Android Application

Development Tutorial
 Background
 Introduction to Android
 Overview of Sensors
 Programming Tutorial 1: Tracking location with
GPS and Google Maps
 Overview of Networking
 Programming Tutorial 2: Downloading from the
Internet
 Programming Tutorial 3: Sending/Receiving SMS
Messages
 Questions/Comments
 Resources

Topics
Introduction to Android
A brief guide to the Android Application Development Environment
 Software platform from Google and the
Open Handset Alliance
 July 2005, Google acquired Android, Inc.
 November 2007, Open Handset Alliance
formed to develop open standards for
mobile devices
 October 2008, Android available as open
source
 December 2008, 14 new members joined
Android project

Background
 Built-in Apps ≡ Apps created in SDK
 Leverage Linux kernel to interface with
hardware
 Open source platform promotes
development from global community

Android and the Hardware

 Reuse and replacement of components
 Virtual machine
 Integrated browser
 Optimized graphics
 SQLite
 Media support
 GSM Telephony
 Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi
 Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer
 Rich development environment

Android Features
Android Architecture
 Apps are written in Java
 Bundled by Android Asset Packaging Tool
 Every App runs its own Linux process
 Each process has it’s own Java Virtual
Machine
 Each App is assigned a unique Linux user
ID
 Apps can share the same user ID to see
each other’s files

Application Fundamentals
 Activity
◦ Present a visual user interface for one focused endeavor the user can
undertake
◦ Example: a list of menu items users can choose from
 Services
◦ Run in the background for an indefinite period of time
◦ Example: calculate and provide the result to activities that need it
 Broadcast Receivers
◦ Receive and react to broadcast announcements
◦ Example: announcements that the time zone has changed
 Content Providers
◦ Store and retrieve data and make it accessible to all applications
◦ Example: Android ships with a number of content providers for common
data types (e.g., audio, video, images, personal contact information, etc.)
 Intents
◦ Hold the content of a message
◦ Example: convey a request for an activity to present an image to the user
or let the user edit some text

Application Components
 http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing.html
 Preparing your system and system
requirements
 Downloading and Installing the SDK
 Installing ADT plug-in for Eclipse
 Adding Platforms and Components
 Exploring the SDK
 Completing tutorials
 Troubleshooting

Installation
 Developer’s are able to access “goodies”
 Hardware capabilities made available

Open Source Platform

Feature Description
A class that enables your application to interact with the camera to snap a photo, acquire images
Camera
for a preview screen, and modify parameters used to govern how the camera operates.

Sensor Class representing a sensor. Use getSensorList(int) to get the list of available Sensors.

SensorManager A class that permits access to the sensors available within the Android platform.

An interface used for receiving notifications from the SensorManager when sensor values have
SensorEventListener changed. An application implements this interface to monitor one or more sensors available in the
hardware.

This class represents a sensor event and holds information such as the sensor type (e.g.,
SensorEvent
accelerometer, orientation, etc.), the time-stamp, accuracy and of course the sensor's data.

A class, used to record media samples, that can be useful for recording audio activity within a
specific location (such as a baby nursery). Audio clippings can also be analyzed for identification
MediaRecorder
purposes in an access-control or security application. For example, it could be helpful to open the
door to your time-share with your voice, rather than having to meet with the realtor to get a key.

This class is used to estimated estimate magnetic field at a given point on Earth, and in
GeomagneticField
particular, to compute the magnetic declination from true north.

A class that permits basic recognition of a person's face as contained in a bitmap. Using this as a
FaceDetector
device lock means no more passwords to remember — biometrics capability on a cell phone.

Hardware-oriented Features
 Sensor type (Sensor class)
◦ Orientation, accelerometer, light, magnetic field,
proximity, temperature, etc.
 Sampling rate
◦ Fastest, game, normal, user interface.
◦ When an application requests a specific sampling
rate, it is really only a hint, or suggestion, to the
sensor subsystem. There is no guarantee of a
particular rate being available.
 Accuracy
◦ High, low, medium, unreliable.

Sensor and SensorManager

Programming Tutorial
Simulating an Android application that accesses positioning sensors
 Must have Eclipse IDE installed
 Must have Android SDK installed
 Must have knowledge of Java
 Must have the external Google Maps
library installed in your SDK environment.
The Maps library is included with the
Google APIs add-on, which you can install
using the Android SDK and AVD Manager.

Preparing for the Tutorial

 A Google Maps API key is required to integrate Google Maps into your Android
application.
 To apply for a key:
1. Locate the SDK debug certificate in the default folder of "C:\Documents and
Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Android". The filename of the
debug keystore is debug.keystore.
2. Copy the debug.keystore file to a folder named C:\Android\.
3. Open the command window and navigate to C:\Program
Files\Java\<JDK_version_number>\bin to locate the Keytool.exe.
4. Execute the following to extract the MD5 fingerprint:
keytool.exe -list -alias androiddebugkey -keystore "C:\Android\debug.keystore" -storepass
android -keypass android

5. Copy the MD5 certificate fingerprint and navigate your web browser to:
http://code.google.com/android/maps-api-signup.html.
6. Follow the instructions on the page to complete the application and obtain the
Google Maps key.
For more information on using Google Maps in Android application development:
http://mobiforge.com/developing/story/using-google-maps-android

Get a Google Maps API Key

 Defines the system image and device
settings used by the Emulator
 To create an AVD in Eclipse:
1. Select Window > Android SDK and AVD Manager.
The Android SDK and AVD Manager displays.
2. Make sure the entry for Virtual Devices is selected
and click New.
The Create new AVD window displays.
3. Enter a Name for the AVD.
4. Select Google APIs (API level 3) as the Target.
5. Click Create AVD.
6. Close the Android SDK and AVD Manager.

Create an Android Virtual Device (AVD)

 To create the project in Eclipse:
1. Select File > New > Project.
2. Select Android Project in the Android folder and
click Next.
3. Enter GPSSimulator as the Project Name.
4. Select Google APIs (Platform 1.5) as the Build
Target.
5. Enter GPSSimulator as the Application name.
6. Enter com.android.gpssimulator as the Package
name.
7. Enter GPSSimulator as the Activity name.
8. Click Finish.

Create the Android Project

Programming Tutorial
Transmitting SMS messages across the network
 Intents request for an action to be
performed and supports interaction
among the Android components.
◦ For an activity it conveys a request to present
an image to the user
◦ For broadcast receivers, the Intent object
names the action being announced.
 Intent Filter Registers Activities, Services
and Broadcast Receivers(as being capable
of performing an action on a set of data).

Intent and IntentFilter

 STEP 1
◦ In the
AndroidManifest.xml file,
add the two permissions -
SEND_SMS and
RECEIVE_SMS.
 STEP 2
◦ In the main.xml, add Text
view to display "Enter the
phone number of
recipient“ and "Message"
◦ EditText with id
txtPhoneNo and
txtMessage
◦ Add the button ID "Send
SMS“

SMS Sending
• Step 3 Import Classes and Interfaces
import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.telephony.SmsManager;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Toast;

SMS Sending
 Step 4 Write the SMS class
public class SMS extends Activity {
Button btnSendSMS;
EditText txtPhoneNo;
EditText txtMessage;

/** Called when the activity is first created. */

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);

btnSendSMS = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnSendSMS);

txtPhoneNo = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.txtPhoneNo);
txtMessage = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.txtMessage);

btnSendSMS.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v) {
String phoneNo = txtPhoneNo.getText().toString();
Input from the
String message = txtMessage.getText().toString(); user (i.e., the
if (phoneNo.length()>0 && message.length()>0) phone no, text
message and
sendSMS(phoneNo, message);
else
Toast.makeText(getBaseContext(),
"Please enter both phone number and message.", sendSMS is
}
Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
implemented).
});
}
}

SMS Sending
 Step 5
◦ To send an SMS message, you use the
SmsManager class. And to instantiate this class
call getDefault() static method.
◦ The sendTextMessage() method sends the SMS
message with a PendingIntent.
◦ The PendingIntent object is used to identify a
target to invoke at a later time.
private void sendSMS(String phoneNumber, String message) {
PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0,
new Intent(this, SMS.class), 0);
SmsManager sms = SmsManager.getDefault();
sms.sendTextMessage(phoneNumber, null, message, pi, null);
}

SMS Sending
SMS Sending
 Step 1

Receiving SMS
 Step 2
◦ In the AndroidManifest.xml file add the <receiver> element so
that incoming SMS messages can be intercepted by the
SmsReceiver class.
<receiver android:name=".SmsReceiver">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name=
"android.provider.Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED" />
</intent-filter>
</receiver>

Receiving SMS
 Step 3
import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.telephony.SmsMessage;
import android.widget.Toast;

Receiving SMS
 Step 4 In the SmsReceiver class,
public class SmsReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver { extend the
@Override BroadcastReceiver class
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) { and override the
//---get the SMS message passed in--- onReceive() method. The
Bundle bundle = intent.getExtras(); message is attached to
SmsMessage[] msgs = null; the Intent
String str = "";

if (bundle != null){
//---retrieve the SMS message received---
Object[] pdus = (Object[]) bundle.get("pdus");
msgs = new SmsMessage[pdus.length];

for (int i=0; i<msgs.length; i++) {

msgs[i] = SmsMessage.createFromPdu((byte[])pdus[i]);
str += "SMS from " + msgs[i].getOriginatingAddress(); The messages are stored in
str += " :"; a object array PDU format.
str += msgs[i].getMessageBody().toString(); To extract each message,
str += "\n"; you use the static
} createFromPdu() method
//---display the new SMS message--- from the SmsMessage class.
Toast.makeText(context, str, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); The SMS message is then
} displayed using the Toast
} class
}

Receiving SMS
Receiving SMS
 What is Android?
 What are the sensor and networking
capabilities in Android?
 How to use location data and Google
maps in Android?
 How to access websites?
 How to send SMS messages across the
network?
 Questions/Comments?

Conclusions
 Ableson, Frank. “Tapping into Android’s sensors.” www.ibm.com. January 30, 2010.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-android-sensor/index.html
 Ableson, Frank; Collins, Charlie; Sen, Robi. Unlocking Android, A Developer’s Guide.
Greenwich: Manning Publications Co. 2009.
 Android Development Guide. January 30, 2010.
http://developer.android.com/guide/index.html
 Lee, Wei-Meng. “Using Google Maps in Android.” mobiforge.com. January 30, 2010.
http://mobiforge.com/developing/story/using-google-maps-android
 Lee, Wei-Meng. “You Are Here: Using GPS and Google Maps in Android.” www.devx.com.
January 30, 2010. http://www.devx.com/wireless/Article/39239/1954
 Lee, Wei-Meng “SMS Messaging in Android” mobiforge.com. January 30, 2010
 http://mobiforge.com/developing/story/sms-messaging-android
 Lee, Wei-Meng “Connecting to the Web: I/O Programming in Android” November 5,
2008 Android”http://www.devx.com/wireless/Article/39810
 Open Handset Alliance, http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/
 Patterson, Don. “Android Development Guide.” getsatisfaction.com. January 30, 2010.
http://getsatisfaction.com/luci/topics/android_development_guide
 www.androidcompetencycenter.com. January 30, 2010.
http://www.androidcompetencycenter.com/2009/06/accessing-device-sensors
 Xianhua Shu; Zhenjun Du; Rong Chen, "Research on Mobile Location Service Design Based
on Android," Wireless Communications, Networking and Mobile Computing, 2009. WiCom
'09. 5th International Conference on , vol., no., pp.1-4, 24-26 Sept. 2009
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=5302615&isnumber=5300799

Resources