You get an app, you get an app, fresh Android content from Udacity and Google
We’ve updated our Advanced Android App Development course!
Fresh on the heels of our recent Firebase Analytics launch and Developing Android Apps refresh, I’m happy to announce that we have more new stuff for you to check out. We’ve updated the next course in the Android Nanodegree program, Advanced Android App Development. The course is a mix of familiar faces from Developing Android Apps and a couple new ones. Each lesson has a sample app that you code with the instructor to demonstrate the topic at hand.
Fragments
One of the more controversial aspects of Android development are fragments. Michael Yotive’s post on realm.io outlines some of the pros and cons when it comes to them. There are companies where they are outright banned and others where they are embraced. It’s difficult to know where each company will rank on the love-hate scale. Our job is to try to best prepare you for all situations. As a result, we think students should learn to use fragments.
Cezanne uses Fragments to create a clone of androidify.com where you can select different items of clothing for an Android.
Libraries
Android has been publicly available for approaching 10 years now and the Java language, which Android uses, has been around for over 20 years. That means there are loads of libraries in the wild. While it can be good practice to write some things from scratch, for others cases, it’s better to use highly optimized code that others have written. This lesson is all about that.
Emojify Me uses Google’s Mobile Vision API to determine your facial expression and assigns a matching emoji.
Firebase Cloud Messaging
Firebase Cloud Messaging (née Google Cloud Messaging) gives you a cross-platform API to deliver messages to your app’s users. Shameless plug, go check out our Firebase in a Weekend and Firebase Analytics courses.
Lyla shows you a Twitter clone called Squaker that uses Firebase Cloud Messaging to send push notifications to users.
Google Places API
Most phones sold today have GPS (Global Positioning System) components to know where the user is located. Navigating a city with the aid of Google Maps is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to geolocation. Business review apps use geolocation to ask users to review the business or restaurant they’re visiting. Snapchat allows you to set up geofilters, filters that are available around a location. Being geoaware can improve the user experience of your app.
Has your phone ever gone off in a place where it shouldn’t have? Jessica’s app, ShushMe, will show you how to leverage the Places API to make your phone intelligently silence itself.
Media Playback
As of August 2016, there are 21 apps that have over a billion downloads on Google Play. Roughly half of them have audiovisual media features. Expand that list to apps with over 100 million downloads and you have a bunch more.
Can you tell Tchaikovsky from Hadyn? Can you pick out Fur Elise from Claire de Lune? Nikita walks you through creating a classical music quiz app in this lesson.
Homescreen Widgets
Homescreen widgets are a deeply loved or hated aspect of Android development. They allow you to extend the usability of your app by exposing actionable and glanceable information.
Jessica walks you through creating a garden with plants you must water.
Espresso UI Testing
Jessica uses Espresso to do UI testing in her Tea Time app.
Publishing Your App
You’ll learn how to publish your app on Google Play.
Project : Baking App
For our Nanodegree students, we have a new project. You are tasked to create an app that displays video recipes from our Associate Director of Student Services and volunteer in-house baker Miriam.
Check out the course here, if you’re already enrolled, it’s already been updated.
None of this would have been possible without a number of team members working behind the scenes. Special shout out to Asser Samak, who wrote scripts and app code for the Widgets and Places lessons, our team of Student Support and Services Leads spanning the globe who answer all your questions, our fellow Content Developers who tirelessly reviewed all the content, and to our friends on the video team who make us look good.
