Welcome to the world of Android Development !
Wrong answer? Or run-time error? It’s frustrating, isn't it! Okay, maybe it’s time for you guys to stop those competitions for a moment and explore something which might interest you !
Welcome to the world of Android Development !
You all know what Android is, you use it everyday. As the number one mobile operating system in the world, Android devices are used by more people than any other type of mobile device. This gives developers a great opportunity to develop apps that can potentially be used by hundreds of millions of people. You use it for social networking (Hello, Meme Lords 😛 !), music, day-to-day tasks, etc. So isn’t it amazing to develop these apps? Don’t you think its cool, when someone is using your app in his phone right in front of you!!!
So, lets talk about how you can start developing Android Apps !
First of all , let me make this very clear, Android Development seems very fascinating because you develop something that you can use in real time, but at the same time is very tough for a beginner. You need to understand a lot of concepts, read a lot of documentation, you will forget a lot of stuff that you’ll study, etc. So you need to give a lot of your time and focus to this, and believe me, it’s worth it !
For a total beginner, I recommend learning Java or Kotlin (it is preferred to begin with Java, and then switch to Kotlin). There are no shortcuts here, you just have to learn Java.
thenewboston Java Video Tutorials — An awesome series of short videos that explain different Java concepts.
Trail: Learning the Java Language — Official Java tutorials from Oracle.
https://kotlinlang.org/docs/tutorials/- Kotlin Tutorials.
Well, you don’t need to get into depth of Java, just learn some basic concepts such as general syntax, variable declaration, functions, classes, objects, loops, error handling, different key words in Java, inheritance, etc. and yes, little about Object Oriented Concepts, (don’t worry, whatever course you follow for Java is going to tell you about Object Oriented Concepts).
To program in most languages, you need a piece of software called an IDE or ‘Integrated Development Environment’. The most common IDE for Android development is Android Studio, which comes direct from Google itself. You can get it here. It also highlights things you get wrong, offers suggestions and lets you run and test your creations conveniently. It creates the files you need, it provides basic layouts and generally it saves you a lot of time and effort. What’s great about Android Studio is that it is designed specifically for Android development (unlike the second most popular option, Eclipse).
After you feel you’ve understood and gotten comfortable with Java, it’s time to move on to Android app development. Resources, tools and tutorials for Android:-
Android Development for Beginners
An easy and beginner-friendly course developed by Google to learn the basics and fundamental concepts of Android development quickly. If you are a beginner and you want to make a very simple App, follow this.
https://classroom.udacity.com/courses/ud853
A well-designed course by Google that is perfect for intermediate-level Android developers. I started with this tutorial, and it is amazing for all those who know nothing about how to use Android Studio, or how to make their first Android App. This course teaches a lot of stuff which might be difficult to grasp if you are not focused!
Android Development with Android Studio
A simple, easy, and complete guide for all beginner-level Android developers who want to develop their first Android app using the de facto open-source IDE, Android Studio.
Vogella Android Development Tutorials
Very good if you want to go at your own pace and sort of teach yourself. Fairly easy to follow and understand for beginners.
XML Basics
You need to learn XML to design your layouts in Android. It is very easy and shouldn’t take much time to grasp.
Develop Apps | Android Developers
Official Android Documentation. An absolute treasure trove of resources, tools, info, documents, news and pretty much anything you could ever want for Android developers.
A very serious advice , you need to read the official documentation when you are studying any topic. Then only you will be able to properly understand all the concepts in depth. Don’t skip the documentation!
Now, you will come across tons of concepts while trying to become a Android Master, and with concepts, you’ll face thousands of monstrous problems. Google! That’s the secret to learning anything and successfully writing code. Just Google any problems that you face immediately. There’s ALWAYS somebody who’s already faced it and has received an answer on Stack Overflow. Stack Overflow is every coder’s dream come true. You always need help. And you always get help.
Always remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. Happy coding. 😉
