Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Conferences
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Mastering Android Development with Kotlin
Mastering Android Development with Kotlin

Mastering Android Development with Kotlin: Deep dive into the world of Android to create robust applications with Kotlin

eBook
$9.99 $39.99
Paperback
$48.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Mastering Android Development with Kotlin

Running your first Android application


We made our first screen and defined some specifics for the application itself. To be sure that what we did so far is ok, we do the build and run our application. We will run the completeDebug build variant. If you forgot how to switch to this build variant, we will remind you. Open Android Studio and the Journaler project. Open the Build Variants pane by clicking on the Build Variants pane on the left side of the Android Studio window or by choosing View |Tool Windows | Build Variants. The Build Variants pane will appear. Choose completeDebug from the drop-down list, as shown in the screenshot:

We will use this Build Variant as our main build variant for the try out execution, and for production build, we will use the completeDebug build variant. After we choose Build Variant from the drop-down list, it takes some time for Gradle to build the chosen variant.

We will run our application now. We will do it on an emulator first and then on a real live device...

Meet the Logcat


Logcat is an important part of everyday development. Its purpose is to display all logs coming from your device. It displays logs from an emulator or a live device connected. Android has several levels of log messages:

  • Assert
  • Verbose
  • Debug
  • Information
  • Warning
  • Error

You can filter log messages by these log levels (for example, when you need to see only errors--application crash stacktrace) or log tag (we will explain this later); or by keyword, regex, or the application package. Before we apply any filter, we will configure Android Studio so the log messages are colored differently.

Choose Android Studio | Preferences. In the search field, enter Logcat. Logcat coloring preferences appears, as shown in the following screenshot:

To edit coloring, you must save a copy of the current coloring theme. Choose your theme from the drop-down list and choose Save As. Choose some proper name and confirm:

Choose Assert from the list and uncheck Use inherited attributes to override the color. Make...

Using the Gradle build tool


During our development, we will need to build different build variants or run tests. Those tests can be executed for only certain build variants, if needed, or for all of them.

In the following examples, we will cover some of the most common Gradle use cases. We will start with cleaning and building.

As you remember, the Journaler application has the following build types defined:

  • debug
  • release
  • staging
  • preproduction

The following build flavors are also defined in the Journaler application:

  • demo
  • complete
  • special

Open terminal. To remove everything we built so far, and all temporally build derivates, execute the following command line:

./gradlew clean

It takes some time to do the cleaning. Then execute the following command line:

./gradlew assemble.

This assembles everything--all the build variants that we have in our application. Imagine the time impact it can have if we are dealing with a really big project. Therefore, we will isolate the build command. To build only the debug...

Debug your application


Now, we know how to log important application messages. During development, we will face situations when only logging messages is not enough when analyzing application behavior or investigating bugs.

For us, it's important to have the ability to debug an application code during its execution on real Android devices or on emulators. So, let's debug something! Open the main Application class and put the break point on line where we log the onCreate() method, as shown here:

As you can see, we set the break point at line 18. We will add more break points. Let's add it in our main (and only) activity. Put a break point in each lifecycle event at lines where we perform logging. 

We set breakpoints at lines 18, 23, 28, 33, 38, and so on. Run the application in debug mode by clicking on the debug icon or by choosing Run | Debug app. The application is started in debug mode. Wait a little bit and a debugger will soon enter the first break point we set.

The following screenshot...

Summary


In this chapter, you learned how to build and run your application from Android Studio IDE or directly from the terminal. We also analyzed some logs that we got from the emulator and real devices. And, in the end, we did some debugging.

In the next chapter, we will get familiar with some components of UI--screens, to be more precise. We will show you how to create new screens and how to add some stylish details to them. We will also discuss complex layouts of buttons and images.

Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to build and run your application from Android Studio IDE or directly from the terminal. We also analyzed some logs that we got from the emulator and real devices. And, in the end, we did some debugging.

In the next chapter, we will get familiar with some components of UI--screens, to be more precise. We will show you how to create new screens and how to add some stylish details to them. We will also discuss complex layouts of buttons and images.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon
Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • Leverage specific features of Kotlin to ease Android application development
  • An illustrative guide that will help you write code based Kotlin language to build robust Android applications
  • Filled with various practical examples build amazing Android project using Kotlin so you can easily apply your knowledge to real world scenarios

Description

Kotlin is a programming language intended to be a better Java, and it's designed to be usable and readable across large teams with different levels of knowledge. As a language, it helps developers build amazing Android applications in an easy and effective way. This book begins by giving you a strong grasp of Kotlin's features in the context of Android development and its APIs. Moving on, you'll take steps towards building stunning applications for Android. The book will show you how to set up the environment, and the difficulty level will grow steadily with the applications covered in the upcoming chapters. Later on, the book will introduce you to the Android Studio IDE, which plays an integral role in Android development. We'll use Kotlin's basic programming concepts such as functions, lambdas, properties, object-oriented code, safety aspects, type parameterization, testing, and concurrency, which will guide you through writing Kotlin code in production. We'll also show you how to integrate Kotlin into any existing Android project.

Who is this book for?

The book is for developers who want to build amazing Android applications in an easy and effective way. Basic knowledge of Kotlin is assumed, but you do not need any familiarity with Android development.

What you will learn

  • • Understand the basics of Android development with Kotlin
  • • Get to know the key concepts in Android development
  • • See how to create modern mobile applications for the Android platform
  • • Adjust your application s look and feel
  • • Know how to persist and share application database
  • • Work with services and other concurrency mechanisms
  • • Write effective tests
  • • Migrate an existing Java-based project to Kotlin

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Nov 08, 2017
Length: 378 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788473699
Vendor :
Google
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

What do you get with a Packt Subscription?

Free for first 7 days. $19.99 p/m after that. Cancel any time!
Product feature icon Unlimited ad-free access to the largest independent learning library in tech. Access this title and thousands more!
Product feature icon 50+ new titles added per month, including many first-to-market concepts and exclusive early access to books as they are being written.
Product feature icon Innovative learning tools, including AI book assistants, code context explainers, and text-to-speech.
Product feature icon Thousands of reference materials covering every tech concept you need to stay up to date.
Subscribe now
View plans & pricing

Product Details

Publication date : Nov 08, 2017
Length: 378 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788473699
Vendor :
Google
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total $ 146.97
Reactive Programming in Kotlin
$48.99
Mastering Android Development with Kotlin
$48.99
Android Development with Kotlin
$48.99
Total $ 146.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

16 Chapters
Starting with Android Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Building and Running Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Screens Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Connecting Screen Flow Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Look and Feel Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Permissions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with Databases Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Android Preferences Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Concurrency in Android Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Android Services Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Messaging Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Backend and API Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Tuning Up for High Performance Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Testing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Migration to Kotlin Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Deploying Your Application Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2.7
(11 Ratings)
5 star 36.4%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
2 star 27.3%
1 star 36.4%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




DragiE!a DuriD Nov 30, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is one great book of a kind I was looking for for some time now.As a computer professional with few decades of experience, I am fairly often exposed to new fields and technologies. Android is one field I am new to and what I needed was a Mastering type book using some original enough approach to keep me motivated to go through... There comes Kotlin - motivating by virtue of being a creative new language, one I am reading about and using in small measure for now...High concentration of useful information, written in non-nonsense fast paced book. Just what I needed! Thanks to Milos and Packt for it!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Girish Sawant Jun 07, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Just got delivered this book today. Being 'Android developer' I have gone through all books related to kotlin but I liked this book. all topics are covered in the book right from scratch. This is book i was looking satisfied and lastly thanks to Amazon always superfast delivery before actual time :).
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Damir T. Nov 27, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Milosav Miki Brajkovic Dec 07, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Fantastic book really !!!I'm not that familiar with Kotlin, and this book helps me a lot.No need for stackoverflow, literally answer to all my questions is here :)Keep up with great work man, can't wait for second edition !!!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Navid Rojiani Apr 04, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2
I wanted to brush up on Android since it's been several years since I've written an Android app. Despite the "Who this book is for" saying that it's for someone with no familiarity with Android development, the book explains very little and glosses over key concepts like Activities and Fragments. Honestly you'd learn more just by reading the official Android Dev Guide articles. This book also seems very rushed and has several mistakes.This book would be fine for someone already familiar with Android who wants to learn how to write their apps in Kotlin, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone new to Android. Instead of reading the rest of this, I'll be going back to the Big Nerd Ranch guide to Android (which I read years ago and recommend as a really great book for learning Android).Note: I stopped reading after 3.5 chapters because of the mistakes and I wasn't getting a solid review of key Android concepts, so the review is based on the first 115 or so pages.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is included in a Packt subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

A subscription provides you with full access to view all Packt and licnesed content online, this includes exclusive access to Early Access titles. Depending on the tier chosen you can also earn credits and discounts to use for owning content

How can I cancel my subscription? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

To cancel your subscription with us simply go to the account page - found in the top right of the page or at https://subscription.packtpub.com/my-account/subscription - From here you will see the ‘cancel subscription’ button in the grey box with your subscription information in.

What are credits? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Credits can be earned from reading 40 section of any title within the payment cycle - a month starting from the day of subscription payment. You also earn a Credit every month if you subscribe to our annual or 18 month plans. Credits can be used to buy books DRM free, the same way that you would pay for a book. Your credits can be found in the subscription homepage - subscription.packtpub.com - clicking on ‘the my’ library dropdown and selecting ‘credits’.

What happens if an Early Access Course is cancelled? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Projects are rarely cancelled, but sometimes it's unavoidable. If an Early Access course is cancelled or excessively delayed, you can exchange your purchase for another course. For further details, please contact us here.

Where can I send feedback about an Early Access title? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you have any feedback about the product you're reading, or Early Access in general, then please fill out a contact form here and we'll make sure the feedback gets to the right team. 

Can I download the code files for Early Access titles? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We try to ensure that all books in Early Access have code available to use, download, and fork on GitHub. This helps us be more agile in the development of the book, and helps keep the often changing code base of new versions and new technologies as up to date as possible. Unfortunately, however, there will be rare cases when it is not possible for us to have downloadable code samples available until publication.

When we publish the book, the code files will also be available to download from the Packt website.

How accurate is the publication date? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The publication date is as accurate as we can be at any point in the project. Unfortunately, delays can happen. Often those delays are out of our control, such as changes to the technology code base or delays in the tech release. We do our best to give you an accurate estimate of the publication date at any given time, and as more chapters are delivered, the more accurate the delivery date will become.

How will I know when new chapters are ready? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

We'll let you know every time there has been an update to a course that you've bought in Early Access. You'll get an email to let you know there has been a new chapter, or a change to a previous chapter. The new chapters are automatically added to your account, so you can also check back there any time you're ready and download or read them online.

I am a Packt subscriber, do I get Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Yes, all Early Access content is fully available through your subscription. You will need to have a paid for or active trial subscription in order to access all titles.

How is Early Access delivered? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is currently only available as a PDF or through our online reader. As we make changes or add new chapters, the files in your Packt account will be updated so you can download them again or view them online immediately.

How do I buy Early Access content? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Early Access is a way of us getting our content to you quicker, but the method of buying the Early Access course is still the same. Just find the course you want to buy, go through the check-out steps, and you’ll get a confirmation email from us with information and a link to the relevant Early Access courses.

What is Early Access? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Keeping up to date with the latest technology is difficult; new versions, new frameworks, new techniques. This feature gives you a head-start to our content, as it's being created. With Early Access you'll receive each chapter as it's written, and get regular updates throughout the product's development, as well as the final course as soon as it's ready.We created Early Access as a means of giving you the information you need, as soon as it's available. As we go through the process of developing a course, 99% of it can be ready but we can't publish until that last 1% falls in to place. Early Access helps to unlock the potential of our content early, to help you start your learning when you need it most. You not only get access to every chapter as it's delivered, edited, and updated, but you'll also get the finalized, DRM-free product to download in any format you want when it's published. As a member of Packt, you'll also be eligible for our exclusive offers, including a free course every day, and discounts on new and popular titles.