Summary

Learn the basics of Android and Java programming, and take the first step on your journey to becoming an Android developer!
This course is designed for students who are new to programming, and want to learn how to build Android apps. You don’t need any programming experience to take this course. If you’ve been using a smartphone to surf the web and chat with friends, then you’re our perfect target student!

Learning anything new can be tough. We will walk you through the process of making Android apps, but to get the most out of this course, you must bring your enthusiasm for learning, and budget time on your calendar to learn with us.

By the end of this course, you will have learned how to make your app interactive using buttons and changing text. You will have practiced those skills by making a basketball scores app, and you will have built a full coffee-ordering app.

If you’re curious about the road even farther ahead, these are the free courses that make up the Android Basics Nanodegree, in order:

• Android Basics: User Interface
• Android Basics: User Input (This Course)
• Android Basics: Multiscreen Apps
• Android Basics: Networking
• Android Basics: Data Storage

Expected Learning

If you're a consumer of technology, this course will help you to become a creator of technology. You are only limited by your imagination!

Android powers over 80 percent of the world’s smartphones, and represents an incredible opportunity for developers everywhere. The next billion people coming online will interact with the internet for the very first time on a mobile device. Building for Android gives you the best opportunity to reach these users and make an impact -- both in your community, and on the world.

Syllabus

Harness the power of Java to create an interactive coffee ordering app! You’ll start by writing simple statements in Java that add interactivity to your app. You’ll then incorporate buttons to trigger events. You’ll finally use a fundamental concept in programming, a variable, to keep track of all the coffee drinks ordered.

Reinforce the skills learned in Lesson 2 by creating a basketball score tracker. The first part of the practice set will solidify how to write and use variables before creating your basketball score tracker app.

Take a deeper dive into the Android Framework to complete the Just Java coffee ordering app! You’ll see in more detail how Android works behind the scenes and take your first steps towards learning Object Oriented Programming. You’ll add the ability to add toppings to your coffee, and show a detailed order summary when the customer purchases a coffee.

Required Knowledge

If you have learned the basics of Android layouts and XML, then this is the course for you!

We will use Android Studio to build our apps, so you should have access to a computer that can run Android Studio in order to follow along (see Android Studio's System Requirements for details). Don’t worry, you do not need to install Android Studio in advance -- we will provide detailed installation instructions as part of the course.

Access to an Android device is helpful, but not at all required.

Now, in case you have some programming experience, parts of this course may be too slow for you — you should feel free to skip those sections.

Finally, the most important prerequisite is a willingness to learn new things, and belief that you can do this!