Unit 1: Introduction to Android

1. Introduction to Android

●​ Android is an open-source, Linux-based operating system for touchscreen

devices.
●​ Developed by Android Inc. in 2003 and acquired by Google in 2005.
●​ Launched in 2008 to offer a flexible platform for mobile app development.
●​ Competes with iOS; contributed to the decline of Blackberry OS.

Links:

●​ https://www.androidauthority.com/history-android-os-name-789433/
●​ https://www.velvetech.com/blog/brief-history-android-software-development/

2. Android Development Environment

●​ Android Studio: Official IDE for Android app development.

●​ Programming Languages: Java and Kotlin.
●​ Android SDK: Includes tools, libraries, and APIs for development.
●​ Emulator/Virtual Device: Used for app testing without physical devices.

3. Android SDK Components

●​ Tools: Debugging, building, and automation tools.

●​ APIs: Access device features like camera, GPS, and sensors.
●​ Platform Tools: ADB (Android Debug Bridge), fastboot.
●​ System Images: For testing across Android versions.

Links:

●​ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-sdk-and-its-components/
●​ https://amorserv.com/insights/understanding-android-sdk-a-comprehensive-guide
●​ https://www.tutorialspoint.com/android-sdk-and-its-components
4. Open Handset Alliance (OHA)

●​ Formed in 2007 by Google and other tech companies.

●​ Aims to accelerate innovation in mobile devices with open standards.

Links:

●​ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Handset_Alliance

5. Android Development Framework

●​ Linux Kernel: Handles core system operations.

●​ Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL): Connects hardware with software.
●​ Android Runtime (ART): Executes app code efficiently.
●​ Libraries: SQLite, WebKit, OpenGL for app functionality.
●​ Application Framework: Manages UI, resources, and app behavior.
●​ Applications: Pre-installed and third-party apps.

Links:

●​ https://developer.android.com/guide/platform
●​ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-architecture/

6. Application Fundamentals

●​ Core Components:
○​ Activities: UI screens.
○​ Services: Background tasks.
○​ Broadcast Receivers: Respond to system-wide broadcasts.
○​ Content Providers: Share data between apps.
●​ Manifest File: Declares components and required permissions.
●​ Resources: XML files for UI design, strings, layouts, and images.

7. Device Compatibility

●​ Supports various screen sizes, resolutions, and hardware configurations.

 ●​ Uses adaptable layouts and screen densities (mdpi, hdpi, xhdpi).

Links:

●​ https://developer.android.com/guide/practices/compatibility
●​ https://source.android.com/docs/compatibility/overview

8. System Permissions

●​ Apps need permissions to access sensitive features (camera, location).

●​ Permissions are declared in the AndroidManifest.xml and may need user
approval.

Links:

●​ https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/permissions/overview
●​ https://medium.com/@zorbeytorunoglu/permissions-on-android-e75b7da3fc8f

9. Anatomy of an Android Application

●​ Code (Java/Kotlin): Handles app logic.

●​ Resources (res/): Contains layouts, images, and strings.
 ●​ App Components: Activities, Services, Intent, Content Providers, Broadcast
receivers.
●​ Manifest File: Defines app components and permissions.
●​ Gradle Build Files: Automates builds and manages dependencies.

Links: Directory Structure:

●​ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/android-project-folder-structure/
●​ https://developer.android.com/build/android-build-structure

10. Android Development Tools

●​ Android Studio: Integrated development and debugging environment.

●​ Gradle: Automates builds and dependency management.
●​ ADB: Debugging tool for device communication.
●​ Emulator: Virtual device for testing apps.
●​ Layout Editor: Drag-and-drop UI designer.

​
Room Database vs. SQLite

Feature RoomDB SQLite

Type ORM (Object Relational Mapping) Relational Database

Ease of Use Simple APIs Requires raw SQL

queries

Performance Optimized queries Slightly slower

Compile-time Checks Yes No

Links:

●​ http://amitraikwar.medium.com/getting-started-with-room-database-in-android-fa1
ca23ce21e
●​ https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage/sqlite

Unit 2: Mobility and Android Fundamentals

1. Mobility Landscape

Mobile Network

●​ Cellular Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G for voice and data transmission.
●​ Wi-Fi & Bluetooth: Short-range communication for data transfer and
connectivity.
●​ NFC (Near Field Communication): Enables contactless payments and data
exchange.

Mobile Devices

●​ Smartphones, tablets, wearables (smartwatches, fitness bands).

●​ Designed for portability, real-time connectivity, and diverse applications.

Mobile Operating Systems

●​ Android: Open-source, Linux-based OS by Google.

●​ iOS: Proprietary OS by Apple, focused on security and performance.
●​ Other OS: KaiOS (feature phones), HarmonyOS (Huawei).

Types of Mobile Applications

1.​ Native Apps – Built for a specific OS (Android/iOS) using platform-specific

languages (Java/Kotlin for Android, Swift for iOS).
2.​ Web Apps – Browser-based apps that don’t require installation (e.g.,
Progressive Web Apps - PWAs).
 3.​ Hybrid Apps – Combination of native and web apps using frameworks like
Flutter, React Native.
4.​ Cloud-Based Apps – Apps that rely on cloud servers for processing and storage
(e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).
5.​ Edge Computing Apps – Apps that process data locally on the device to reduce
latency and improve efficiency.

Evolution of Mobility

●​ 1G (1980s): Analog voice calls.

●​ 2G (1990s): Digital communication with SMS and MMS.
●​ 3G (2000s): Mobile internet and multimedia streaming.
●​ 4G (2010s): High-speed internet, HD streaming, cloud computing.
●​ 5G (2020s): Ultra-low latency, IoT expansion, AI-driven applications.

Importance of Mobility

●​ Global Connectivity: Enables seamless communication and access to digital

services.
●​ Business Growth: Mobile apps drive e-commerce, banking, and remote work.
●​ IoT Integration: Smart home devices, connected cars, and wearables.
●​ Healthcare & Education: Telemedicine, e-learning, and remote monitoring.

Links:

●​ https://www.scribd.com/document/706493168/The-mobility-landscape-1
●​ https://www.studocu.com/in/document/chitkara-university/computer-science-engi
neering/the-mobility-landscape/83658069
●​ https://www.biz4solutions.com/blog/what-is-mobility-in-app-development-key-insi
ghts/

2. Android Terminologies
Activity

●​ A single screen in an Android application representing the UI.

●​ Example: Login screen, home screen, settings page.

Services

●​ Background processes that do not have a UI.

●​ Example: Playing music, syncing data, fetching location.

Intent

●​ Messaging mechanism to navigate between components or apps.

●​ Explicit Intent: Directly specifies the target component (e.g., open a new
activity).
●​ Implicit Intent: Requests an action from another app (e.g., opening a web page).

Link:

●​ https://developer.android.com/guide/components/intents-filters
●​ https://www.topcoder.com/thrive/articles/introduction-to-intent-in-android

Broadcast Receiver

●​ Listens for system-wide events like battery low, network change, SMS received.
●​ Example: Triggering an action when the device boots up.

Content Provider

●​ Allows data sharing between applications.

●​ Example: Contacts, media files, calendar events.

3. Context in Android
A handle to the global environment of an Android application, used to access resources,
manage application state, and interact with system components.

Application Context

●​ Global context available throughout the app’s lifecycle.

●​ Used for tasks like accessing resources, starting services, and managing
databases.

Activity Context

●​ Tied to a specific activity and exists as long as the activity is alive.

●​ Used for UI-related operations like dialogs, toasts, and view inflation.

Links:

●​ https://medium.com/@huseyinozkoc/what-is-the-context-in-android-b3c8ff5
918ba
●​ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-context-in-android/

4. Activity and its Lifecycle

Lifecycle Methods

1.​ onCreate() – Initializes the activity.

2.​ onStart() – Makes the activity visible.
3.​ onResume() – User interacts with the activity.
4.​ onPause() – Activity is partially visible.
5.​ onStop() – Activity is no longer visible.
6.​ onDestroy() – Cleans up resources before activity is removed.
Lifecycle Management

●​ Save user data in onPause().

●​ Release memory-intensive resources in onDestroy().
 ●​ Restart services or refresh data in onStart().

Links:

●​ https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/activity-lifecycle
●​ https://medium.com/@ranjeet123/android-activity-lifecycle-in-detail-eaf2931a1b3
7

5. Services and its Types

A background process in Android that performs long-running operations without a user

interface, such as music playback, data syncing, or notifications.

Types of Services

1.​ Foreground Service – Actively runs with user interaction (e.g., music player,
fitness tracker).
2.​ Background Service – Runs without user interaction (e.g., data sync, fetching
location).
3.​ Bound Service – Allows components (activities, other services) to bind and
interact with it (e.g., media playback service).

Links:

●​ https://developer.android.com/develop/background-work/services
●​ https://medium.com/@fierydinesh/understanding-service-and-intentservice-in-an
droid-with-kotlin-cea76512ec16
●​ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/services-in-android-with-example/