CHAPTER 1

ANDROID OPERATING SYSTEM AND DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT

OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Android Architecture
• Versions
• Features
• OHA
• Dalvik VM
OUTLINE

• Android SDK
• Android Development Tools
• Android Virtual Devices
• Development Environment
• Directory Structure of Android Application
• Android Manifest file
INTRODUCTION

• Android is a Linux based mobile operating system.

• Initially Android was available for mobile devices only.
• Later on android is also available for tablets,ware, big screen(TV),
automobile etc.
• Android was unveiled during 2007 along with the founding of the Open
Handset Alliance
INTRODUCTION

• Android applications are usually developed in the Java language using

the Android Software Development Kit.
• Once developed, Android applications can be packaged easily and sold
out either through a store such as Google Play, SlideME, Opera Mobile
Store, Mobango, F-droid and the Amazon Appstore.
• Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than
190 countries around the world. It's the largest installed base of any
mobile platform and growing fast.
• Every day more than 1 million new Android devices are activated
worldwide.
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Android OS is a software stack of different layers, where each layer is

a group of several program components.
• Android has the following layers:
1. Applications
2. Application Framework
3. Libraries
4. Android Runtime
5. Linux Kernel
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Applications :
• Written using Java Language
– Email Client
– SMS Program
– Maps
– Browser
– Calendar
– Contacts
• Supports Parallel running
• No compulsory applications
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Application Framework :
• The Application Framework layer provides many higher-level services
to applications in the form of Java classes.
• Application developers are allowed to make use of these
services in their applications.
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Application Framework :
• The Android framework includes the following
key services −
• Activity Manager − Controls all aspects of
the application lifecycle and activity stack.
• Content Providers − Allows applications to
publish and share data with other
applications.
• Resource Manager − Provides access to non-
code embedded resources such as strings,
color settings and user interface layouts.
• Notifications Manager − Allows
applications to display alerts and
notifications to the user.
• View System − An extensible set of views used
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Library:
• Useful to develop any third-party application.
• Native libraries are written in a language that compiles to native code
for the platform it run.
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Library:
1. SQLite - Responsible for Database Operation
2. Free Type - Font Support
3. Media F/W - Audio,Video Format
4. Open GL(Open Google Library) - 2D,3D Graphics Support
5. SSL - Encrypted Communication between Client and Server
6. SGL (Scalable Graphics Libraries)- For Basic Graphics Support
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Android Runtime:
• Android Runtime consists of Core Libraries and Dalvik Virtual Machine.
• Core Libraries are written in C/C++ languages. This libraries are
helpful for runtime environment. Some of the core libraries are Data
Structure, File Access, Network Access, Utilities and Graphics.
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

• Linux Kernal:
• Linux Kernel is a Root layer of android Architecture which is responsible
for device drivers(display, camera, Bluetooth, flash, web driver, usb,
keypad,wifi etc.)
• power management, memory management and resource
management.
ANDROID ARCHITECTURE (HOW ANDROID WORKS)
VERSIONS

Version Nickname Release Date

1.0 Android September 23,2008
1.1 Beta Android February 9,2009
1.5 Cupcake April 27,2009
1.6 Donut September 15,2009
Android 1.x mobiles only
Android 2.0/2.1 Éclair October 26,2009
2.2 – 2.2.3 Froyo May 20,2009
2.3 – 2.3.7 Gingerbred December 6,2010
Android 2.x is also designed for mobiles but from 2.x android started
supporting API.
- By using Google API android application can interact with Google
products such as Gmail, YouTube, google maps,
VERSIONS

Version Nickname Release Date

Android 3.0 – 3.2.6 Honey Comb February 22,2011
Android 3.x is specially designed for tablets. Started supporting
Fragments
Android 4.0 – 4.0.4 Ice-cream October 18,2011
Sandwich
4.1 – 4.3.1 Jellybean July 9,2012
4.4 – 4.4.4 KitKat October 31,2013
4.4.w supports for wearable devices like wrist-watch.
From 4.x android started supporting mobiles & tablets application.
It means single app can run in mobiles & tablets
VERSIONS

Version Nickname Release Date

5.0 – 5.1.1 Lollypop November 12,2014
Android 5.x designed for Big Screens ie. TV
Android 6.0 – 6.0.1 Marshmallow October 5,2015

Android 6.0 designed for Automobiles(speed of car, km)

Android 7.0 – 7.1.2 Nougat August 22,2016
8.0 – 8.1 Oreo August 21,2017
9.0 Pie August 6,2018
10.0 September 3,2019
11.0 September 8,2020
VERSIONS
ANDROID 1.0 TO 1.1(SEPTEMBER 23, 2008)

Features:
• Google Maps.
• Camera.
• Gmail, Contacts, and Google
Synchronization.
• Web Browser.
• Wireless supports – Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth.
BETA 1.1(FEBRUARY 9, 2009)

• released on February 9, 2009.

• Features:
– Add Save attachment in the message.
– Provides reviews and details when the user search business on maps.
ANDROID VERSION 1.5: CUPCAKE APRIL 30,
2009

Features:
• New upload service on YouTube and Picasa
like Uploading Videos and Photos.
• Supporting in MPEG-4, Video recording.
• Improving Web Browser-Copy and Paste
facility.
ANDROID VERSION 1.6: DONUT SEPTEMBER
15, 2009

Features:
• The main enhancement was a Power Control
widget for managing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS,
etc.
• Provided Gallery and Camera features with
quick toggling features.
• Improve the speed in system apps.
• Introduction of the Quick Search Box.
ANDROID VERSIONS 2.0 TO 2.1: ÉCLAIR
DECEMBER 3, 2009

Features:
• Update UI.
• Support Live Wallpaper.
• Support Bluetooth 2.1.
• Improve Google map.
• Minor API Changes.
ANDROID VERSION 2.2: FROYO MAY 20, 2010

Features:
• Support for Animated GIF.
• Wi-Fi Support Hotspot
functionality.
• Speed improvements.
• Upload file support in the
browser.
• Support numeric and
alphanumeric passwords.
ANDROID VERSION 2.3: GINGERBREAD
DECEMBER 6 2010

Features:
• Improve Copy-Paste Facility.
• Updated UI design.
• VP8 and WebM video format support.
• Social Networking Supports.
• Easy use of the keyboard.
• Multiple camera support (usually
known as a selfie camera nowadays).
ANDROID 3.0/3.1/3.2 – HONEYCOMB

Features:
• Gmail App improvements.
• Updated 3D UI.
• Supports multiprocessors and
hardware acceleration for
graphics.
• Media Sync from SD Card.
• Google eBooks.
• Google Talk Video Chat.
• Support Adobe Flash in Browser.
• High-performance Wi-Fi
Connections and Lock.
• Chinese handwriting.
ANDROID VERSION 4.0: ICE CREAM SANDWICH
OCTOBER 19, 2011

Features:
• Improved text input and spelling
check.
• Wi-Fi direct (Sharing information
using NFC).
• Photo Decor facility.
• Improved keyboard correction.
• Unlocking with face-fixing.
• Improved video recording
resolution.
• Camera performance.
• Up to 16 tabs in the web browser.
ANDROID VERSIONS 4.1 TO 4.3: JELLY BEAN

Features:
• Voice search.
• Panorama.
• Daydream as a screensaver.
• Power control.
• Improve camera application.
• Security enhancement.
• Voice typing.
• Multiple user accounts on tablets only.
• 4k resolution support.
• Supporting Bluetooth Low Energy.
• Bi-directional text and other language support.
• Support USB audio.
• Set the volume of incoming calls and show
a message alert.
• Native emoji support.
ANDROID VERSION 4.4: KITKAT SEPTEMBER 3,
2013.

Features:
• Screen Recording.
• KitKat adds a feature in ‘Google
now’. Its name is ‘OK Google’. “OK,
Google” allows access to Google to
the users without touching your
mobile phone.
• GPS Support.
• Offline music support.
• UI updates for google map
navigation and alarm.
• Introduction of ‘Emoji’ to the
google keyboard.
ANDROID VERSIONS 5.0 AND 5.1: LOLLIPOP
NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Features:
• Support ART( Android
Runtime).
• Improvement in UI.
• New material design.
• Notifications on the Lock
screen.
• Revamped navigation bar.
• Multiple sim card support.
• High definition voice call.
ANDROID VERSION 6.0: MARSHMALLOW

Features:
• Fingerprint
authentication to unlock
the screen.
• USB Type C support.
• Multi-window
experiments (user can
use two different apps
in one screen).
• Save battery-’Sleep
Mode’.
• App permission
model-OPT(send a
request for permission).
ANDROID VERSIONS 7.0 AND 7.1: NOUGAT
MARCH 2016

Features:
• Provide multitasking.
• Inline reply to messages
and notifications so you
won’t have to open up your
Messenger application for
quick replies.
• Providing multi-window
mode.
• Improvements in
storage manager.
• Display touch
improvement.
ANDROID VERSION 8.0 AND 8.1: OREO

Features:
• Support PIP(Picture-in-Picture).
• Multi-display support.
• Google Play support.
• Adaptive icons.
• Revamped notification section(Users can
set which notifications you want to show).
ANDROID VERSION 9: PIE AUGUST 2018.

Features:
• New Gesture Navigation.
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
Compatible.
• Adaptive Battery and
Brightness.
• App Actions.
• New Screenshot Shortcuts.
• Easier Screen Rotation.
• Volume and Sound
Improvement.
• Selectable Dark Mode.
• Slices.
• Improved Security Features.
• Digital Wellbeing.
• New Accessibility Menu.
ANDROID VERSION 10: ANDROID Q
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Features:
• Support for the upcoming foldable
smartphones with flexible displays
which is an upcoming rush.
• System-wide dark mode.
• Navigation control over gesture.
• Smart reply for all messaging apps.
• Support for Live caption.
• Better notification control.
 ANDROID VERSION 11 (DEVELOPER PREVIEW)
PREVIEW ON FEBRUARY 19 OF YEAR 2021.

• Features (announced):
– New Support for 5G.
– Privacy and Security; A new privacy choice for apps is the “Only This Time”
option when you’re allowing the app access to your location, microphone,
or camera.
– Support new screen types (pinhole and waterfall).
– Low Latency Options; adds low latency support in new MediaCodec APIs
and HDMI which is very useful for use on external displays and TVs.
FEATURES

• 1. Open Source: the original source code of android is available for

modifications.
• 2. Android OS is device independent.
• 3. Android OS supports NFC(Near Field Communication)– Transfer any
amount of data by simply touching the two devices.– Maintain less than
1 cm distance in between two devices.
• 4. Android OS supports IPC(Inter Process Communication)
• 5. By default Android OS is available with SQLite
FEATURES

• 6. Android OS supports for SSL(Secure Socket Layer)– TLS(Transport

Layer Security)– In SSL client & server interaction done in encrypted
mode.
• 7. Android OS will support Text to Speech and Speech to Text
conversion.
• 8. Android device can be controlled through voice commands.
• 9. Android supports all types of images, audio, video,different types of
languages, different types of fonts.
• 10. Android OS supports basic graphics and 2-D,3-D animation.
FEATURES

• 11. Supports Video calling.

• 12. External storage– Most Android devices include microSD slot and
can read microSD cards formatted with FAT32,Ext3 or Ext4 file system
OHA

• Open Handset Alliance(OHA) was formed in

November 2007.
• The OHA is the group that is in charge
of the Android Smartphone Operating
System. It was created by Google.
• The OHA is a business alliance that
consists of 47 companies for developing
open standard platform for mobile
devices.
• The members of OHA includes handset
manufactures, chip makers,
commercialization companies, software
companies and mobile operators.
DALVIK VM

• Runtime environment for running android application.

• JVM is used to run high-end applications while DVM is used for small-
end applications.
• DVM was first written by "Dan Bornstein“
• Unlike JVM, the DVM does not run .class files but it runs .dex files.
• .dex files are built from .class file at the time of compilation and
provide higher efficiency in row resource environments.
ANDROID SDK

• Android SDK is a software development kit developed by Google for

the Android platform.
• Android SDK comes bundled with Android Studio, Google's official
integrated development environment (IDE) for the Android operating
system
ANDROID SDK

• The Android SDK is a collection of software development tools and

libraries required to develop Android applications.
• Every time Google releases a new version of Android or an update, a
corresponding SDK is also released which developers must download
and install.
• The Android SDK comprises all the tools necessary to code programs
from scratch and even test them. These tools provide a smooth flow
of the development process from developing and debugging,
through to packaging.
• The Android SDK is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, so
you can develop on any of those platforms.
ANDROID SDK
ANDROID SDK

• To install the Android SDK from within Android Studio, first start
Android Studio.
• From the Android Studio start page, select Configure > SDK
Manager.
ANDROID SDK

• If you already have Android Studio open, the SDK Manager icon is
found on the top right corner, as shown below.
ANDROID SDK

• The Android SDK consists of an emulator, development tools, sample

projects with source code, Google API, and the required libraries to
build Android applications
ANDROID SDK

• Provided in the android.jar file that made up of several important

packages.
Top-Level Package Name Description
android.* Android application fundamentals
dalvik.* Dalvik Virtual machine support
fundamentals
java.* Core java classes and generic
utilities for networking,
security, math and so on
javax.* Encryption support
junit.* Unit-Testing support
org.apache.http.* HTTP Protocol support
org.json JavaScript Object Notation
Support
ANDROID SDK

Few Popular Third-Party Android APIs:

• Com.google.android.gms.ads.* = Google Mobile Ads SDK
Package.
• Com.google.android.gms.analytics.* = Google Analytics SDK for
Android Package.
• Com.google.android.gms.gcm = Google Cloud Messaging for Android.
• Com.google.android.gms.appindexing = Google App Indexing Package.
• Com.google.android.gms.appinvite = Google App Invites Package
• Com.google.android.gms.games = Google Play Games Services
Package
• Com.google.android.gms.fitness = Google Fit Package
ANDROID SDK

• Android SDK provides many tools to design, develop, debug and

deploy your applications.
– Android Studio
– Android SDK and AVD Managers
– Android Emulator
ANDROID VIRTUAL DEVICES

• An Android Virtual Device (AVD) is a configuration that defines the

characteristics of an Android device you want to simulate in the
Android Emulator. This includes the device's hardware profile, system
image, storage area, skin, and other properties
ANDROID VIRTUAL DEVICES

• Key Components of AVD

• Hardware Profile: Defines the characteristics of a device as shipped from the factory.
The Device Manager in Android Studio comes pre-loaded with certain hardware profiles,
such as Pixel devices, and you can define or customize the hardware profiles as needed 1
.
• System Image: A system image labeled with Google APIs includes access to Google
Play services. The API level of the target device is crucial because your app doesn't run
on a system image with an API level lower than the one required by your app1.
• Storage Area: The AVD has a dedicated storage area on your development machine. It
stores the device user data, such as installed apps and settings, as well as an emulated
SD card1.
• Skin: An emulator skin specifies the appearance of a device. The Device Manager
provides some predefined skins, and you can also define your own or use skins provided
by third parties
ANDROID VIRTUAL DEVICES

• Creating and Managing AVDs

• To create a new AVD, you can use the Device Manager in Android Studio.
Here are the steps:
• Open the Device Manager.
• Click "Create Device."
• Select a hardware profile and click "Next."
• Select the system image for a particular API level and click "Next."
• Change the AVD properties as needed and click "Finish"
ANDROID VIRTUAL DEVICES

• Advantages of Using AVD

• Testing and Debugging: The Android emulator provides almost all
the functionality of a real device, making it easier to test and debug
applications without needing physical hardware.
• Predefined Configurations: The emulator comes with predefined
configurations for several Android phones, Wear OS, tablet, and
Android TV devices.
• Faster Data Transfer: Transferring data to the emulator is faster than
to a real device connected through USB.
ANDROID VIRTUAL DEVICES

• Limitations of AVD
• Performance: Emulators can be slower compared to actual physical
devices.
• Accuracy: Testing on an emulator is not as accurate as using a real
device, especially for network and hardware-related activities.
• In summary, an AVD is a powerful tool for Android developers, allowing
them to simulate various Android devices and test their applications in
a controlled environment
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• Android Studio is the official IDE
(Integrated Development Environment)
developed by the JetBrains community
which is freely provided by Google for
android app development. After completing
the setup of Android Architecture we can
create an android application in the studio.
We need to create a new project for each
sample application and we should
understand the folder structure. It looks
like this:
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• The android project contains different types of app modules, source code files, and
resource files. We will explore all the folders and files in the android app.
1. Manifests Folder
2. Java Folder
3. res (Resources) Folder
• Drawable Folder
• Layout Folder
• Mipmap Folder
• Values Folder

4. Gradle Scripts
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• Manifests Folder
• Manifests folder contains AndroidManifest.xml for creating our
android application. This file contains information about our application
such as the Android version, metadata, states package for Kotlin file,
and other application components. It acts as an intermediator between
android OS and our application.
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• Java folder
• The Java folder contains all the java and
Kotlin source code (.java) files that we
create during the app development,
including other Test files. If we create
any new project using Kotlin, by default
the class file MainActivity.kt file will
create automatically under the package
name
“com.geeksforgeeks.myfirstkotlinapp”
as shown below.
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• Resource (res) folder
• The resource folder is the most
important folder because it
contains all the non-code
sources like images, XML
layouts, and UI strings for our
android application.
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• res/drawable folder
It contains the different types of images used for the development of
the application. We need to add all the images in a drawable folder for
the application development.

• res/layout folder
The layout folder contains all XML layout files which we used to define
the user interface of our application.
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• res/mipmap folder\
This folder contains launcher.xml files to define icons that are used to
show on the home screen. It contains different density types of icons
depending upon the size of the device such as hdpi, mdpi, xhdpi.

• res/values folder
Values folder contains a number of XML files like strings, dimensions,
colors, and style definitions.
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE OF ANDROID
APPLICATION
• Gradle Scripts folder
• Gradle means automated build system
and it contains a number of files that are
used to define a build configuration that
can be applied to all modules in our
application. In build.gradle (Project) there
are buildscripts and in build.gradle
(Module) plugins and implementations
are used to build configurations that can
be applied to all our application modules.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• Every project in Android includes a Manifest XML file, which

is AndroidManifest.xml, located in the root directory of its project
hierarchy. The manifest file is an important part of our app because it
defines the structure and metadata of our application, its components,
and its requirements.
• This file includes nodes for each of the Activities, Services,
Content Providers, and Broadcast Receivers that make the
application, and using Intent Filters and Permissions determines how
they coordinate with each other and other applications.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 1. manifest
• The main component of the
AndroidManifest.xml file is known
as manifest. Additionally, the
packaging field describes the
activity class’s package name. It
must contain an <application>
element with the xmlns:android
and package attribute specified.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 2. uses-sdk
• It is used to define a minimum and
maximum SDK version by means of an API
Level integer that must be available on a
device so that our application functions
properly, and the target SDK for which it
has been designed using a combination of
minSdkVersion, maxSdkVersion, and
targetSdkVersion attributes, respectively. It
is contained within the <manifest>
element.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 3. uses-permission
• It outlines a system permission that
must be granted by the user for the
app to function properly and is
contained within the <manifest>
element. When an application is
installed (on Android 5.1 and lower
devices or Android 6.0 and higher),
the user must grant the application
permissions.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 4. application
• A manifest can contain only one application node.
It uses attributes to specify the metadata for your
application (including its title, icon, and theme).
During development, we should include a
debuggable attribute set to true to enable
debugging, then be sure to disable it for your
release builds. The application node also acts as a
container for the Activity, Service, Content
Provider, and Broadcast Receiver nodes that
specify the application components. The name of
our custom application class can be specified
using the android:name attribute.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 5. uses-library
• It defines a shared library against
which the application must be
linked. This element instructs the
system to add the library’s code to
the package’s class loader. It is
contained within the <application>
element.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 6. activity
• The Activity sub-element of an application
refers to an activity that needs to be specified
in the AndroidManifest.xml file. It has various
characteristics, like label, name, theme,
launchMode, and others. In the manifest file,
all elements must be represented
by <activity>. Any activity that is not
declared there won’t run and won’t be visible
to the system. It is contained within the
<application> element.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 7. intent-filter
• It is the sub-element of activity that
specifies the type of intent to which the
activity, service, or broadcast receiver
can send a response. It allows the
component to receive intents of a
certain type while filtering out those
that are not useful for the component.
The intent filter must contain at least
one <action> element.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 8. action
• It adds an action for the intent-
filter. It is contained within the
<intent-filter> element.
• 9. category
• It adds a category name to an
intent-filter. It is contained
within the <intent-filter>
element.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 10. uses-configuration
• The uses-configuration components
are used to specify the combination
of input mechanisms that are
supported by our application. It is
useful for games that require
particular input controls.
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 11. uses-features
• It is used to specify which hardware
features your application requires.
This will prevent our application
from being installed on a device
that does not include a required
piece of hardware such as NFC
hardware, as follows:
ANDROID MANIFEST FILE

• 12. permission
• It is used to create permissions to
restrict access to shared
application components. We can
also use the existing platform
permissions for this purpose or
define your own permissions in the
manifest.