Android Archives

Mobile Apps

Exporting a Java Library to a Xamarin.Forms Android Project

To incorporate the platform-specific SDK methods, we had to export Java code (for Android) as libraries and then import them into a Xamarin.Forms project.

Mobile Apps

A Quick Android Snackbar Tutorial: Setup, Action Handling, and UI Customization

Snackbars show lightweight feedback to users and are easy to set up. This tutorial shows a basic case, action handling, and UI customization for Android.

Android Development

Sending Data Between Activities in Android

In this post, I’ll discuss a few ways to pass data between Activities using Intents, including passing primitives, Strings, and object types.

Developer Tools

IDE Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen

Text editors are great at just that–editing text. For large projects, I would recommend looking into an IDE. You might be surprised what you discover.

Android Development

Espresso – Testing RecyclerViews at Specific Positions

Tips and tools for writing comprehensive Espresso tests for an interface that uses a RecyclerView on Android.

Planning Your Project

Developing a Mobile App? Some Numbers You’ll Need to Know

Are you thinking about developing a mobile app? Here are current mobile phone statistics and resources for up-to-date numbers.

Android Development

Getting Scala with Akka Actors Working on Android

Akka can be tricky to get working on Android. I found a ProGuard configuration that made it work for me using Scala.

Ruby

RubyFlux – Statically Compile Ruby to Java

RubyFlux statically compiles Ruby into Java. It has awesome performance and runs everywhere Java does with no runtime dependencies, but it isn't done yet.

UX/Design Practices

Where Is the Offline View Pattern?

Many mobile apps try to bridge a connected and offline experience. This inevitably leads devs to common practices when dealing with data and views.

Android Development

Android App Test File Distribution with Dropbox

Android apps have so many different devices they should run on, but how do you share the APK files with other devices? Dropbox to the rescue!

Android Development

Building Android Application Bundles (APKs) by Hand

The platform documentation for building an Android APK is sparse. Here's a complete example of how to build an APK for yourself if you should require it.

Mobile Apps

The Cost of Building BlackBerry Apps

In most cases, a BlackBerry app delivers less value per development dollar than a similarly featured iPhone or Android app.