With the release of Google’s Nexus and other Android-based smartphones becoming more prevalent, more developers are making the move to Android development. If Android is your OS of choice, you won’t want to miss this guide to getting started with Android development.
Most Android developers use Java for development, with many choosing the Eclipse plug-in that Google supports. Because of the openness of the Android platform, developers are free to use other IDEs, including NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA or even a plain text editor. Unlike the iPhone, Android apps can be installed via a USB cable or through the Android Market, which doesn’t place any restrictions on which apps are available there, provided the developer has paid the $25 registration fee. Android is indeed an open platform.
Developing an application for Android is much like developing an application for any other platform–there is a cycle of planning, coding and testing. Once the app is ready for prime time, it is simply uploaded to the Android Market, ready to be downloaded into users’ mobile devices.
Appcelerator just released Titanium 1.0, which provides a cross-platform development environment for mobile application development. This release uses WebKit’s JavaScript interpreter. Rendering is performed by native widgets, which gives the apps a native look and feel. The use of JavaScript makes it an interesting option for developers just getting started.
