Android Cookbook Examples

This repo contains over a hundred source code examples from the recipes published in the O’Reilly Android Cookbook, a great source of tutorial material for the Android Developer. Not all recipes in the book or online have code accompanying them; this repo features code that was either linked by the contributor, or in several cases, re-constructed as a New Project by the editor for your convenience.

Further note that not all programs used in the book/online appear here; some of the examples in the book/online are only program fragments taken from other programs that can’t be included. And of course some code is drawn from existing projects that are hosted elsewhere.

Each Directory comprises its own project, and has a name that is cited at the end of the corresponding Recipe, under the "Source Code Download" section.

NOTE As of today, there are two styles of projects:

1. Eclipse projects with the newer Eclipse Andmore;

2. Android Studio projects (most complete with their extraneous "app" subdirectory).

If you have used the old Google ADT, you will need to update your Eclipse config by removing ADT, then replace it with AndMore from the Eclipse Marketplace Client.

Most of the Eclipse projects have been Mavenized; a few have not.

Most of the Gradle projects will also build with Android Studio; a few will not.

The table List of Projects shows which projects are set up for which build tools.

TL;DR: Build Most Projects with Apache Maven

Prerequisites: Java 7 SDK including "Google Repository" for compat stuff, git, Maven

1. git clone https://github.com/mosabua/maven-android-sdk-deployer

2. cd maven-android-sdk-deployer

3. mvn install -P 6.0 # at least

4. mvn install -P 7.0 # after it’s released!

5. cd ..

6. git clone https://github.com/IanDarwin/Android-Cookbook-Examples

7. cd Android-Cookbook-Examples

8. mvn -fae package android:install android:run Include android:install and android:run only if you actually want to run them all, and have a device or emulator with some good free space; else just do 'package')

9. Fix up any that didn’t work, and send pull requests!

Maven Build: More Details

Most of these projects were initially developed using Eclipse ADT, and migrated to Maven for automatic building. Obviously the Googlezilla has spoken and we will eventually have to migrate kicking and screaming to Android Studio and Gradle; pull requests for this would also be welcomed, as long as they don’t break support for Eclipse and Maven.

If you open the entire repo in Eclipse with eGit, be sure to check the Import all projects checkbox. If you want to keep these mini-projects separate from your "regular" work, you may want to use the Git repo as an Eclipse workspace (use File→Switch Workspace→Other→Browse). This directory is already set up to be an Eclipse workspace if you want it to (the .metadata directory exists and is already in .gitignore).

Note: As part of the move to Gradle, Google stopped pushing Android releases to Maven Central; their last version was 4.1.1.4, thus Lollipop, Marshmallow, and "N" have been left high-and-dry. And worse, their SDK license prohibits re-distribution of binaries, so nobody else can step in and upload these files to Maven Central. But of course there is a solution. To compile these projects with Maven you will need to download the amazing maven-android-sdk-deployer, which repackages files from the SDK - after you download it using the Android tools, thus nobody is redistributing it - into your local .m2/repository so that Maven can find it. This is the function of the first few steps in the numbered list above.

Note that projects using official releases use e.g. com.google.android:android:4.1.1.4 whereas projects deployed using the sdk-deployer use e.g android:android:6.0_r3.

You can download AndroidCookbookExamples as a Zip file from GitHub, but then you won’t get updates, and it will be hard to collaborate with the other contributors. If you’re not familiar with Git and Github, see the getting started page on GitHub and read up on how to collaborate. You can either send diff/patch files or send a pull request. Remember that GitHub is a free service for public projects!

Many of the projects may (depending on your version of Eclipse) give you some noise when you first open them due to bin and/or gen being missing. The Eclipse plug-in will usually create them but not notify that it’s done so, meaning you just have to do Refresh (F5), failing that, close and re-open the project. Does not happen with current Eclipse, last I tried.

There is neither a Wiki or a Tracker for this project, since bugs and suggestions about the code should be made on the Android Cookbook web site (http://androidcookbook.com/). Bugs or suggesions on the published edition of the book should go to http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920010241.do; you can also purchase the book there (which helps fund my continued work on this code base).

You can’t build the whole mess with Gradle

You can’t have this pretty thing. Because Gradle. Because Android Studio. Because fail.

Patches welcome if they don’t break any existing builds (Maven, Eclipse) AND if you can still open each individual project without Studio going ape-** and opening every other existing project as a "module" of the one you’re trying to build. Watch for my forthcoming paper "Gradle and Android Studio Considered Harmful."

Notes for the First Edition of the book

The current version of this repo has been reorganized in preparation for the second edition of the book. There have been quite a few projects added since the first published edition of the book, and a few renamed, so if you have the printed edition from 2012 you should rummage around here before re-typing anything that looks like a full example.

If you want this repo to correspond to the last minor revision of the first edition, use git to checkout the tag Book-1.0.

DELETED PROJECTS

JpsTrack and the ToDo applications have graduated to their own github projects, up one level from here on Github.

Wishlist

There are some things I’d love it if people would contribute:

• Gradle files for each project that doesn’t already have one (they almost all have Maven files now.

• Readme file for each project, to include a link back to the recipe in the online version of the book.

List of Projects

The following list is generated (periodically) from the project folders. In the Builds With column, E for Eclipse, M for Maven, S for Android Studio, G for Gradle.

Table 1. List of projects with description and build tools

Project	Builds With	Function	Notes
AboutBoxDemo	GS	A re-usable About dialog.	-
AboutInfo	EM	Info about device and screen	-
ActionBarCompat	GS	Simple ActionBar demo(s)	-
AndroidPlot	EM	Graphing	-
AndroidRss	EM	RSS Reader	-
AppDownloader	MGS	Installs another app	Downloading, package management
AutocompleteTextViewContacts	EM	Contact picker with autocomplete	-
AutoUpdater	EM	App can update itself	see AppDownloader
BackupManager	EM	Backups	-
BluetoothDemo	EM	Bluetooth Connection	-
CalAdder	EM	Add appointment to Calendar	Calendar via Content Provider
CallFaker	EM	Pretend a call happened, for testing	-
CardDemo	GS	Demonstation of Card widget.	-
CheckBoxRadioButton	EM	GUI demo	name says it
ContentProviderBookmarks	EM	List of bookmarks from Bookmarks Content Provider	Browser ContentProvider
ContentProviderList	EM	List of ContentProviders	-
ContentProviderSample	EM	Implement a ContentProvider	-
ContentProviderTest	EM	Test it	-
CountDownTimerExample	EM	Time-based activity	-
CurrentMoodWidget	M	Application Widget	-
CursorLoaderDemo	EM	How to load data properly using CursorLoader	-
CustomMenu	EM	Menu	-
CustomSubMenu	GS	Submenu, created programmatically	-
CustomToast	EM	Toast	-
DatabaseFromFile	EM	Create a database from an SQLite .db file in 'assets'.	-
DataToCursor	EM	Fake up a Cursor from a list of files	-
DialogDemos	EM	Dialogs	-
DragDropDemo	E	A simple Drag-and-drop example.	-
DreamsDemo	EM	Demo of "Dreams" (4.x screensaver)	-
EmailTextView	EM	Send contents of EditText via email	-
EmailWithAttachments	EM	Attach file to email	-
EpochJSCalendar	EM	Java + JavaScript	-
EventListenersDemo	M	5 Ways to Wire an Event Listener.	-
FacebookSdk	EM	Access FB API	-
FaceFinder	EM	Face locator API in photos	-
FileProviderDemo	GS	Demo of FileProvider.	-
FilesystemDemos	MGS	Internal and external files.	-
FloatingActionButtonSnackbarDemo	GS	Demo of 'fab' Floating Abstract Button	-
FontDemo	EM	Using a custom font	-
FragmentsDemos	GS	Simple Fragment and List-Detail Fragments in one project	-
Gallery	EM	Simple photo gallery	Deprecated
GcmClient	EM	Google Cloud Messaging - receiver	-
GcmMockServer	EM	Google Cloud Messaging - sender	-
HelloCommandLine	EM	HelloWorld	SDK
HelloEclipse	EM	HelloWorld	Eclipse ADT
HelloEspressoTesting	GS	HelloWorld of EspressoTesting	-
HelloGradle	GS	Hello World with Gradle but NOT Studio.	-
HelloMaven	EM	HelloWorld	Maven, JayWay Plug-in
HelloStudioTesting	GS	HelloWorld of StudioTesting	-
HelloTestingTarget	EM	ADT Testing - subject	-
HelloTestingTestProject	EM	ADT Testing - Tests	-
HomeAppListView	EM	A Home Application	Shows running a program
HotContacts	EM	Add a contact	Shows ContactsContract, content provider
IconizedListView	EM	List View with Icon	-
IntentsDemo	EM	Intents	-
IpcServiceDemo	GS	IPC - Inter-Process Communication, simplified demo.	-
JavascriptDataDemo	EM	JavaScript from Java	-
JavaTimeDemo	MGS	Demos of java.time date/time API	Actually JSR-310 API; almost same but different package
ListViewAdvanced	EM	ListView	-
ListViewDemos	EM	ListView	-
ListViewEmpty	EM	ListView with empty list: don’t show blank screen!	-
ListViewSectionHeader	EM	ListView with section headers	-
LocalBroadcastDemo	EM	Local Broadcast Receiver	-
MapDemosV2	EM	Google Maps V2 API	-
MarketSearch	EM	Search the Play Store	-
MaterialDemos	EM	MaterialDesign demos	-
MediaPlayerDemo	EM	Play media	-
MediaPlayerInteractive	E	Media Player demo from Marco Dinacci, thanks.	-
MediaRecorderDemo	EM	Simple sound recorder	-
NdkDemo	EM	Native Development Kit	C Code
NotificationDemo	EM	Notifications	-
NumberPickers	EM	UI for picking numbers	-
OAuth2Demo	GS	Demo of OAuth2 to Google Tasks.	-
OpenGlDemo	EM	OpenGL graphics	-
OrientationChanges	EM	Rotation	-
OSMIntro	EM	OpenStreetMap API	(free alternative to Google Maps)
PdfShare	EM	Create and share a PDF	-
PermissionRequest	G	Shows asking for permissions at runtime, i.e,. "the new way"	-
PhoneGapDemo	EM	HTML5 app using phonegap/cordova	-
PinchAndZoom	GS	Pinch-and-zoom graphics demo	-
PreferencesDemo	EM	Preferences	-
RangeGraphDemo	EM	Using a graphing library	-
Rebooter	EM	How to reboot, and why you can’t	-
RecyclerViewDemo	GS	Demo of RecyclerView, the faster ListView.	-
RGraphDemo	EM	Using a graphing library	-
RuntimeLog	EM	A simpe runtime log facility	-
SecondScreen	M	Trivial example of one Activity (screen) starting another.	-
SendSMS	EM	Sends an SMS	-
ShareActionProviderDemo	EM	ICS "Share" action	-
SimpleAccountAndSyncDemo	EM	User account on device	-
SimpleCalendar	EM	Calendar	-
SimpleJumper	M	Flixel-based gaming demo	This example still needs to be re-created.
SimplePool	EM	Graphics	-
SimpleTorchLight	EM	Flashlight/torch from camera flash	-
SlidingDrawer-Topdown	EM	The "Sliding Drawer" view	-
SnackBarDemo	EM	Snackbar (bottom message text) demo	-
SoapDemo	EM	XML SOAP Web Service	-
SoundRec	EM	Sound Recorder	-
Speaker	EM	Text To Speech (TTS)	-
SpinnerDemo	EM	Drop-down Spinner Demos	-
SpinningCubeDemo	E	OpenGL Spinning Cube, from Marco Dinacci	-
SplashDialog	EM	Splash screen	-
SQLiteDemos	EM	SQLite demos	-
StandardDrawables	EM	Use Existing Drawables	-
StaticFileRead	EM	StaticFileRead - read a file from the application	-
TabSwipeDemo	EM	Tabbable and swipeable layout	-
TeleCorder	EM	Telephone call recorder (in progress!)	-
TelephonyManager	EM	Displays phone info	-
Tipster	EM	Full app: compute and show restaurant bill with tip	-
UniqueId	EM	Find device’s unique ID	-
Vibrate	EM	Make the device vibrate	-
ViewPagerDemo	EM	Swipe among views	-
VolleyDemo	EM	Demo of Volley networking library	-
WheelPickerDemo	GS	Apple-style Wheel Picker Demo	-
WindowBackgroundDemo	EM	Graphical window background	-