For once I agree with IV. Learn some sort of programming language on a desktop first. Java is easy to learn, or Qt ( http://qt.nokia.com/ ). (Unfortunately PCs no longer come with a viable Basic interpreter, as that was one of the best intro languages.) Start with an "Idiots Guide" type book and work up. With either Java or Qt you can produce some interesting and useful desktop apps, do fancy graphics, play with HTTP protocols, play with databases, etc. (And with those skills you can break into other areas of programming besides phones -- areas that probably provide more opportunities than phones do.)
(I do disagree with IV on the Patterns and MVP/MVC stuff -- to me it seems like yet another attempt to "cookbook" programming, and no more likely to provide lasting value than the previous 200 schemes.) (And, as I've said several times here, unfortunately there are no good books on Android. And getting to be fewer and fewer on other languages as well -- it's all going the "tutorial" route, which teaches you nothing other than how to pirate code little bits at a time.) On Sep 22, 1:39 am, Indicator Veritatis <[email protected]> wrote: > Are you "fairly new to developing", or fairly new to developing on > Android? If you don't know Java, learning Android is going to be > needlessly frustrating. You should at least know Java at the level of > the "Trails Covering the Basics" athttp://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/ > before trying Android: you certainly need to know more than just about > variables, primitives and "a few other things. You need to know about > classes and interfaces. Even Patterns, especially the Model-View- > Presenter pattern, Factory pattern and Factory Method pattern. > > But you can skim the trails on Swing and Deployment. There are lots of > analogies between Android SDK and Swing, so some acquaintance with > Swing is helfpul, but you don't need to know it really well. > Deployment is even less relevant. > > There are also other Java tutorials that are written to be directed at > novice programmers: but I don't have the URL for any of them handy. If > that is what you need, you should Google it yourself. > > Finally, yes, your comment about the tutorials simply presenting the > code is a real problem. To some extent, the Sun tutorials have the > same problem. It's the new trend. But that is why people pay good > money for introductory books that go into more detail; some even have > useful exercises. Those that don't rely on you to invent your own. > > On Sep 16, 4:06 pm, Se-An-1 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I'm a fairly new to developing. Really new. Actually, I'm taking my > > first class in-school this year on how to program for Windows. However > > I'm only 4 weeks into it so I know only the very basics. Variables, > > Primitives and a few other things. But that's a separate story (but > > still helps you understand where I come from). > > > Anyways, I finally got Eclipse and the SDK working together and I have > > been going through some of the tutorials on developing for Androids. > > I think I'm mostly lost because I barely understand any of the > > concepts told. I do have some questions though that may help me if > > answered. > > > 1. Since this is open source, can I find XML that has already been > > created and just tweak a few settings to fit my needs? Can these just > > be found on the Android Developer site? > > 2. How am I supposed to find the code I'm looking for? I understand > > there is packages and classes but it is overwhelming on how much there > > is and where to go when I get an error. > > 3. I feel like the tutorials teach me nothing because all I'm really > > doing is pasting code that they already made. Is this really the best > > way to learn? > > 4. I'm thinking of making an app like the Car Dock but with my own > > shortcuts. Can you create shortcuts to other apps using XML? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
