4 hrs Saturday Noonish Class: Beginning Android Programming and Java Refresher

This is a 4-hour noonish Saturday class for a small number of students who are new to Android mobile programming, and who may also need a Java refresher course.

Please try to arrive by 11:30 am, the class will begin itself at noon, and then end at 4 pm (but despite the noonish time, lunch will not be provided, so do eat something before coming). A laptop, with Eclipse and Android already set up, will be needed (unless that is, you don't mind looking over your neighbor's shoulder for the lab portion of the class).

If you don't have your Eclipse/Android development environment set up (http://developer.motorola.com/docstools/library/Installing-Android-Dev-Environment/), or if you need help troubleshooting your installation, I'd like you to come one hour earlier to meet me at the nearest Starbucks. The wifi in the classroom itself won't be good enough to download the SDKs, and I won't be dealing with any installation issue after 11:30 am, but I will definitely be at the Starbucks (http://maps.google.com/maps?near=2671+Blanding+Avenue+%23+D,+Alameda,+CA+94501-1587+(Starbucks)&geocode=CRrgpXvdpPG8FUhMQAIdVOG2-CFGhIXKOYKtHQ&q=Starbucks&f=l&dq=Starbucks,+loc:+2671+Blanding+Avenue+%23+D,+Alameda,+CA&sll=37.768264,-122.232492&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&hq=Starbucks&hnear=&ll=37.769867,-122.232492&spn=0.009974,0.01929&z=16) between 10:30 am and 11:20 am beforehand and I've become quite good at troubleshooting these types of issues (the Starbucks (http://maps.google.com/maps?near=2671+Blanding+Avenue+%23+D,+Alameda,+CA+94501-1587+(Starbucks)&geocode=CRrgpXvdpPG8FUhMQAIdVOG2-CFGhIXKOYKtHQ&q=Starbucks&f=l&dq=Starbucks,+loc:+2671+Blanding+Avenue+%23+D,+Alameda,+CA&sll=37.768264,-122.232492&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&hq=Starbucks&hnear=&ll=37.769867,-122.232492&spn=0.009974,0.01929&z=16) is just two or three blocks away from our classroom (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2513+Blanding+Ave+Alameda+,+CA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2513+Blanding+Ave,+Alameda,+California+94501&gl=us&ll=37.770002,-122.235496&spn=0.009125,0.021136&z=16&iwloc=r1) location, but in the Nob Hill supermarket parking lot, on the side of the Nob Hill gas station. I will be the one with a laptop and an Android book next to it).

This class is not meant to replace other beginning Android classes in the Bay Area, nor is it meant to duplicate the online Android documentation and the tutorials. We'll be going in-depth in just what I consider the most key basic Android topics, and the parts that I've seen beginning Android programmers have trouble with. We'll be using an eclipse plugin I've written especially for the lab portion of this class. This also means that we won't have the time to cover 95% of what Android has to offer. We'll only have time to cover some of the most fundamental building blocks of Android, to enable you to get started at the very least.

That said, here are the specifics that we'll cover:

The most relevant Java concepts & syntax How to add a button How to attach an event to a button What's the difference between the declarative way of programming and the procedural way (on android) Things you should check when things go wrong Overall Android Architecture How to navigate and read the system's code base (right from within Eclipse) Activity & Service life-cycles How to save the state of an application How to make an application that adds two numbers together A basic overview of layouts How to start other activities How to play audio How to make a very basic game And where to go next? An electronic handout with the answers, slides, and code samples used, will be made available to you.

• Stephan
  510-395-3859 (cell)