101 • Why I love app dev • Getting start • Development • Ecosystem • Development environment • Further reading / resources • Alternatives to native • Testing • Tips • Building apps • Getting hired
What I love about app development • App/mobile is now mainstream • Wearables • Embedded • New stuff • Skills • Devices • Yearly update of mobile platforms • Software that’s used by millions world wide • No barriers and lots of cloud API’s
Getting help / further reading • Android docs, training & samples • Androiddevweekly.com • Videos o Android course (Udacity - ud853) o DevBytes (YouTube) o ADiA (YouTube) o Google IO (YouTube) • Busy coders guide to Android o by Mark Murphy
• Mobile web / Responsive web • Cross platform • PhoneGap / Cordova • Html 5/js/css wrapped in web view • Plugins (camera, gps etc) • Xamarin (free for students) • C# • Compiled to Native Alternatives to Native
Testing • Hardware o Last year flagship • Emulator o GenyMotion.com • Services o Errorlytics - Crashlytics o Crowd source bug testing - UTest.com o Cloud based UI testing - TestDroid.com
• Who is your audience? • What problem are you solving? • Wire frame before coding • Lock to portrait • Invest in quality app icon (elance, odesk etc) • Beta test on friends/family • Integrate Crashlytics and Analytics (i.e Flurry) Wrap up and tips …
Tip: Backend as a Service • Login with facebook and/or Twitter • User management • Data storage o save and sync data objects o files (large files) • Analytics • Push messaging
How to get hired (IMO) • Enthusiasm for mobile (and development) • Example work (no excuses) • Uni project • Hack-a-thon • Contribute to community • Stackoverflow • Github • No bullshit!
Android Win o Device choice o Customisation o True background tasks o NFC o Resources framework iOS Win • Limited devices • UI consistency • Users upgrade to latest OS • Clients, Managers, Designers have/ know them • Paid apps do better Vs iOS