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A one-of-a-kind book on Android application development with Mono for Android
The wait is over! For the millions of .NET/C# developers who have been eagerly awaiting the book that will guide them through the white-hot field of Android application programming, this is the book. As the first guide to focus on Mono for Android, this must-have resource dives into writing applications against Mono with C# and compiling executables that run on the Android family of devices.
Putting the proven Wrox Professional format into practice, the authors provide you with the knowledge you need to become a successful Android application developer without having to learn another programming language. You'll explore screen controls, UI development, tables and layouts, and MonoDevelop as you become adept at developing Android applications with Mono for Android.
Professional Android Programming with Mono for Android and .NET/C# gets you up and running with Android app development today.
FOREWORD xxiii
INTRODUCTION xxv
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO ANDROID, MOBILE DEVICES, AND THE MARKETPLACE 1
Product Comparison 2
The .NET Framework 2
Mono 3
Mono for Android 4
Mono for Android Components 5
Development Tools 6
Mobile Development 6
Getting Around Support Issues 7
Design Issues 7
Android 8
History of Android 8
Writing Web-Based Applications for Android 9
Writing Native Applications for Android 9
Android Development Issues 9
Android SDK Tools 10
Android Development Costs 11
Cross-Platform Alternatives 12
Other Cross-Platform Tools 12
Considerations for Selecting a Cross-Platform Tool 12
How Does the Tool Allow You to Author Your Application? 13
What Device Features Does the Tool Support? 13
What Platforms Does the Tool Support? 14
What Skill Sets Does the Tool Require? 14
What Tools Exist to Support Development? 14
How Active Are the Development Community and Support Channels? 14
What Are the Successful Application Deployments for This Tool? 14
Summary 15
CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO MONO FOR ANDROID 17
Before You Begin Developing 17
What Is Mono? 17
Mono Implementation Goals 18
Mono Standards 18
What Is Mono for Android? 18
Why Do I Need Mono for Android? 18
Familiar Development Environment 19
Familiar API and Library Structure 19
What Are the Trade-Off s of Working with Mono for Android? 21
Waiting for Improvements 21
Taking a Potential Performance Hit 21
Memory Management 21
What Do I Need for the Mono for Android Development Environment? 22
Java SDK 22
Android SDK 22
Visual Studio 24
Visual Studio Development with Mono for Android 25
General Setup 25
Building Hello Android 26
Logging 28
Debugging 30
Testing 30
Deploying 31
Mono for Android Development with MonoDevelop 31
General Setup 31
Building Hello Android 32
Logging 34
Debugging 34
Testing 34
Deploying 35
Summary 35
CHAPTER 3: UNDERSTANDING ANDROID/MONO FOR ANDROID APPLICATIONS 37
What Is an Android Application? 38
The Building Blocks of an Android Application 39
Activities 39
Services 44
Content Providers 44
Broadcast Receivers 47
Communicating between Components: Android Intents 49
Binding the Components: The Android Manifest 50
Android Manifest Basics 51
Editing the Manifest for Mono for Android via Visual Studio 54
Summary 56
CHAPTER 4: PLANNING AND BUILDING YOUR APPLICATION’S USER INTERFACE 59
Guidelines for a Successful Mobile UI 59
Building an Android UI 60
Views 60
Design Surface 61
Choosing a Control Layout 61
AbsoluteLayout 62
FrameLayout 63
LinearLayout 63
RelativeLayout 65
TableLayout 67
Optimizing Layouts 68
Designing Your User Interface Controls 69
TextView 70
EditText 70
AutoCompleteTextView 71
Spinner 71
Button 73
Check Box 73
Radio Buttons and Groups 73
Clocks 76
Pickers 77
Images 79
ImageView 80
ImageButton 80
Gallery 80
Virtual Keyboards 84
Selecting Your Virtual Keyboard 86
Removing the Keyboard 86
Controlling Your Menus 87
Introducing the Menu System 87
Menus 87
Submenus 90
Context Menus 90
Defi ning Menus as a Resource 92
Menus 93
Context Menus 94
Resolution-Independent UI 95
Supporting Various Screen Resources 95
Supporting Screen Sizes 95
Supporting Pixel Densities 96
Using Android Market Support 97
Multiple Screen Resolution Best Practices 97
Constructing a User Interface: A Phone and Tablet Example 98
Summary 104
CHAPTER 5: WORKING WITH DATA 105
Working with SQLite 105
Setting Up a Database 106
Setting Up Tables 107
Using SQL Statements 108
Using Read/Select to Read Data 108
Using SQL Statements to Insert Data 110
Upgrading Strategies 110
Upgrading in Place 111
Copying Data 111
Android-Specific Database Options 111
SQLiteOpenHelper 111
Storing Data Remotely 113
Working with Remote Data 113
Accessing Enterprise Services 114
Using SOAP 115
Working with ASMX Web Services 115
Working with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) 116
Using REST-Based Web Services 119
Using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) 120
Posting Data with POST 124
Retrieving Data Using LINQ and XML 125
Using Asynchronous Data Retrieval 127
Using Web Services Responsibly 128
Working with Remote SQL Server Databases 128
Summary 130
CHAPTER 6: BINDING DATA TO CONTROLS 131
Databinding in Mono for Android 132
What Is a Data Adapter? 133
What Is an Adapter View? 133
How Do These Items Relate to One Another? 134
Working with Adapter Views and Large Data Sets 134
Exploring Adapters in Depth 137
Using Native Adapters 137
Exploring Adapter Views in Depth 138
Using Native Adapter Views 138
Working with Cursors 139
Using a Cursor to Populate a Spinner 139
Setting Up the Spinner and Data Source 140
Using a Spinner Adapter 143
Adding a Listener Event for a Spinner 144
Using a Cursor with a Gallery 147
Setting Up the Project 148
Adding the Cursor 150
Completing the Custom Adapter 152
Working with Lists 154
Displaying Simple Data in a List 155
Working with Android’s ListAdapters 158
Customizing ListView with a Custom List Adapter 160
Handling ListView Events 166
Preferences Screen 168
Nested Navigation 171
Grouped Lists 173
Displaying Data in a Grid 177
Summary 182
CHAPTER 7: WORKING WITH THE FILE SYSTEM AND APPLICATION PREFERENCES 183
Working with the File System 184
File System Type and Structure 184
QuickEdit Sample Program: Working with a File Storage Example 189
Working with Application Preferences 195
Application Preference Types 195
Creating Your Own Application Preferences 196
Preferences Program 197
Listening for Preference Changes 202
Processing XML 204
Summary 205
CHAPTER 8: PROGRAMMING WITH THE DEVICE HARDWARE 207
Working with Sensors 208
Referencing the Sensor Manager 208
Sensor Support 208
Accessing Sensors 209
Using Sensors 209
Understanding the Sensor Type Values 211
Responding to Acceleration 212
Using the XYZ Coordinate System 213
Coding with the Accelerometer 213
Building a Compass 214
Vibration 218
Networking Connectivity 219
ConnectivityManager 219
Checking User Communication Preferences 219
Checking for Changes to BackgroundDataSetting 220
Checking Current Network Configuration 221
Creating Network Connectivity Notifications 221
Wifi Manager 221
WiFi States 224
WiFi Changes 225
Bluetooth Manager 225
Working with Bluetooth State 226
Enabling Voice Recognition in Your App 227
Getting Turn-by-Turn Directions 229
Summary 235
CHAPTER 9: USING MULTIMEDIA — AUDIO, VIDEO, AND THE CAMERA 237
Android Media Classes 238
Playing Audio and Video 239
Media Player Supported Formats 239
Programming Audio Playback 240
Programming Video Playback 244
Controlling Playback 247
Managing Playback Output 247
Recording Audio and Video 247
Using Intents to Record Video 248
Using the Media Recorder 251
Confi guring Video Recording 251
Previewing Video Recording 252
Audio Recording 253
Images and Using the Camera 254
Using Intents to Take Pictures 254
Controlling the Camera 257
Managing Camera Settings and Picture Options 257
Monitoring Autofocus 259
Using the Camera Preview 260
Taking a Picture 261
Reading and Writing JPEG Exif Values 262
Adding New Media to the Media Store 263
Using the Media Scanner 263
Adding New Media to the Store 264
Speech Recognition 265
Summary 266
CHAPTER 10: TALKING TO OTHER APPLICATIONS AND LIBRARIES 269
Android Application Integration 269
Opening the Browser 269
Opening E-mail 272
Making a Telephone Call 273
Sending a Text/SMS Message 274
Opening a Location in the Maps Application 276
Opening a YouTube Video 276
Opening the Market 277
Application Integration 278
Simple Integration with HootSuite and Other Twitter Applications 279
Configuring Your Intent Filters 279
Handling Incoming Intent Requests 280
Integrating with Contacts 280
Displaying Contact Details 283
Picking a Contact 284
Creating a New Contact 285
Creating a New Contact or Adding to an Existing Contact 286
Summary 287
CHAPTER 11: DEVELOPING BACKGROUND SERVICES AND ASYNCHRONOUS CODE 289
The Life Cycle of a Service 290
Creating Your First Service 290
Prioritizing Services 293
Using Threads for Asynchronous Processing 294
Threading Manually 295
Utilizing System.Threading.Tasks 297
Implicit Threading with the IntentService 298
Communicating with the UI 299
Using the Binder and Service Connection Method 299
Using the Broadcast Receiver Method 303
Using the Static Event Method 305
Notifying the User with Notifications 308
Scheduling Intents with Alarms and the IntentService 310
Push Notifi cations Using Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) 312
Listening for C2DM in Your Application 313
Sending a C2DM Message from Your Server 317
Summary 321
CHAPTER 12: CANVAS AND DRAWABLES: BUILDING CUSTOM ANDROID GRAPHICS 323
Working with Graphics in Mono for Android 324
Using the Canvas Object 325
Graphics Primitives 326
The Canvas Object 327
The Paint Object 328
The Bitmap Object 329
Bringing It All Together 330
A Path Primer 330
Case 1: Creating a Custom Graphic 331
Case 2: Responding to Events 336
Case 3: Animating Custom Graphics 342
Case 4: Improving Performance Using SurfaceView 347
Selecting the Best Approach 351
The 2D Graphics Library 352
Using Drawables 352
Drawables as XML Resources 353
Simple and Compound Drawables 354
Drawables in Action 354
Case 1: Using Default Drawables 354
Case 2: Adding Polish with the Shape Drawable 356
Case 3: Using the Gradient Drawable 360
Case 4: Using the Compound Drawable 362
Case 5: Interacting with a Custom Drawable 366
Summary 369
CHAPTER 13: WORKING WITH LOCATION INFORMATION 371
Understanding Location Basics 372
Determining Location 373
Location-Based Data Interruptions 373
Using Location-Based Services 374
Confi guring Location-Based Applications on the Emulator 374
Selecting a Location Provider 377
Determining Which Providers Are Available 377
Finding Location Providers with Criteria 377
Geocoding 379
Forward Geocoding 379
Reverse Geocoding 380
Constructing Proximity Alerts 382
Using Google Maps 384
Getting Your Development/Debugging MD5 Fingerprint 385
Getting Your Production/Release MD5 Fingerprint 386
Creating the Maps-Based Activity 386
Creating a Map in a Layout File 387
Using the MapView Controller with an Overlay 388
Summary 391
CHAPTER 14: INTERNATIONALIZATION AND LOCALIZATION 393
Selecting a Localization Strategy 395
Updating Language and Regional Settings 396
Understanding the Mechanics of Android Localization 398
Setting Up Default Resources 398
Adding Localization Support 399
Resource Selection in Detail 399
Supporting Multiple Languages 400
Utilizing the Strings.xml File 400
Translating Text 401
Translating Control Text 404
Localizing Other Resources 406
Localizing the Menu Icon and Application Name 409
Advanced Usage of Strings.xml 410
String Array 410
Plurals 410
String Replacements 411
Working with Format Conversions 414
Formatting Dates 414
Formatting Numbers and Currency 414
Summary 415
CHAPTER 15: SHARING CODE BETWEEN MONO FOR ANDROID, MONOTOUCH, AND WINDOWS PHONE 7 417
Overview of the Three Platforms 417
Mono for Android 418
MonoTouch 418
Windows Phone 7 419
Using Class Libraries to Separate the Code 420
Using Preprocessor Directives 420
Mono for Android 421
Windows Phone 7 421
MonoTouch 422
Assemblies Available on Each Platform 422
One Class Library to Rule Them All 425
Mono for Android 426
MonoTouch 428
Windows Phone 7 429
Putting It All Together: Creating a Cross-Platform Application 431
Summary 443
CHAPTER 16: PREPARING AND PUBLISHING YOUR APPLICATION TO THE MARKET 445
Preparing Your Application 446
Testing Your Application 446
Hitting the Key Testing Areas 447
Tools for the Testing Trade 449
Unit Testing 449
DDMS 449
The Emulator 452
Traceviews 453
Stress Testing via the Application Exerciser Monkey 455
UI Testing via the Monkeyrunner 456
Involving Peers and Users in the Testing Process 456
Publishing Your Application to the Android Market 457
Versioning Your Application 457
Creating the Final Build 459
Signing Your Application 461
Creating a Private Key 461
Creating a Self-Signed Certificate 464
Aligning the Final Package 464
Uploading to the Android Market 465
Summary 466
CHAPTER 17: ANDROID TABLETS 469
Examining the Android Tablet Marketplace 469
Designing a Tablet UI 470
Using the Action Bar 472
Removing the Action Bar 473
Adding Items to the Action Bar 473
Using the Application Icon 477
Navigating “Up” the Stack 477
Adding and Using Action Items 478
Creating a Tabbed Interface 479
Partial Screen Control Using Fragments 480
Creating Fragments 481
More Fragments 486
Summary 494
APPENDIX A: TIPS FOR DEVELOPERS AND THE FUTURE OF MONO AND ANDROID 495
Best Practices, Hints, Tips, and Gotchas 495
Android Honeycomb (3.0) and Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) 499
Fragments for All! 502
Android Version and Device Fragmentation 503
What’s Next for Mono for Android? 504
Using Xamarin.Mobile for Cross-Platform Mobile Functionality 505
INDEX 507
Overview
A one-of-a-kind book on Android application development with Mono for Android
The wait is over! For the millions of .NET/C# developers who have been eagerly awaiting the book that will guide them through the white-hot field of Android application programming, this is the book. As the first guide to focus on Mono for Android, this must-have resource dives into writing applications against Mono with C# and compiling executables that run on the ...