Beginning Android 2 Begin the journey toward your own successful Android 2 applications

The Android development platform, created by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, is a platform in its truest sense, encompassing hundreds of classes beyond the traditional Java classes and open source components that ship with the SDK.

With Beginning Android 2, you’ll learn how to develop applications for Android 2.x mobile devices, using simple examples that are ready to run with your copy of the software development kit. Author, Android columnist, writer, developer, and community advocate Mark L. Murphy will show you what you need to know to get started programming Android applications, including how to craft graphical user interfaces, use GPS, and access web services.

The Big Picture.- Projects and Targets.- Creating a Skeleton Application.- Using XML-Based Layouts.- Employing Basic Widgets.- Working with Containers.- Using Selection Widgets.- Getting Fancy with Lists.- Employing Fancy Widgets and Containers.- The Input Method Framework.- Applying Menus.- Fonts.- Embedding the WebKit Browser.- Showing Pop-Up Messages.- Dealing with Threads.- Handling Activity Life Cycle Events.- Creating Intent Filters.- Launching Activities and Subactivities.- Handling Rotation.- Working with Resources.- Using Preferences.- Managing and Accessing Local Databases.- Accessing Files.- Leveraging Java Libraries.- Communicating via the Internet.- Using a Content Provider.- Building a Content Provider.- Requesting and Requiring Permissions.- Creating a Service.- Invoking a Service.- Alerting Users via Notifications.- Accessing Location-Based Services.- Mapping with MapView and MapActivity.- Handling Telephone Calls.- Development Tools.- Handling Multiple Screen Sizes.- Dealing with Devices.- Handling Platform Changes.- Where Do We Go from Here?.

Mark Murphy is the founder of CommonsWare and the author of The Busy Coder's Guide to Android Development. A three-time entrepreneur, his experience ranges from consulting on open source and collaborative development for Fortune 500 companies to application development on just about anything smaller than a mainframe. He has been a software developer for over 25 years, working on platforms ranging from the TRS-80 to the latest crop of mobile devices. A polished speaker, Mark has delivered conference presentations and training sessions on a wide array of topics internationally. Mark writes the "Building Droids" column for AndroidGuys and the "Android Angle" column for NetworkWorld. Outside of CommonsWare, Mark has an avid interest in how the Internet will play a role in citizen involvement with politics and government. He is a contributor to the Rebooting America essay collection, and his personal blog features many posts discussing "cooperative democracy."