Chapter 2. Getting Started
WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?
How to install the Android SDK, create a development environment, and debug your projects.
Understanding mobile design considerations and the importance of optimizing for speed and efficiency and designing for small screens and mobile data connections.
Using Android Virtual Devices, the emulator, and developer tools.
All you need to start writing your own Android applications is a copy of the Android SDK and the Java development kit. Unless you're a masochist, you'll probably want a Java IDE — Eclipse is particularly well supported — to make development a little easier.
Versions of the SDK, Java, and Eclipse are available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, so you can explore Android from the comfort of whatever OS you favor. The SDK tools and emulator work on all three OS environments, and because Android applications are run on a virtual machine, there's no advantage to developing from any particular operating system.
Android code is written with Java syntax, and the core Android libraries include most of the features from the core Java APIs. Before they can be run, though, your projects must first be translated into Dalvik byte code. As a result, you get the benefits of using Java while your applications have the advantage of running on a virtual machine optimized for mobile devices.
The SDK download includes all the Android libraries, full documentation, and excellent sample applications. It also includes tools to help you write and debug ...
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