Android Phone App Development
Android is a fast growing mobile phone platform used on a wide variety of handsets. The Android Market app store is packed with many different types of application, some available for free and some for a set price. Development tools for Android are freely available for download, so anyone with the interest can develop an Android app, although there are some costs involved in releasing through the Android Market.
Development Tools The main tools for developing Android apps are designed to be used with the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment, which is a general IDE for Java applications. Eclipse is free to download, as are the tools necessary to build and test Android applications. The required tools include the Android Software Development Kit and the Android Developer Tools. These provide everything necessary to develop Android applications, including programming, designing, compiling, testing and exporting final applications.
User Interface Android user interface design uses XML layouts. The Eclipse tools provide graphic visualizations for designing Android application interfaces, but there are also additional tools being developed by other parties and organizations that can be used by Android developers to create designs. A number of layout types are provided within the Android framework, including linear, tabular and relative styles. Guidelines are also provided for icons and graphics which are displayed in various locations on the market and in phone menus.
Testing The Android tools for Eclipse include an emulator for various types of Android devices, including phones. This allows developers to see how their Android apps will perform with different hardware and versions of the platform installed. Developers can emulate devices with different screen sizes, user controls and functionality, as well as those with old and new versions of the Android operating system installed. Developers are also encouraged to test their apps on actual devices.
Publishing Developers can export Android applications as Android Packages, or APK files, which can then be run on Android devices. However, in order to release an Android app for publishing through the Android Market, it must also be "signed" and "versioned" correctly. Applications are given appropriate version numbers within their Android Manifest XML file so that they can be released through the market. Signing is also carried out through Eclipse in conjunction with signing tools such as Jarsigner and Keytool.
Downloads When releasing apps through the Android Market, developers can choose whether to charge a price or allow their apps to be downloaded for free. Some developers opt to use in-app marketing as an alternative way to generate income from their applications. There is an initial fee to join the Android Market as a developer, then any paid applications are subject to a 30% transaction fee, so developers receive 70% of the sales income for their apps.
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