Java

Android apps are developed with Java—one of the world’s most widely used programming languages. Java was a logical choice for the Android platform, because it’s powerful, free, open source and millions of developers already know it. Experienced Java programmers can quickly dive into Android development, using Google’s Android APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and others available from third parties.

Java is object oriented and has access to extensive class libraries that help you develop powerful apps quickly. GUI programming in Java is event driven—in this book, you’ll write apps that respond to various user-initiated events such as screen touches. In addition to directly programming portions of your apps, you’ll also use the Eclipse and Android Studio IDEs to conveniently drag and drop predefined objects such as buttons and textboxes into place on your screen, and label and resize them. Using these IDEs, you can create, run, test and debug Android apps quickly and conveniently.