Build a Simple Android App with Java Course

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Free Online Course: Build a Simple Android App with Java Course provided by Treehouse is a comprehensive online course, which lasts for 3-4 hours worth of material. The course is taught in English and is free of charge.

Overview
  • This course covers the very basics of Android development. We will build a simple app that will serve up some fun facts when you tap on a button. We introduce you to programming in Android, a tool for Android development called Android Studio, and some very basic concepts of the Android Software Development Kit, or SDK. By the end you will have a good idea of how a basic app works, and you will be armed with the knowledge to start building more.

    What you'll learn

    • Android Studio
    • Using an emulator or device
    • Screen layouts
    • Android Views and Activities

Syllabus
  • Getting Started with Android

    Making an Android app is easier than you think! Learn how to set up and use a few free tools to make a simple Fun Facts app that you can test on your computer. You don't even need an Android phone!

    Chevron 6 steps
    • Introducing Android

      1:10

    • A Brief Introduction to Android Tools

      3:07

    • Android Tools

      5 questions

    • Creating the Fun Facts Project

      6:10

    • Running the Fun Facts Project

      4:49

    • Android Project Basics

      5 questions

    Creating the Screen Layout

    Before we start writing any code, let's create the screen layout we will use to display our fun facts.

    Chevron 13 steps
    • Getting to Know Our Tools

      4:52

    • Android Tools Overview

      5 questions

    • Editing a Layout File

      4:52

    • Changing Text in a Layout

      1 objective

    • Adding a TextView

      4:15

    • Changing Text Size

      1 objective

    • Adding a Button

      4:31

    • Adding a Button

      1 objective

    • Setting Colors

      5:26

    • Setting Colors

      2 objectives

    • Setting Padding

      1:13

    • Setting a Fullscreen Theme

      3:30

    • Setting Padding

      1 objective

    Basic Android Programming

    Android apps are typically written in a programming language called Java. Let's take a deeper look at the concepts we need to make our button do something.

    Chevron 9 steps
    • Accessing Views in Code: Declaring Variables

      5:20

    • Accessing Views in Code: Assigning Variables

      6:24

    • Initializing a Button

      1 objective

    • Making a Button Do Something

      4:35

    • Adding the OnClick Method

      2:36

    • Android Programming Basics

      5 questions

    • Generating a Random Number

      4:08

    • Choosing a Random Fact

      4:52

    • Using the Random Class

      4 objectives

    Improving Our Code

    In this stage we'll take a moment to "refactor" our code. Then we'll add a new class to help us change the background color for each fact!

    Chevron 11 steps
    • Simple Refactoring: Creating a New Class

      5:54

    • Creating a New Class

      2 objectives

    • Simple Refactoring: Using a New Class

      6:28

    • Simple Refactoring

      5 questions

    • Dynamically Changing the Background Color

      3:51

    • Dynamically Changing the Background Color

      1 objective

    • Adding More Colors

      3:43

    • Using the New Colors

      3:42

    • Adding Colors

      1 objective

    • Adding an App Icon

      4:50

    • Adding an App Icon

      3 questions

    Testing and Debugging

    We can't always see what's going on behind the scenes of our app. In this stage we'll learn how to use a few tools to monitor how the Fun Facts app is working and to troubleshoot problems. We'll also see how to run it on a real phone.

    Chevron 9 steps
    • Toast Notifications

      4:42

    • Working with Toasts

      3 questions

    • The Android Log

      8:08

    • Writing to the Log

      2 objectives

    • Using the Debugger

      7:19

    • Using the Debugger

      5 questions

    • Running an App on a Device

      3:52

    • Running an App on a Device

      3 questions

    • Wrapping Up

      0:48