Java Android Development
Build native Android apps with Java
Java has been the traditional language for Android development, offering robust object-oriented programming capabilities and access to the full Android SDK. While Kotlin is now Google's preferred language, Java remains widely used and fully supported.
Why Choose Java for Android?
Native Android Development
Build apps with full access to Android APIs and platform features
Direct access to all Android platform capabilities and native performance
Mature Ecosystem
Extensive libraries, tools, and community support
Benefit from years of Android development tools and libraries
Android Studio IDE
Powerful development environment with advanced debugging tools
Official IDE with emulators, profilers, and comprehensive development tools
Enterprise Ready
Robust architecture patterns and enterprise-grade solutions
Perfect for large-scale applications with complex business requirements
Development Setup
Required Tools
1. Java Development Kit (JDK)
# Install JDK 8 or higher # Download from Oracle or use OpenJDK # Verify installation java -version javac -version
2. Android Studio
- • Download from developer.android.com/studio
- • Includes Android SDK, emulator, and build tools
- • Built-in support for Java and Kotlin
- • Advanced debugging and profiling tools
Basic Android App Structure
MainActivity.java
package com.example.myapp; import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity; import android.os.Bundle; import android.view.View; import android.widget.Button; import android.widget.TextView; import android.widget.Toast; public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity { private TextView textView; private Button button; private int counter = 0; @Override protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.activity_main); // Initialize views textView = findViewById(R.id.textView); button = findViewById(R.id.button); // Set click listener button.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() { @Override public void onClick(View v) { counter++; textView.setText("Count: " + counter); Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, "Button clicked!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); } }); } }
activity_main.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:orientation="vertical" android:gravity="center" android:padding="16dp"> <TextView android:id="@+id/textView" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Count: 0" android:textSize="24sp" android:layout_marginBottom="32dp" /> <Button android:id="@+id/button" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="Click Me" android:textSize="18sp" android:padding="16dp" /> </LinearLayout>
Key Android Concepts
Activities & Fragments
- • Activity: Single screen with user interface
- • Fragment: Reusable UI component within activities
- • Lifecycle: onCreate, onStart, onResume, onPause, onStop, onDestroy
- • Intent: Message passing between components
UI Components
- • Views: TextView, Button, ImageView, EditText
- • Layouts: LinearLayout, RelativeLayout, ConstraintLayout
- • RecyclerView: Efficient list and grid displays
- • Material Design: Google's design system
Data Storage
- • SharedPreferences: Key-value storage
- • SQLite: Local database
- • Room: Database abstraction layer
- • Files: Internal and external storage
Networking & APIs
- • HTTP Clients: OkHttp, Volley
- • JSON Parsing: Gson, Jackson
- • REST APIs: Retrofit library
- • WebSockets: Real-time communication
Learning Resources
Official Resources
Popular Libraries
- • Retrofit: HTTP client
- • Glide: Image loading
- • Room: Database ORM
- • Dagger: Dependency injection
Architecture
- • MVVM: Model-View-ViewModel
- • MVP: Model-View-Presenter
- • Clean Architecture: Layered approach
- • Android Architecture Components
Project Ideas
Beginner Projects
- • Simple Calculator App
- • To-Do List with SQLite
- • Weather App with API
- • Note Taking App
- • Quiz Application
Advanced Projects
- • E-commerce Shopping App
- • Social Media Platform
- • Fitness Tracking App
- • Real-time Chat Application
- • Location-based Services App