July 16th, 2008
Beta version of Hello, Android book is out
Ever since Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance announced the Android platform last November, I’ve been working on a book to help developers write programs for it. The book, called Hello, Android, is now available in Beta form at the Pragmatic Programmers web site. The current version is Beta 4.
There is a PDF version and a Paper version. By ordering both versions at the same time you can save $13.20. You’ll be able to download successive releases of the PDF as I add material, and you’ll have more input into what goes into the book. You’ll get new beta updates for free every 3-4 weeks, and then you’ll get the final PDF and a paper copy when the book is finished. Alternatively, the paper version only is available for pre-order from Amazon, O’Reilly, and other outlets.
From the introduction:
Getting started developing with Android is easy. You don’t even need access to an Android phone, just a computer where you can install the Android SDK and the phone emulator that comes with it. Within minutes, Hello, Android will get you creating your first working application: Android’s version of “Hello, World.” From there, you’ll build up a more substantial example: an Android Sudoku game. By gradually adding features to the game throughout the course of the book, you’ll learn about many aspects of Android programming including user interfaces, multimedia, and the Android life cycle.
If you’re a busy developer who’d rather be coding than reading about coding, this book is for you. To help you find what you need to know fast, each chapter ends with “Fast forward” section. These sections provide guidance for where you should go next when you need to read the book out of order.
A basic knowledge of programming in Java is assumed, and experience using the Eclipse Java development tools is helpful but not required. The final release date depends on Google’s release of Android version 1.0 and the availability of handsets from manufacturers.
For more information see:
- Table of Contents
- Code examples
- Errata
- Discussions
- Free extracts (PDF):
Ed Burnette is a professional developer and author of several articles and books about computing including Hello, Android: Introducing Google's Mobile Development Platform, 2nd Edition. For disclosure of Ed's industry affiliations, click here or to view his full profile click here.
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