MAP524/DPS924 Lecture 3
Android Development Building Blocks (Components)
This week we're looking at the primary components used for building an Android app. We're finally starting to write code. But first we'll need an overview of:
- Activity: see below.
- Intent: a messaging object you can use to request an action from another app component. One of the primary ways to do IPC on Android. See overview on Android developers.
- Broadcast Receiver: Enable applications to receive intents that are broadcast by the system or by other applications. See ths BroadcastReceiver tutorial.
- Service: an application component representing either an application's desire to perform a longer-running operation while not interacting with the user or to supply functionality for other applications to use.
- Event handling: See this nice Android Event Handling tutorial
- Event Listener: a class specialized that contains a single callback method.
- Event Handler: the actual method that handles the event.
- Easiest way (if available) is to register the event handler via the layout xml file.
Adapter
an object that acts as a bridge between an AdapterView and the underlying data for that view. The Adapter provides access to the data items. Layout
defines the visual structure for a user interface.
Fragment
created using an XML layout file that looks like a sub-layout and behaves like a sub-activity. Content Provider
manages access to a central repository of data. Menu
a visual component used to provide actions or options to an activity. Resource
an additional file and static content that your code uses, such as bitmaps, layout definitions, user interface strings, animation instructions, and more. Notification
a news channel that alerts the user to important events as they happen or a log that chronicles events while the user is not paying attention. Preference
application or user specific setting.
Application Manifest
XML based file that the application outlines the activities, services, broadcast receivers, data providers and permissions that make up the complete application. Application Context
consists of a class named R containing references to resources and the manifest file.