Chapter 1. Introduction

This book is about writing real-world applications for the Android platform primarily using the Python language and a little bit of JavaScript. While there is nothing wrong with Java, it really is overkill when all you need to do is turn on or off a handful of settings on your Android device. The Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A) project was started to meet that specific need. This book will introduce you to SL4A and give you the power to automate your Android device in ways you never thought possible.

Why SL4A?

One of the first questions you probably have about this book is, "Why would I want to use SL4A instead of Java?" There are several answers to that question. One is that not everyone is a fan of Java. The Java language ...

Get Pro Android Python with SL4A now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.