Beginning Android Intro
In this course, you will set up Android Studio on your computer and create a design layout for Android application using XML. After you’ve completed this course, you will have completed part of the Android Basics Nanodegree by Google.
在這門課要先安裝 Android Studio，我們會用 XML 去刻畫面。
Why Take This Course?
If you're a consumer of technology, this course will help you to become a creator of technology. You are only limited by your imagination!
Android powers over 80 percent of the world’s smartphones, and represents an incredible opportunity for developers everywhere. The next billion people coming online will interact with the internet for the very first time on a mobile device. Building for Android gives you the best opportunity to reach these users and make an impact -- both in your community, and on the world.
Android 手機系統的市佔率約 8成，這對開發者來說充滿著機會，你有很好的機會去接觸使用者。
Prerequisites and Requirements
If you are new to programming and don’t know where to start, then this is the course for you!
We will use Android Studio to build our apps, so you should have access to a computer that can run Android Studio in order to follow along (see Android Studio's System Requirements for details). Don’t worry, you do not need to install Android Studio in advance -- we will provide detailed installation instructions as part of the course.
Finally, the most important prerequisite is a willingness to learn new things, and belief that you can do this!
如果你是個準備學寫程式的新手，這課程相當適合你。我們會用 Android Stuidio 創建 App，所以你的電腦需要可以跑 Android Studio，你可以先確定一下安裝 Android Stuidio 的系統需求。現在還不用急著裝，接下來會講到安裝步驟。最後最重要的是要相信自己並且願意學習新事物。
Syllabus
Building layouts
Take your hand drawn app designs and lay them out on the phone screen. In this lesson you’ll learn the XML markup language used to lay out Android applications. You’ll create views, the basic building block of Android layouts, that display text and images. Then you’ll position your text and images on these screens. This highly interactive lesson encourages experimentation through coding challenges in Udacity’s XML Visualizer.
Practice Set: Building Layouts
Create a birthday card application for your phone. You’ll start by installing Android Studio, a program used by professional developers to make Android applications. You’ll then transfer a simple application you create from your computer to your phone. Following that, you’ll take all the concepts you learned in Lesson 1 to build your birthday card app, and install it on your phone for your friends and family to see.
Coffee Break Challenges
Practice your XML skills with this fun optional challenge
Android Tips and Tricks
You will be taking the Part One of Android Development for Beginners with Kunal and Katherine. While you won’t be learning Java in this section, you will be setting up Android Studio and using XML. Before you dive in, familiarize yourself with some useful resources that will support you in your journey with learning Android programming.
Android Studio
One of the best parts about developing for Android is that the necessary tools are free and easy to obtain. The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) is available to download free-of-charge, as is Android Studio, the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Android app development. Android Studio is the main program with which developers write code and assemble their apps from various packages and libraries. The Android SDK includes sample code, software libraries, handy coding tools, and much more to help you build, test, and debug Android applications. Another highlight of developing for Android is how easy it is to submit apps. Once you’re ready to submit your app to the Google Play store, register for a Google Play publisher account (which includes paying a $25 fee via Google Wallet), follow Android’s launch checklist, submit through the Google Play Developer Console, wait for Google to approve, and see it appear. Simple and satisfying.
XML
Programmers use XML, short for EXtensible Markup Language, to describe data. XML helps professional Android developers do tasks like designing user interface (UI) layouts and parsing data feeds from the internet. Much of what you’ll need XML for can be done through Android Studio, but it’s constructive to be grounded in the basics of the markup language.
With these additional resources under your belt, let's get started!