Mobile Application Mobile Application DevelopmentDevelopment

with ANDROID with ANDROID

Umang Patel(6537)LDCE

Agenda• Intro to Android platform• Platform architecture• Android 1.5 Platform Highlights• Development tools• Resources

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

Applications

• Built in and user apps• Can replace built in apps

Application Framework

• API interface• Activity manager - manages application life cycle.• View System - to build an application, including lists,

grids, text boxes, buttons• Resource Manager• Notification Manager • Content Provider

Libraries• C/C++ libraries• Surface manager – Handling UI Windows• 2D and 3D graphics• Media Framework• SQLite• LibWebCore

Android Runtime• Dalvik VM

– Dex files– Compact and efficient than class files– Limited memory and battery power

• Core Libraries– Java 5 Std edition– Collections, I/O etc…

Linux Kernel

• Device drivers• Memory management• Process management• Networking

Android 1.5 Platform Highlights

• User Interface Refinements• Performance Improvements• New Features

User Interface Refinements

• UI polish for: – Contacts, Call log, and Favorites– Browser– Calendar– Email– Camera & Gallery– Application management

Performance Improvements

• Faster Camera start-up and image capture• Much faster acquisition of GPS location (powered by

SUPL AGPS)• Smoother page scrolling in Browser• Speedier GMail conversation list scrolling

New Features • Home screen

– Widgets • Bundled home screen widgets include: analog clock, calendar,

music player, picture frame, and search– Live folders

• Camera & Gallery – Improved handsfree experience– Stereo Bluetooth support

• Contacts – Specific date/time stamp for events in call log– One-touch access to a contact card from call log event

New Features • Browser

– Updated with latest Webkit browser & Squirrelfish Javascript engines

– Copy 'n paste in browser– Search within a page– User-selectable text-encoding

• System – New Linux kernel (version 2.6.27)– SD card filesystem auto-checking and repair

• Google applications– Google Talk– Upload videos to Youtube – Upload photos on Picasa

Development Tools

• Eclipse

• Android SDKdeveloper.android.com

The Emulator

• QEMU-based ARM emulator• Runs the same image as the device

• Limitations:– No Camera support– USB connections– placing or receiving actual phone

calls

Devices

Interesting things to do• Android is open source• Opportunities for researchers• Get the source, compile and update the

device image

References• http://developer.android.com• http://sites.google.com/site/io