Ask yourself...how do you learn best? Well, like most programmers, you may well prefer to have a solid, real app that you can tear apart and analyze bit by bit. Featured on phones like the Google Nexus One, the Motorola Droid, the Samsung Galaxy S, a variety of HTC phones, and the many Android-based tablet computers, Android is a powerful, full-featured, open source mobile platform that is ready for discovery, use, and creative programming.

This Android Projects book provides you first with a brief and concise introduction to the Android platform. It then dives right into setting up the Android SDK. Starting from scratch, you will learn how to set up the tools and configure Eclipse and Netbeans with their appropriate Android plug-ins on top of the Android SDK. From there you will be building and extending fun and creative mobile applications using the Android SDK, Java, and other languages such as Python, Ruby, Javascript/HTML, Flex/AIR, and Lua.

What you’ll learn The quickest way to get a working Android virtual device up and running your code Key Android platform architecture concepts and application principles Build, debug, and sign your Java Android apps with the SDK tools, Eclipse, and Netbeans Code for an open, accessible, component-based, mobile, and powerful computing platform Code Android applications with open web development technologies for maximum cross-platform compatibility Code Android applications with Python, Ruby, Javascript/HTML, and Flex Extend Android Java application code with free and open source scripting languages Develop Android applications that interact with social web applications Get up and running with Android graphics and game development Who this book is for Any developer new to the Android platform who wants to learn to build mobile applications using the Android SDK, Java, and other languages such as Python, Ruby, Javascript/HTML, Flex, and Lua. Knowledge of the fundamentals of Java programming is assumed. Table of Contents Introducing Android Roll your own Android scripting environment Hosting open source JVM extension scripting languages on Android Beginning Android scripting with Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A) How to interact with a third party web API using REST Beginning Android development with Rhodes and Ruby Programming an Android GUI: Javascript/HTML and Flex with AIR Practical Approach: Android and Google App Engine Android and Social Media: Facebook and Twitter Game Development: Graphics Game Development: Animations App Inventor Setup and Sample Project