't and then search for it, chances are that someone has already figured out why and you've just missed something.
Then complete this tutorial: http://developer.android.com/resources/tutorials/hello-world.html
5. Modify the Hello World tutorial:
Don't get ahead of yourself and start writing your killer app now, start slowly modifying the Hello World tutorial, learn how to display a piece of text from your application.
Now do everything you did with Step 2 but do it all on the Android app.
Visit this list but don't get too stuck with it:
http://developer.android.com/resources/faq/commontasks.html
6. Complete the Notepad tutorial:
If you've blindly followed my steps/similar steps this will be difficult and you should spend a good while dissecting all of it. The tutorial is actually excellent and touches on everything you pretty much need to write a fully functioning application. Don't go for the way of downloading sample source blindly following the tutorial, compiling in the end and then checking this as done.
I bet there are million things you won't understand about it so just keep going through it line by line and when you understand how it works, make it your own, start adding features to it, just silly things but do it =o)
7. Read, Read, Read & Start small.
You should now be at a point where you can start thinking about why you originally wanted to develop for android, if its a simple app you wanted to make start reading about topics that are specific to your app. Also this is a perfect time now to pick up an android application development book, up until this point all the free information has been as good as if not better than books.
If you want to make a game...be prepared to be spending atleast 2-3 times as long as you have to this point before it becomes even viable.
And final piece: Start small, for your first app don't start writing a full fledged facebook killer android social networking location based interactive photo editing physics calculator, do something simple and gradually build up to bigger projects...trust me on that =o(.
Anyhoo bored at work as you can probably tell, hope the above is a good outline for someone thinking of undertaking Android development if they have no previous experience. I don't mean to put people off just be prepared to spend a LONG time with this, it's not overly difficult but if you haven't done development before the sheer amount of new concepts you will have to understand from early on and WELL is very daunting.
.FxN
1. Install required components
* For Java use the latest version
* Android SDK
Once downloaded extract the folder to one of the PATH for example E: \ android_sdk_windows
* To Eclipse used Eclipse 3.5 (Galileo)
2. Add the Android platform and other packages needed to SDK
* SDK Run Setup.exe
* In the Available Packages menu to select all the packages downloaded
* select Install Selected and then select the Accept All to accept the selected packages
* select Install Accepted , Choose Install to install packages that we want to SDK
* Set the path to the Android SDK directory, by opening the Control Panel and then click on mycomputer system or right click and select Properties. Then on the Advanced tab select Environment Variables, click Edit on the path then input the Android SDK directory path
3. Install Android Development Tools (ADT)
fxn said:
Hello all, nice conversation that hasn't been diverted yet so I think I shall make a small contribution to this.
Programming courses and books that you can buy are a good way of learning but is not always an option due to mainly money constraints luckily we have this thing called internet , it has never been easier to learn programming than it is at the moment the plethora of resources available is absolutely incredible the only problem might be in finding things in a structured and well ordered way.
One of the tricks I've used in the past is to look up books that either get recommended or you like the look of and then find the index listing for that book which is usually given away free by sites selling books, then all you need to do is Google for the given topics =o)
As for learning Java to get started on the path to Android application building I think the biggest issue most people will be facing is that they find Java books but none of them seem to be making anything exciting, the problem is to make exciting things you really need to know a fair bit more about developing.
So that having been said I think as a short check list for someone looking to go from zero programming experience to developing their first android apps I would recommend something like this:
1. Go and read about Object Oriented Programming model
You won't fully grasp all the concepts straight away without having done any programming but it is good idea to get this stuff into your head straight away as it will start making more sense once you've learned a bit and then makes it easier to later on come back to this and get the lovely eureka! moments. Good place to start could be something as simple as Wikipedia.
2. Write console applications
By this I mean little java applications that you will be running from the command line on your computer. This is where most people I think get discouraged as they can't see how this relates to Android development.
Forget about graphics, user input, mobile devices etc for now, you can learn so much by writing these:
-Basic types & Variables
-Arrays
-Basic arithmetic and working with strings
-Loop structures
-Logic such as IF statements
-Creating new classes and objects
-Calling functions and returning values
Now all of the above will be used over and over and over again no matter whatever you are writing and the good thing is that it can all be learned by learning 1 additional non android specific thing: how to print out text to command line.
A good example application that you can write that uses most of the above would be a simple application you run from the command line, it fills an array with randomly generated integers between 1 and 20, lets say it generates 10 of them and then displays them to you in the order of smallest to highest.
No user input required, no graphics required etc, its not the most exciting thing but it will get you using all the basic building blocks.
3. Revisit the object oriented model
Do this again as it is pretty vital you understand it and after completing step 2 it will start making a whole lot more sense.
4. Install Eclipse and complete the Hello World tutorial on the android site:
There are plenty of guides on how to install the Android SDK and Eclipse environment and the best ones are from Google themselves. Follow them, if something doesn't work, try and figure out why it doesn't and then search for it, chances are that someone has already figured out why and you've just missed something.
Then complete this tutorial:
5. Modify the Hello World tutorial:
Don't get ahead of yourself and start writing your killer app now, start slowly modifying the Hello World tutorial, learn how to display a piece of text from your application.
Now do everything you did with Step 2 but do it all on the Android app.
Visit this list but don't get too stuck with it:
6. Complete the Notepad tutorial:
If you've blindly followed my steps/similar steps this will be difficult and you should spend a good while dissecting all of it. The tutorial is actually excellent and touches on everything you pretty much need to write a fully functioning application. Don't go for the way of downloading sample source blindly following the tutorial, compiling in the end and then checking this as done.
I bet there are million things you won't understand about it so just keep going through it line by line and when you understand how it works, make it your own, start adding features to it, just silly things but do it =o)
7. Read, Read, Read & Start small.
You should now be at a point where you can start thinking about why you originally wanted to develop for android, if its a simple app you wanted to make start reading about topics that are specific to your app. Also this is a perfect time now to pick up an android application development book, up until this point all the free information has been as good as if not better than books.
If you want to make a game...be prepared to be spending atleast 2-3 times as long as you have to this point before it becomes even viable.
And final piece: Start small, for your first app don't start writing a full fledged facebook killer android social networking location based interactive photo editing physics calculator, do something simple and gradually build up to bigger projects...trust me on that =o(.
Anyhoo bored at work as you can probably tell, hope the above is a good outline for someone thinking of undertaking Android development if they have no previous experience. I don't mean to put people off just be prepared to spend a LONG time with this, it's not overly difficult but if you haven't done development before the sheer amount of new concepts you will have to understand from early on and WELL is very daunting.
.FxN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow. This is great! Thanks a ton for taking the time to write all of that, I'm gonna go get started
I've already touched upon many of those things thanks to free ebooks and youtube tutorials and such, but now I know exactly what to do
Quick question though: what's the "notepad tutorial" ?
thanks again!
and @learnandroid, thank you as well for the instructions. i have eclipse set up now
A nice java book that I recommend is called Java Programming, comprehensive edition.
fichdak said:
Quick question though: what's the "notepad tutorial" ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't yet post links, but just Google "Android notepad tutorial" - it's the first hit.
They take you through 3 different versions of the app, each slightly more complicated than the last. Definitely worth going through if you're new.
XDA has always been a fantastic community and you guys are the reason. Thank you for the thoughtful and very much appreciated advice and help.
I'm having a great time already. I really hope I can get into the class but it's already full with a waiting list. The books, tutorials and great resources are of course great but I have always liked to do new stuff with groups. I tend to learn more with some group goals involved along with the focused study.
Thanks again guys.
http://www.linuxclassroom.com/
This guy in San Antonio started an Android programming class for 8th graders and posted all of his lesson plans online. Might be a good place to start.
fichdak said:
Quick question though: what's the "notepad tutorial" ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry forgot to post the link: http://developer.android.com/resources/tutorials/notepad/index.html
.FxN
Great Thread full of info.
I have tried learning C# and Java on my own in the past but I could never grasp the concept and gave up.
I had an opportunity to go back to school full-time with programming in mind. I started last spring taking Software Development which teaches basic concepts of programming. Now I am starting my second semester in the fall taking intro to Java and c++ followed by advanced Java and c++ in the spring .
I hope I can transfer the knowledge from school along with the info provided in this Thread to build quality android applications in the future.
Thanks
-Bri
I know it's geographically limited to a small subset of the people here, but I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that UC Santa Cruz actually has courses in Android Development (part of their certificate in embedded software development curriculum). However, I think it's safe to assume that a solid background in Java (including objects and threading) is a prerequisite. Anyone who lives within sane driving distance of Silicon Valley might want to check them out...
I definitely have to agree that if you're literally just starting with Java, don't even *think* about touching Swing until you're comfortable writing console apps. It's really easy to get overwhelmed by Swing. For the most part, Android programming isn't really harder than good Swing programming... the difference is, with Swing, you can still get away with doing some things that are bad, but will kind of work anyway (like blocking operations by a UI thread). Android simply won't tolerate or allow you to even *try*. It's good in the long run (I guess), but makes writing your first few real programs a lot harder than you probably expect it to be.
For example, Android won't allow classic "Modal" dialog boxes (where everything grinds to a halt until the user clicks something). Period, end of story. You really shouldn't do it anyway, but being allowed to do it in Swing makes it easier to take your first few baby steps and see your program (sort of) work. With Swing, you can staple the shell of your program together with bad things, then fix them and make them nice once the logic is worked out. With Android, you have to Do It Right the First Time, because it won't allow you to do it any other way.
During my business programming career, I always had good reference books to use no matter what language I was programming in.
I'm not talking a "How To..." book, but a solid reference book. Here's the class, here's the methods and their parameters. Maybe a short example.
I can't find anything similar for Android OS...anyone out there know of something?
Yes, I know it's on the net, but for me, there's just something about having the book. Like when I'm not coding, I can lay on the couch and read it while watching the game or not have to switch screens (even though I can pull-up a reference link on my second laptop).
Rootstonian said:
During my business programming career, I always had good reference books to use no matter what language I was programming in.
I'm not talking a "How To..." book, but a solid reference book. Here's the class, here's the methods and their parameters. Maybe a short example.
I can't find anything similar for Android OS...anyone out there know of something?
Yes, I know it's on the net, but for me, there's just something about having the book. Like when I'm not coding, I can lay on the couch and read it while watching the game or not have to switch screens (even though I can pull-up a reference link on my second laptop).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Checkout Professional Android 2 Application Development by Wrox - Reto Meier (Author). Been using it for a month or so, learned a lot and it is pretty in depth for complex subjects. One of the best books ive used
Guess it's worth a try. Got scared for a second because I DID order Android 2 Pro and returned it the next day. There was no order in the book, nothing was clear at all and tbh, it was just nasty bad.
I can try the one you suggested. If Amazon is anything, they're fast and the return policy is just awesome.
Thanks,
Roots
Google develops android too fast for books to be worth the money, IMO.
Read the SDK docs and work with some code. Anything in that book is trivial to find on the internet.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Professional Android 2 Application Development is a very good book and it quite up to date in its current revision.
I can also warmly recommend Mark Murphy's Warescription. You get four e-books and all it's updates for 12 months. Those books are high quality and Mark does a very good job at keeping the books up to date and also at helping his Warescription community with their questions. You should give it a try.
Captainkrtek said:
Checkout Professional Android 2 Application Development by Wrox - Reto Meier (Author). Been using it for a month or so, learned a lot and it is pretty in depth for complex subjects. One of the best books ive used
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the book. I was up late programming (as usual). It was like 4 a.m. EST Monday morning when I ordered it on Amazon. Did 3 to 5 business days. It came Tuesday!!!
Thanks, it's a good book. The FULL source code and all listings are downloadable which is nice. The book covers a lot of information and I think it's in the intermediate to semi-advanced level. Well written, logical progression of concepts. Only thing I really miss are some screen shots of an emulator running the projects.
I think I might run to local Best Buy, get a new black ink cartridge and print all the source code out and get it bound or put in notebook for a one-stop reference. Some projects have 5+ classes in them and it's easier to "flip through" in a book vs. onscreen. Worth the $20 in material (paper and ink).
what about a good book or place to learn the basics?
Sent from my Epic 4G
Rom: Never stock, but always with some Gingerbread.
I would start with some Google-found tutorials. There are hundreds of "Hello World" apps out there. For a beginner, the Hello World app is probably easier than getting the SDK up and running! LOL
Then work with adding EditText and TextView boxes. Then move on to Buttons. A good second program is "Enter your Name", "Hit Submit", "Show your Name". That gets all 3 ideas above going as well as onClick code and will get you working with main.xml
awesome! Thanks for the info. I installed everything earlier from Google and got that all setup. I will look more into everything else. Appreciate the reply.
Sent from my Epic 4G
Rom: Never stock, but always with some Gingerbread.
You could also look for a book called "The Android Developers Cookbook" written by Steele/To and published by Addison-Wesley...
Yeah, the basics are pretty easy, yet still powerful. I wrote some pretty basic apps (at least from the User's view) that are selling ok. But I learned a lot.
I'm a professional programmer, but as the economy goes, currently unemployed. I've learned a lot of languages (10 or so) and a lot of different environments. I'm finding the Android OS and the whole smartphone environment a remarkable new experience and what I feel, something that's just going to grow exponentially.
Good Luck
The android app labs are also a very good introduction. Google for "Android App Course"
bompo said:
The android app labs are also a very good introduction. Google for "Android App Course"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW I've just started learning android development, and i am in the type that i need some hand on experience before i read the theory~ I think this is very suitable for android beginners to learn how to, at least, build a usable apps!
I'll also try on the 'android developers cookbook'~ expecting!
Really thanks for the sharing!
1)0321673352 Sams Teach Yourself Android Application Development in 24 Hours
2)OReilly Android Application Development
Hi,
I am a recently laid off 30 year old SAP consultant from India. Over the last few weeks, I have been reading about the wonderful world of android apps. There is a great opportunity in India for android apps as millions of smart phones are sold every year. I have decided on building apps targeted at the Indian stock market - like stock screeners, that help people reach a proper investment decision. I want to make money out of my apps, so I want then to be fairly professional so that somebody buying them wont feel cheated. Also, there are not many (any) stock screener apps targeted at Indian stock market. So there is an opportunity there and I want this idea to be my first.
But how do I go about it ? I learnt Java at college, 10 years ago. My Java is highly amateurish even after I refreshed it over the last few weeks.I have bought a book on MIT App Inventor...and developed a few simple example apps already and tested them on my mobile. I am not yet sure App Inventor can help me develop more complex apps like the one I mentioned above.
So, I am desperately looking for advise from people who have been there, done that. How do I go about developing my first app ? Should I go about it the hard way - learn Java better ? Read a book on Android application development ? Build Web Apps using HTML5, JavaScript, JQuery ? Or stick to MIT App Inventor ? Try some app builder development tool like Tiggzi, Codiqa or Kinvey ?
I really need your advise as I really need to develop something quickly and make money out of it. :fingers-crossed:
Hi!
As far as i can help....i made some apps, some of them native with Java and others with HTML5.
From my experience, if you plan to make somekind of "atlas app (like wikipedia)" or not very user interface intensive or if you already know html5+css+javascript, you could go with html5, but i will always recomend native with Java as you have much more control over you app.
Anyway, if starting from 0, go for Java (Android SDK) get any tutorial around the web, there are tons of them, some better than others ofc, and free.
Hope you find your way to go!
good luck!
forgin said:
Hi!
As far as i can help....i made some apps, some of them native with Java and others with HTML5.
From my experience, if you plan to make somekind of "atlas app (like wikipedia)" or not very user interface intensive or if you already know html5+css+javascript, you could go with html5, but i will always recomend native with Java as you have much more control over you app.
Anyway, if starting from 0, go for Java (Android SDK) get any tutorial around the web, there are tons of them, some better than others ofc, and free.
Hope you find your way to go!
good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. But may I also know your opinion on MIT App Inventor ?
I started with App Inventor and quickly out grew it. Using java will make it easier to move on to complex apps or add more complexity to any current ones.
RedDevil99025 said:
Thanks for that. But may I also know your opinion on MIT App Inventor ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally wouldnt use app inventor nor any other kind of "easy app maker"
I would not use the inventor, too.
I recommend reading the Head's First Java books (skip the UI part) and for Android the Vogella tutorials.
---------- Post added at 09:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 PM ----------
(Btw, you cannot build an app quickly to make big money. If you want to be successful, you need to spend a lot of time on development.)
RedDevil99025 said:
Hi,
I am a recently laid off 30 year old SAP consultant from India. Over the last few weeks, I have been reading about the wonderful world of android apps. There is a great opportunity in India for android apps as millions of smart phones are sold every year. I have decided on building apps targeted at the Indian stock market - like stock screeners, that help people reach a proper investment decision. I want to make money out of my apps, so I want then to be fairly professional so that somebody buying them wont feel cheated. Also, there are not many (any) stock screener apps targeted at Indian stock market. So there is an opportunity there and I want this idea to be my first.
But how do I go about it ? I learnt Java at college, 10 years ago. My Java is highly amateurish even after I refreshed it over the last few weeks.I have bought a book on MIT App Inventor...and developed a few simple example apps already and tested them on my mobile. I am not yet sure App Inventor can help me develop more complex apps like the one I mentioned above.
So, I am desperately looking for advise from people who have been there, done that. How do I go about developing my first app ? Should I go about it the hard way - learn Java better ? Read a book on Android application development ? Build Web Apps using HTML5, JavaScript, JQuery ? Or stick to MIT App Inventor ? Try some app builder development tool like Tiggzi, Codiqa or Kinvey ?
I really need your advise as I really need to develop something quickly and make money out of it. :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Hibernate trainer quoted the following "You guys are brought up with IDE we used to compile on console". My sincere suggestion even in this RAPID developmental technologies around refresh your "Java skills" on console (DOS or Unix your wish) and make use of Eclipse IDE with Android SDK plugins for fast development. That would do. Start with Eclipse Helios and Google Android SDK and AVDs. Here you go... http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
I have developed a couple of very good apps and I use one myself but Google play store expects payment to become one of their developers Why should I pay for my own app to releasing to public for free? I choose XDA let them validate and evaluate my apps and enjoy. Let us CJava++++
The day is not far may be you get donated enough expand your ideas.
My advice is - don't read books, just start coding. A year ago I knew absolutely nothing about Java or Android. Find a webpage with sample android Activity. Start spawning your code from there. That's how I did it. Then lear something about deriving from View class... and so on...
Hey guys, thank you for all the advise. I will go through what each one of you has said and do things systematically.....I am basically starting from zero......so, lets see how far I go....and I will inform you guys about my progress and seek guidance from you.
Thanks again.
developer.android.com
Best site there is to start it has a training part and other examples. I'd personally work my way up from there if I was starting now.
radical_thinking said:
Best site there is to start it has a training part and other examples. I'd personally work my way up from there if I was starting now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't like the site when I started. In my opinion it is too difficult for beginners.
Better now
nikwen said:
I didn't like the site when I started. In my opinion it is too difficult for beginners.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea it wasn't always good but now they have a good training part + they provide sample code that you can run and fiddle with
It has a couple good step by step stuff, but its mostly "add this code" and has snippets that don't often make sense till you have a decent understanding of the rest of the code.