Lesson 5: Creating
a Logo in Java, and Connecting the Classes in the Android Manifest
INTRODUCTION
Using a series of four video-based
tutorials, this lesson leads you through the following tasks and processes.
First, you will understand how icons are integrated into an Android application
and a logo image is added to the layout. You will also learn what you will need
to know about designing icons for Android applications. Second, you will be
introduced to the Java class for integrating the MediaPlayer into the
application by creating a new public class. Finally, you will learn how to
create a new XML file within the application and then edit the Android Manifest
to bring all of these changes together.
LESSON
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Section #1: Understanding Icons & Launcher
Graphics in Java For Android
1.
Explain
the importance of application icons in your application. Reading: Iconography.
Section #2: Working with Classes
1. Explain what a
public class is and how it works within Java.
2. Define what the MediaPlayer class does in Java for Android.
Section
#3: Understanding The
Android Manifest
1. Practice how to link XML to Java class
2. Determine how to set up buttons in the
Java class
Section
#4: Video Demonstrations:
From Designing Icons to the Android Manifest
LEARNING SEQUENCE
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Required Reading
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Read the following:
·
Section
#1:
·
Section
#2:
· Section
#3:
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Resources
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View the
following:
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Video Transcripts
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Assignments
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Complete the
following:
·
Explain the
importance of Android application icons
·
What is a public
class? What are some of the different class instances?
·
How does the
Android Manifest address the concept of “hierarchy” within the application?
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INSTRUCTION
Section #1: Understanding Icons & Launcher Graphics
in Java For Android
In this section you
will be introduced to what an icon is and why it is important to the
branding and identity of an application. This section will begin to show you how
the graphics integrated into your application will be used to represent an app
marketplaces.
Step 1.
An icon is a graphic that
takes up a small portion of screen real estate and provides a quick, intuitive
representation of an action, a status, or an app. Read through the entire website to understand important
design principles and understand how and why graphics and icons are central to
your app. This reading covers all of the most common kinds of icons that you
will need to develop ad use, including the logo, action bar, contextual and
notification icons. Consider technical and design issues of size and scale, use
of color, focal area, proportions and style.
Step 2.
Complete Assignment #1: Explain the importance of Android application icons
Section #2: Working
with Classes
In this section, you
will begin to better develop an understanding of what the syntax of a
class is in Java. This knowledge will not only make you a better programmer but
will assist you in expanding your knowledge of Java beyond Android development.
Step 1.
This resource provides a description
directly from the Java for Android website. The definition provided here
describes the details of querying
class-related information of the three different class instances. Read through
the web page to understand the three different class instances: those representing real classes and
interfaces, those representing primitive types, and those representing array
classes.
Step 2.
This reading extends the
metaphor of a bicycle to explain classes. Go through the tutorial to gain a
better understanding of additional concepts such as inheritance, an interface
and a package. At the end of the reading and tutorial, you can test your
knowledge of object-oriented programming concepts. Be sure to check your
answers by clicking the Check Answers link.
Step 3.
Complete Assignment #2: What is a public class? What are some of the different class
instances?
Section #3: Understanding The Android Manifest
In this section you
will learn how to edit and manage the elements of the Android Manifest
File. You will learn how this page of code becomes the “heart” of the
application.
Step 1.
This is a description of the MediaPlayer
class from the Android website. This page provides a summary of the use of the
MediaPlayer class and the different states of the MediaPlayer within Java. This
page provides a thorough overview of the lifecycle of this class.
Step 2.
This reading provides an overview of
the AndroidManifest.xml,
which is the root of the project hierarchy in Android applications. This
reading will help you understand the importance of the file and learn how to
define the components of metadata in your application.
Step 3.
Complete Assignment #3: How does
the Android Manifest address the concept of “hierarchy” within the application?
Section #4: Video
Demonstration on Designing Icons, to
the Android Manifest
This series of four video tutorials
will guide you through the following processes and tasks as outlined below. Please
pause and review the video, as necessary, to complete tasks. Transcripts are
provided.
Step 1.
Demonstrates how to edit application
icons and logos. In this video you will learn how to edit the icon and logo for
the application and learn which folders they should be saved within (res
folder). You will also be prompted to edit all the icons in the folders. You
will also understand the difference in resolution between the icons based on
the devices that they may be shown on. You will then create the logo page
graphic for the application and placed this into the same folder as the other
graphic. At the conclusion of this video, you will add an mp3 file into the raw
folder (created earlier in the lesson) and then locate that folder into the res
folder.
Step 2.
Shows how to prepare a new XML file for
the layout of the logo. Within the Eclipse IDE, you will create an XML file for
logo in layout folder. You will add the logo.png in the new XML file and save
your project. Sample code will be used to introduce the public class and you
will be shown where to add this code to continue in the next video.
Step 3.
Demonstrates
how the class for the MediaPlayer and logo works in the Application. You will
review how the MediaPlayer class is placed into the Java code and will walk
through how to create the necessary overrides to make the music in the
application play.
Step 4.
In
this video-based tutorial, you will demonstrate
how to create a new Class and a new XML file. You will begin editing the Java
and Android Manifest of your application. You will also learn how to integrate
the MediaPlayer class into the application and then you will learn how to edit
the code of the Android Manifest to work with the other Java files created.
SUMMARY
In this lesson you have been introduced
to the application icon and how to integrate the logo graphic which will
represent the application on the home screen of the device. You have also learned
about the public class in Java and some of the variety of different instances
and the “object orientated” approach of the Java language in Android
applications. This lesson draws together the variety of graphics, media and
layout components that will make your application unique and provide a base for
understanding how the XM layout, Java programing and manifest will work
together.
ASSIGNMENTS
· Explain the importance of Android application icons
· What is a public class? What are some of the different class
instances?
· How does the Android Manifest address the concept of
“hierarchy” within the application?
