XXI Century. The era of digital technology and the Internet. Reality is becoming more and more virtual. Today, almost every first resident of any developed country does not part with a smartphone. And if some prefer fashionable Iphone and IOS operating system, then most of them use Android devices. After all, they are cheaper and the choice of applications is much richer. And to create such applications, you need specially trained people called programmers. What do you need to know and be able to immerse yourself in Android programming?
Development tools
Development requires special knowledge, and tools are also required.
The first thing you need is a working laptop or desktop computer. Only it should not be very ancient. The choice in favor of a laptop is justified by the fact that you can study and practice in any convenient place.
In order to test creations, you need a smartphone with the Android operating system. The version of the system must be at least the penultimate. This is important, because the speed of development of new gadgets and software is just crazy, different updates are released every day, the application being developed should work equally well on both old and new devices. Programming Android applications requires constant monitoring of the latest technology news.
Installing the necessary software
Before starting development, drivers for the smartphone should be installed on the computer. This is if Windows is installed on the computer. Other systems do without special drivers. Look for them better on the official website of the device manufacturer. If during the programming process questions arise (and they will arise constantly), then you need access to the Internet. Android development takes place in the program "Android Studio". It is downloaded from the official site. Developed by Google.
Which sources to choose?
When training, you absolutely do not need to read absolutely all sources of information, take all courses and lessons from the World Wide Web and watch all videos. You must be able to find the correct and relevant information. Android programming is this: what was new year ago is outdated today. If training takes place under the guidance of a person, then this teacher should be a master of his craft. A bad programmer will not teach anything, after the time spent will have to relearn again.
Which book to choose? The book from the Head First series “Programming for Android” has proven itself well. It describes the whole process in an accessible form for a beginner. The authors chose not a boring and monotonous, but a humorous manner of presentation of the material with a lot of interesting tasks.
Programming language
The main language in which applications are developed is Java. Therefore, you need to know it at least at the initial level in order to make Android programming easy. Without knowledge of Java, nothing will come of it. This is one of the most popular programming languages around the world. It is much easier to learn than the C and C ++ languages. Java is strongly typed, and it will inculcate good coding styles. To learn this language, there is also a book from Head First. Programming for Android will be mastered by anyone. The main thing is that there is motivation.
Motivation and ways to learn
For starters, you can start with 15 minutes a day. If it is addictive, then gradually add 5 minutes. At first, there is no need for hours of sitting at the computer. Only professionals can do this. Yes, and desire may disappear.
It’s more interesting to do programming alone. You can find anyone among friends. If there are none, then there is always the Internet. Social networks and forums will help you find like-minded people. And such a group of programming fans in the future can turn into a large international corporation.
At first, you can view someone else's code and try to understand it, make some of your own changes. Sources can always be found in the public domain. Then you can come up with an application for a friend or someone from your family and try to implement it. Even a fully functioning simple calculator, written by yourself, will please a beginner. Further, you can complicate the task. The most important thing is to practice daily. Theory is good, but without practice, they don't become programmers.
There is one good trick when studying: when passing through a new topic, try to explain it to another person. If he understands, then the goal has been achieved and the topic has been mastered.
There may come a time when you want to quit Android programming. There are always difficulties, but there is no need to lose heart. No need to chase professionals, the main thing is that classes are regular, and over time, the level will definitely improve, and the difficulties will seem ridiculous. In the end, programming is very interesting and, as a complement, profitable and promising. Indeed, now even for the functioning of the kettle you need to write a program.