Building Your First Android App: A Guide for iOS Developers

Are you being asked to do Android development at work, even though you're an iOS developer? Maybe you need to support the Android version of your company's app. Or you're collaborating with the Android team to ensure feature parity between iOS and Android.

If you're already a mobile developer in iOS, there's no need to start from scratch to learn Android! There are many concepts that apply to mobile development across platforms. In this talk, I will go over an intermediate level Android app, exploring the similar architectural concepts between Android and iOS. And for the differences, I'll explain the Android concept by comparing and contrasting to its corollary iOS counterpart.

By demonstrating how to leverage your existing iOS knowledge, this talk will help you speed up your adoption of Android and make you a stronger mobile developer overall!

Transcript

2. Vui Nguyen @sun fi shgurl linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl A Guide for iOS Developers Building Your First Android App
3. Our Problem / Challenge • You’re a n iOS developer, t a sked with building a n Android a pp 😱 • But where do you st a rt? • It’s a bout more th a n just the little synt a ctic a l di ff erences! • Wh a t a bout fe a ture p a rity?! linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
4. Feature Parity: Ensuring that a feature works the same across platforms. Does not mean the feature is implemented the same across platforms! - Vui Nguyen (not famous …. yet) linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
5. What’s One Possible Solution? • My t a lk! • My solution focuses on: • a rchitecture • process • lever a ging existing iOS knowledge! You know more th a n you think you do to get st a rted! • Are we excited yet? Let’s go 🚀 linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
6. • Introduce problem • Introduce myself • Go a ls for this t a lk • Introducing T a sk Tr a cker App: iOS • How We Built Android a nd iOS Apps in P a r a llel Overview linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
7. • Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Pl a tform • Components of Every CRUD Mobile App • App Flows: • Cre a te - Re a d: Add Flow • Upd a te: Edit Flow • Delete: Delete Flow Overview linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
8. • Demo: T a sk Tr a cker App for Android • Putting it All Together: Tips for Building a St a nd a lone Android App • Resources • Shoutouts Overview linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
9. I’m Vui Nguyen Hello!👋 • Softw a re engineer with 20+ ye a rs experience a cross multiple tech st a cks • Mobile developer since 2011 (cross- pl a tform, iOS, le a rning Android) • Technic a l Le a der • Former Le a dership Fellow for Women Who Code Mobile • Schnoodle Mom • Fisherwom a n linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
10. Non Goals for this Talk What this talk is NOT about • Not a n a n a lysis on n a tive versus cross pl a tform mobile development • Not a n a n a lysis on how to use gener a tive AI to build our a pps for us • Spoiler a lert: Gener a tive AI c a nnot do ALL the work for us! • Not me a nt to te a ch you the found a tion of mobile development • This t a lk a ssumes you h a ve intermedi a te level knowledge of iOS Swift development • Not a bout building Android a pps using the “best” f ill in the bl a nk here: design p a tterns, a rchitecture, best pr a ctices, etc linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
11. Goals for this Talk What this talk is about • How to get st a rted on Android development by building on your existing iOS knowledge • a void a n a lysis p a r a lysis • progress / improve a s you go • Progress over Perfection • Demonstr a te process for building a mobile a pp on either pl a tform linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
12. Introducing Task Tracker App linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
13. https://bit.ly/TaskTrackerAppiOSDemo Task Tracker App Demo: iOS linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Open Source Project for Women Who Code Mobile • Tr a cks T a sks Being Worked On • Tr a cks Time Spent on T a sks • CRUD Oper a tions
14. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
15. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel • Surprise! 😮 We a lso built the T a sk Tr a cker App for Android a t the s a me time • How did we do it? • Wh a t lessons did we le a rn? linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
16. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Women Who Code Mobile w a s a n online technic a l tr a ck community, th a t w a s p a rt of Women Who Code. (Women Who Code shut down in April 2024 😭) • Project M a int a iner Te a ms were comprised of volunteers for Women Who Code Mobile • As the Le a dership Fellow of WWCode Mobile, I formed the m a int a iner te a ms b a sed on volunteer skill, interest, a nd a v a il a bility to commit to the project • Contributors comprised of regul a r community members of WWCode Mobile a nd volunteer te a m members linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
17. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Te a m Bre a kdown: • E a ch te a m (Android a nd iOS) h a d: • 2-3 project m a int a iners • Android: G a uri, Ren, Sepideh • iOS: Cl a udi a a nd Dev a nshi • project m a n a ger (Ceceli a for both) • project le a d a nd a rchitect (Vui for both) linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
18. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Prep a r a tion Le a ding Up To Development: • October 2023: WWCode Mobile hosted open source contribution workshop • November 2023: WWCode Mobile hosted open source m a int a iners workshop • December 2024: • f in a lize m a int a iner te a ms • st a rt discussion on a pp ide a , a pp wirefr a mes a nd MVP project scope linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
19. MVP: Minimum Viable Product, is a version of a product with just enough features to be usable - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Minimum_viable_product linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
20. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Schedule: • J a nu a ry 2024: Project Kick O ff (for both Android a nd iOS) • Kick O ff Event for e a ch pl a tform over Zoom • Introduce a pp wirefr a mes to community • Initi a l project folders set up (MVVM structure) • Introduce open source process a nd work f low to community • Est a blish Github a nd o ff ici a l Sl a ck ch a nnel for project coll a bor a tion / communic a tion linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
21. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Schedule: • J a nu a ry 2024: Project Kick O ff (for both Android a nd iOS) • Set up Github project bo a rds • Cre a ted epics from a pp wirefr a mes a nd then broken down further into sm a ller issues • Initi a l Github issues written up • Huge th a nks to Ceceli a for doing this project m a n a gement work 🎉 linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
22. Android and iOS Github project boards How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
23. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Schedule: • J a nu a ry 2024: Project Kick O ff (for both Android a nd iOS) • Th a nks for writing up beginner issues: • Sepideh (for Android) • Cl a udi a (for iOS) • Work on projects o ff ici a lly st a rts! First PRs from contributors st a rt getting merged within the f irst d a y or so of kick o ff events 🚀 linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
24. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Schedule: • Febru a ry 2024: St a tus Event for Android a nd iOS • Held St a tus Event for e a ch pl a tform over Zoom • iOS delivered MVP demo • Android demos progress so f a r, but struggling to m a ke MVP • Celebr a te contributors’ progress so f a r • Vui promotes a ctive contributor Sepideh to Android project m a int a iner st a tus • Vui cre a tes Github templ a tes for writing issues a nd PRs - contributors needed guid a nce beyond a “bl a nk” sl a te linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
25. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Schedule: • M a rch 2024: Wr a p Up Event for Android a nd iOS • Held Wr a p Up Event for e a ch pl a tform over Zoom • iOS delivered MVP + bonus fe a tures 🎉 • swipe to delete, t a sk priority • Android delivers MVP linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
26. How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel How Women Who Code Mobile Did It • Project Schedule: • M a rch 2024: Wr a p Up Event for Android a nd iOS • Projects wr a p up a nd a ll open issues a re closed • Fin a l celebr a tion of a ll contributors 🥳 • 12+ combined on e a ch pl a tform! • Meet a nd Greet a fter present a tion (not recorded) linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
27. Android Wrap Up Event How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl https://bit.ly/TaskTrackerAppAndroidWrapUpEvent
28. iOS Wrap Up Event How We Built Android and iOS Apps in Parallel linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl https://bit.ly/TaskTrackerAppiOSWrapUpEvent
29. Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Platform linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
30. Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Platform What Every CRUD Mobile App Needs • Architecture • MVVM: sep a r a te UI from business logic linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl iOS Project Structure Android Project Structure
31. Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Platform What Every CRUD Mobile App Needs • UI • Android: Jetp a ck Compose • iOS: SwiftUI • Logic • Android: Kotlin, ViewModels • iOS: Swift, ViewModels linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
32. Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Platform What Every CRUD Mobile App Needs • N a vig a tion • Android: Compose support for N a vig a tion (N a vController) • iOS: N a vig a tionSt a ck, N a vig a tionLink • Persistence • Android: • Room d a t a b a se • Use coroutines ( a synchronous c a lls) to a ccess d a t a b a se in b a ckground thre a d / scope • iOS: SwiftD a t a linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
33. Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Platform What Every CRUD Mobile App Needs • Binding d a t a to UI • Android: • Closures c a pture upd a ted st a te from UI • St a teFlows expose d a t a b a se to the ViewModel • ViewModel s a ves c a ptured st a te into d a t a b a se through St a teFlow • ViewModel upd a tes UI from d a t a b a se through St a teFlow • iOS: • SwiftUI property wr a pper @Published for T a sk Model • SwiftUI property wr a ppers @St a te a nd @Binding to set / get st a te from UI linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
34. Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Platform App Flows • Cre a te - Re a d: Add Flow • Upd a te: Edit Flow • Delete: Delete Flow linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
35. Add Flow linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
36. Add Flow - Android linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
37. Add Flow - iOS linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
38. List Screen - Navigation Android Side List Screen - Navigation iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Displ a y + Button on List Screen
39. Android Side iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl List Screen - Navigation List Screen - Navigation • Press + Button to N a vig a te to Det a il Screen
40. Android Side • N a vig a te to Det a il Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl List Screen - Navigation List Screen - Navigation
41. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Det a il Screen Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
42. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y D a te Button Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
43. Detail Screen Android Side • D a te Button Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
44. Detail Screen Android Side • D a te Button - displ a y D a te Picker Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
45. Detail Screen Android Side Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • D a te Button - displ a y D a te Picker
46. Detail Screen Android Side • D a te picker - upd a te st a te Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • st a te upd a ted in screen a nd / or view model but NOT in T a sk Model yet
47. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y TextField Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
48. Detail Screen Android Side • TextField Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
49. Detail Screen Android Side • TextField - upd a te st a te Detail Screen iOS Side • st a te upd a ted in screen a nd / or view model but NOT in T a sk Model yet linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
50. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Time Buttons Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
51. Detail Screen Android Side • Time Buttons - Displ a y Time Pickers Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
52. Detail Screen Android Side Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Time Buttons - Displ a y Time Pickers
53. Detail Screen Android Side Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Time Buttons - Displ a y Time Pickers
54. • Time Buttons - Displ a y Time Pickers Detail Screen Android Side Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Time Pickers - upd a te st a te
55. Detail Screen Android Side • Time Pickers - upd a te st a te Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • st a te upd a ted in screen a nd / or view model but NOT in T a sk Model yet
56. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Done Button Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
57. Detail Screen Android Side • Done Button Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
58. Detail Screen Android Side • T a pping on Done Button - S a ve New T a sk Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
59. Detail Screen Android Side • T a sk Model Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
60. Detail Screen Android Side • Done T a pped - S a ve New T a sk Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
61. Detail Screen Android Side • Done T a pped - S a ve New T a sk Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
62. Detail Screen Android Side • Done Button - N a vig a te b a ck to list Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
63. Detail Screen Android Side • Done Button - N a vig a te b a ck to list Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
64. List Screen - Return Android Side • Displ a y a dded t a sk List Screen - Return iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
65. List Screen - Return Android Side • Displ a y a dded t a sk List Screen - Return iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
66. Edit Flow linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
67. Edit Flow - Android and iOS linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
68. List Screen Android Side • Displ a y list of t a sks List Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
69. • T a p on Row - N a vig a te to Det a il Screen List Screen Android Side List Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
70. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y C a ncel Button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen
71. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y C a ncel Button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen
72. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y C a ncel Con f irm a tion Di a log iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen
73. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y C a ncel Con f irm a tion Di a log: T a p Ok a y button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen • Result: Dismiss Con f irm a tion Di a log a nd return to List screen • Discl a imer: c a rbon.now.sh a utocorrects != to ≠ 😥
74. Detail Screen Android Side iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen • Displ a y C a ncel Con f irm a tion Di a log: T a p C a ncel button • Result: Dismiss Con f irm a tion Di a log a nd st a y on Det a il screen
75. Detail Screen Android Side • T a pping on Done Button: S a ve Edited T a sk Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
76. Detail Screen Android Side • Done T a pped - S a ve Edited T a sk Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
77. Detail Screen Android Side • Done Button - N a vig a te b a ck to list Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
78. Detail Screen Android Side • Done Button - N a vig a te b a ck to list Detail Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
79. List Screen - Return Android Side • Displ a y upd a ted t a sk List Screen - Return iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
80. List Screen - Return Android Side • Displ a y upd a ted t a sk List Screen - Return iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
81. Delete Flow linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
82. Delete - Android and iOS linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
83. List Screen Android Side • Displ a y list of t a sks List Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
84. List Screen Android Side • T a p on Row - N a vig a te to Det a il Screen List Screen iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
85. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Delete Button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen
86. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Delete Button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen
87. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Delete Con f irm a tion Di a log iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen
88. Detail Screen Android Side iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen • Displ a y Delete Con f irm a tion Di a log: T a p C a ncel button • Result: Dismiss Con f irm a tion Di a log a nd st a y on Det a il screen
89. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Delete Con f irm a tion Di a log: T a p Ok a y button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen • Result: • ✅ Dismiss Con f irm a tion Di a log • Delete T a sk • Return to List screen
90. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Delete Con f irm a tion Di a log: T a p Ok a y button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen • Result: • ✅ Dismiss Con f irm a tion Di a log • ✅ Delete T a sk • Return to List screen
91. Detail Screen Android Side • Displ a y Delete Con f irm a tion Di a log: T a p Ok a y button iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl Detail Screen • Result: • ✅ Dismiss Con f irm a tion Di a log • ✅ Delete T a sk • ✅ Return to List screen
92. List Screen - Return Android Side • Displ a y upd a ted t a sks, deleted t a sk gone List Screen - Return iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
93. List Screen - Return Android Side List Screen - Return iOS Side linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Displ a y upd a ted t a sks, deleted t a sk gone
94. https://bit.ly/TaskTrackerAppAndroidDemo Task Tracker App Demo: Android linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl • Open Source Project for Women Who Code Mobile • Tr a cks T a sks Being Worked On • Tr a cks Time Spent on T a sks • CRUD Oper a tions
95. Putting it All Together Tips for Building a Standalone Android App • Use kickst a rter tutori a ls for found a tion a l knowledge: • Setting up development environment, Run a HelloWorld a pp in simul a tor, etc • Use s a mple a pplic a tions a s a st a rting point for wh a t you’re building: • for a rchitecture, infr a structure, a pp f low, etc. • Focus on le a rning the why: a rchitecture, theory, process for mobile development linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
96. Putting it All Together Tips for Building a Standalone Android App • For synt a x help a nd deeper dives in cert a in a re a s, use the following: • APIs: Android Studio, Google document a tion • Gener a tive AI tools : Gemini AI in Android Studio, Github copilot • Bonus, Option a l: • To pr a ctice in re a l life, contribute to open source a nd st a rt with beginner issues linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
97. Resources Open Source Projects - Task Tracker links • WWCodeMobile Github repo h a s been t a ken down 😭 • Fork: https://github.com/vuinguyen/WWCodeMobile • coding-projects/ a ndroid, br a nch: a ndroid-mvp- a pp • coding-projects/ios, br a nch: ios-mvp- a pp • Projects h a ve ended, no longer t a king contributions (but c a n use a s a reference) linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
98. Resources Android • Kotlin: https://developer. a ndroid.com/kotlin/s a mples • Compose: https://developer. a ndroid.com/courses/ a ndroid-b a sics- compose/course • Architecture: https://github.com/ a ndroid/ a rchitecture-s a mples • Architecture a nd Compose: https://github.com/skydoves/DisneyCompose/ linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
99. Resources Android • N a vig a tion: https://developer. a ndroid.com/develop/ui/compose/n a vig a tion • St a teFlow: https://developer. a ndroid.com/kotlin/ f low/st a te f low- a nd-sh a red f low • Coroutines: https://developer. a ndroid.com/kotlin/coroutines • Room d a t a b a se: https://developer. a ndroid.com/courses/p a thw a ys/ a ndroid-b a sics- compose-unit-6-p a thw a y-2 • Room d a t a b a se (with coroutines & concurrency) code l a b: • https://developer. a ndroid.com/codel a bs/b a sic- a ndroid-kotlin-compose- persisting-d a t a -room linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
100. Shoutouts 😍 linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
101. Android Group Project Maintainers and Contributors linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
102. iOS Group Project Maintainers and Contributors linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
103. My Talk Reviewers linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
104. • Introduce problem • Introduce myself • Go a ls for this t a lk • Introducing T a sk Tr a cker App: iOS • How We Built Android a nd iOS Apps in P a r a llel What We Covered Today linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
105. • Building a CRUD Mobile App on Any Pl a tform • Components of Every CRUD Mobile App • App Flows: • Cre a te - Re a d: Add Flow • Upd a te: Edit Flow • Delete: Delete Flow What We Covered Today linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
106. • Demo: T a sk Tr a cker App for Android • Putting it All Together: Tips for Building a St a nd a lone Android App • Resources • Shoutouts What We Covered Today linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl
107. Thanks! Questions? • I’m Vui Nguyen • @sun fi shgurl • linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl linktr.ee/sun fi shgurl