ADK: Android Development Kit - Who? Why? When? Where? How?

For developing my app, I will be using the development kit provided by Android. This kit contains two things:
-SDK Manager: Downloads API's, saves pages you will need from developer.android.com in .htm format (all the pages under "Training"), etc.
-Eclipse: The tool used for programming Android and Java apps and other things, very similar to Microsoft's Visual Studio which is used for .NET and C programming

This SDK is completely free, and is available at http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html. Other software could  be used for the application development, but using this SDK would make it a lot easier since it is designed for development for Java and Android. You should have this SDK installed, set up, and ready by the time you start your reading/watching/learning so you can follow along with the tutorials. The SDK is also pretty mobile since it doesnt require any registry entries, and it comes in an archived folder, so wherever you bring that folder is where you are able to work on your app (so it's good to put on something like a cloud storage or a USB drive).

ADK - Android Development Kit
SDK - Software Development Kit
ADT - Android Development Tools
All three are basically the same thing.

Learning Resources That I Will Be Using

For the development of my application, I will be using a variety of different websites that give information and tutorials for Android development. Although the Android website has a collection of info and tutorials at http://developer.android.com/training/index.html, I'm still going to use a few other resources that hopefully teach me the things I need to know that the Android developer tutorials leave out.

Free Resources:
- http://developer.android.com/training/index.html
- Youtube Playlist: Android Bootcamp Series 2012 - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE08A97D36D5A255F
- Youtube Playlist: Android Bootcamp Training - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE953C0B85B50AB62
- iTunes U

Paid Resources:
- Various E-Books ("...For Dummies", Java books, Android Books)

Android Application - First Stage Application Layout

App Layout in Android 4.2.2 - Jelly Bean

Making a Blogger Account for the Culminating Project

For part of the culminating you must create a blog where you will post your culminating projects' progress. For my blog, I just used Blogger since the email address I used for the course was a Gmail account, and you log into Blogger using a Google account. There are other blog sites out there, but in this post I'll show how to start using Blogger.

1. If you don't already have a Google account - make one.
(skip this step if you already have a Google account)

Go to www.google.ca and click "Sign In" (Top Right)

Click "Sign Up" (Top Right)

Fill out your information on the right side, "Mobile phone" is optional

Fill out the captcha code, and check "I agree.."

If you can't read your code, click the circle with the arrow to get a new one.

Once finished that part, it will ask if you want to add a photo or change your display name, this can all be changed later, just click "next step" then click "Get started" on the next page.

2. Setting up Blogger

After this you will be redirected to the Google home page, from here you can click "More" and click "Blogger", or just visit www.blogger.com and sign in with the Google account you just created (or that you already have).

It might bring you to a page saying "Confirm Your Profile", if so just click "Continue to Blogger".

If you are not already at www.blogger.com/home then go to there, and to start your blog click "New Blog" and choose a title and an address for it (below).

I'm going to use the "Simple" template for this example

Now that your blog is created, people can go to it by going to the address that you chose, for example this one is www.kylevanhorne17.blogspot.com.

3. Creating a post

Click the orange button to create a new blog post

After clicking this, you'll be taken to a page that looks a lot like Microsoft Word in some ways. Remember to give your posts a title, which you can do in the bar above the post's toolbar (thought I'd mention this since I completely didn't notice the "Post title" bar for my first post).

From here, you're good to go, it's pretty simple:
-"Publish" posts your post to your blog (your 'done' button)
-"Save" saves your post so you can continue it later (similar to "draft" with emails)
-"Preview" previews what your post will look like so far (obviously)
-Toolbar tools will show what they are when hovered over
-As you work on your post, Blogger automatically saves every once in a while, so saving isn't too critical.

Remember to email Mr. Perry the link to your blog as well (www.------.blogspot.com).

Android Application - Polished Logo

Square 500x500 Logo

 50x50 Button Icon

480x800 Phone Screen Logo

Android Application - Final Name, Rough Logo

 

For the name of my application, I've decided to use QuickPanel, and I've also designed a rough version of the logo above, which I will polish up as I get closer to finishing the app. The idea for the logo I had was to have a Q and a P (QP - QuickPanel) and have the line coming off the Q as the bottom of the P, which also forms a 'check' symbol (which is coloured green in the logo above). After designing the rough logo, I felt it was still a bit too empty, so I added a very light Android logo in the background. I chose the name QuickPanel because I found it was catchy, and it hasn't been taken for any other app in the Google Play Store.

Android Application - Current ideas and plans

 

 

Android Application - Current ideas and plans

 

 

Currently, I am still in the process of brainstorming and planning the total layout and features of the first stage (possibly the only stage depending on the amount of time available after completing) of the app. So far, my plan is to make an app that lets you access all those deep and hidden options and information (such as battery %, eject SD card, brightness, etc.) much quicker without the use of buggy and resource hogging widgets that crowd the desktop of your Android device.

Possible name ideas so far:

- [Smart or Quick] [Panel or Menu] i.e: SmartMenu

- SMART - Settings Menu Application [in] Real Time (if settings apply while they are changed, i.e: brightness changes as you are adjusting the brightness bar)

 

I will soon design a layout in Eclipse that will be a target layout or 'look' for the finished first stage, and when I do I will include it in the next blog post.

 

Current first stage goals:

-Brightness adjuster

-SD card eject button

-Volume adjuster(s)

-Battery %

-Compatibility for Android 2.2.2 and up