Looking to eventually build a smartphone app...

Question

Hi all-

I'm a young, inexperienced programmer (I've had a year of Java, some MATLAB, and HTML/CSS in school) but I've decided that to get better, I'm making it my goal to produce a simple smartphone app of some kind this year- probably either webOS or Android since I'm on a PC and can't afford a Mac just to write an iPhone app.

So my question is, where do I start? I've read the threads about How to Write for Android and such, but I'm not sure I have enough Java experience to just jump right in. And then there's webOS which is based on JavaScript, correct?

I guess I'd just like some input from more experienced folks. I have some Barnes and Noble book credit I'm looking to get rid of too, so if there's a guide you think would be useful, feel free to request.

tl;dr: Programming newbie ultimately wants to build a simple smartphone app. Where do I start?

Answer 1

Depending on how much credit you have to Barnes and Nobles and how comfortable you are with Java, I would recommend a beginners book on Java along with a beginners book to Android. (CommonsWare actually contributes on StackOverflow, regarding Android questions, so this is helpful.)

I had the luxury of reading an Android book off the web while I worked at my part-time job. Reading helped me out to learn how to program basic applications in Android and with a Java background it made everything come together much easier.

Even if you know enough Java to dive right into Android programming, it is always handy to have a Java book around to brush off some dust and go back to basics.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 2

Since you know some Java, it seems to me picking up Android shouldn't be too difficult. I did my first Android app in a week a couple of years ago when the docs sucked, and I had no prior Java experience.

I would advice you to pick the idea for an app you would really like to build. If it is something that motivates you, it is going to make a huge difference. Choose something simple first, or if you have a complex app idea, see if it would make sense to have a very limited feature version first.

Once you have the idea, go look at the sample apps for anything similar. You also really want to go through the Android tutorials regardless of your specific app idea: Hello World and Notepad.

Once you start writing the app, you will no doubt run into specific issues you have not found answers by looking at the examples or doing searches. Then it makes sense to ask on StackOverflow.

Answer 3

being in a somewhat similar position as you i found webos to extremely easy to code for. The documentation may not be great but there a few sites where there are tips etc. But overall very easy to do

Answer 4

I'm actually planning on delving into both WebOS and Android. I'm actually starting with Android since I want to use the app I'm developing and my primary phone is an Android phone. But I think both platforms will be fun to code in.

The Commonsware folks also have office hours on their web site for real time answers to questions. You do have to subscribe to their site but you get access to digital downloads of all of their current Android books plus any newer versions they may release. I think the subscription fee is $40/year, so not a bad deal if you go the Android route.

Answer 5

My group had to crank out apps for a variety of mobile devices, and we used PhoneGap to develop for iPhone and Android without having to develop platform-specific apps.

If your goal is to learn Android-specific development, then this is not the way to go, but if you want to explore the mobile space a bit, it might be worth checking out.