Application components are the essential building blocks of an Android application. These components are loosely coupled by the application manifest file AndroidManifest.xml that describes each component of the application and how they interact.
There are following four main components that can be used within an Android application −
Sr.No
Components & Description
1
They dictate the UI and handle the user interaction to the smart phone screen.
They handle background processing associated with an application.
They handle communication between Android OS and applications.
They handle data and database management issues.
Activities
An activity represents a single screen with a user interface,in-short Activity performs actions on the screen. For example, an email application might have one activity that shows a list of new emails, another activity to compose an email, and another activity for reading emails. If an application has more than one activity, then one of them should be marked as the activity that is presented when the application is launched.
An activity is implemented as a subclass of Activity class as follows −
Services
A service is a component that runs in the background to perform long-running operations. For example, a service might play music in the background while the user is in a different application, or it might fetch data over the network without blocking user interaction with an activity.
A service is implemented as a subclass of Service class as follows −
Broadcast Receivers
Broadcast Receivers simply respond to broadcast messages from other applications or from the system. For example, applications can also initiate broadcasts to let other applications know that some data has been downloaded to the device and is available for them to use, so this is broadcast receiver who will intercept this communication and will initiate appropriate action.
A broadcast receiver is implemented as a subclass of BroadcastReceiver class and each message is broadcaster as an Intent object.
Content Providers
A content provider component supplies data from one application to others on request. Such requests are handled by the methods of the ContentResolver class. The data may be stored in the file system, the database or somewhere else entirely.
A content provider is implemented as a subclass of ContentProvider class and must implement a standard set of APIs that enable other applications to perform transactions.
We will go through these tags in detail while covering application components in individual chapters.
Additional Components
There are additional components which will be used in the construction of above mentioned entities, their logic, and wiring between them. These components are −
S.No
Components & Description
1
Represents a portion of user interface in an Activity.
UI elements that are drawn on-screen including buttons, lists forms etc.
View hierarchies that control screen format and appearance of the views.
Messages wiring components together.
External elements, such as strings, constants and drawable pictures.
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Android Application Class
W hile Starting App development, we tend to miss out simple basic stuffs either by ignorance or by curiosity to build million dollar app. But, Hey! Why so serious !. Building a App is bit of Art ,bit of Engineering and frequently both.
Activity Life Cycle is stages of activity in run time, knowing these would save you from headaches while you dive deeper in development.
I have written a post that will help you to understand activity lifecycle in a practical approach. Check it out
Android Activity Lifecycle
Android activity lifecycle is first thing to be known as android developer. Here I’m sharing with you some facts and…
Application class is a base class of Android app containing components like Activities and Services. Application or its sub classes are instantiated before all the activities or any other application objects have been created in Android app.
You Don’t have to import or extend application class, they are predefined. We cannot change application class but we could give additional instruction to it by extending it. Refer here for more info.
Create a java class named SubApplication and Application as Superclass
By extending Application class you could get boilerplate code like this
Check in AndroidManifest.xml and set Application name to SubApplication that you created
Lets take a situation where we should know which activity is currently running and we have to use register network receiver in all our activities. To this we used to write same code in all the activities or write a base class and extend that class instead of extending AppCompactActivity.
We have Activity Life cycle in one hand and Application class in another, what sense they make? Well actually they do? Let’s look into it.
In application class create static Activity variable it is accessible from whole project.
2. Register Activity Life Cycle callback in onCreate method in application class. By this step we can get currently running activity in our app from mActivity.
3.Moving on to next, Create a Broadcast Receiver and write a method to check the internet connection. you can get the code here .
4. Register your broadcast receiver in Manifest File
But for SDK Above Nougat we need to register receiver and unregister in every activity we use programmatically or We can just register and unregister Commonly in Application class.
5. Create a Object for Broadcast Receiver in application class and Register it in onResume method and Unregister in onPause method.
Bit confused! Don’t Worry, Here is the Link to the files.
Thanks for reading out the article. Let me know if I have missed out something interesting so that I can be added. Be sure to clap/recommend as much as you can and also share with your friends.
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Main Categories and Types of Mobile Apps
Introduction
Smartphone apps have become an integral part of modern people’s lives. As the number of mobile devices grows, the need for application development also increases. Different types of mobile applications help us organize work and leisure time, find out the latest news, and communicate with our friends and family. In this article, I would like to compare various mobile app categories and types to help you understand how to approach the app development process and analyze the competition by exploring products of the same type in stores.
Table of Contents
Mobile app categories
There are three main categories of mobile applications on the market. The choice in favour of mobile app categories is based on various parameters, such as timelines for development, budget, and some app’s specifications. Also, do not forget that the choice of the required category is based on the needs of your customers. Let’s take a closer look at these categories and find out what is the main difference between them all.
Native apps
These applications are called native because they are written in a programming language that is native to a particular platform. For Android, this language can be Java or Kotlin, while for iOS it is Objective-C or Swift.
Native apps are designed specifically for a certain platform and can use the full range of the device’s capabilities – camera, GPS sensor, accelerometer, compass, contact list, and so on. They can recognize standard gestures installed on the operating system by default or use completely new gestures unique to a particular solution. It’s worth saying that many native apps can work without an Internet connection.
Since native applications are optimized for a specific OS, they fit organically into any smartphone, meaning that their speed and performance stability remain the same no matter the device.
Native apps can have access to the device’s notification system, and, depending on the purpose of the application, can completely or partially act without an Internet connection.
Mobile web applications
A mobile web application is essentially a website that is adapted and optimized for any smartphone. The only thing one needs to use is a browser, as well as an Internet connection (which is necessary to access).
When working with mobile web solutions, users perform all the actions they perform when going to any website, while also getting the opportunity to “install” these apps on their desktops via creating a bookmark of the webpage.
Mobile web applications are cross-platform, which means they can function independently of the device. Them not using device-specific software is their trump card. What’s more, since they are a mobile version of a site with enhanced interaction functions, web apps do not take up any storage space on the smartphone.
Web applications became widespread around the time HTML5 began to evolve and people realized that they could access much of the native app functionality through a regular browser. It’s difficult to say exactly where the clear boundary between mobile web applications and regular web pages lies since HTML5 is becoming more advanced by the day, and more and more sites choose to use it to its full extent.
Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps are very similar to mobile apps but have their differences. Such apps are developed for different OSs at the same time in one programming language. As a result, it saves devs lots of headaches associated with developing separate app versions for every OS. In addition, like native apps, they require access to the device’s capabilities. But, unlike native apps, for stable work, it is necessary to have an Internet connection.
Mobile app types
At the moment, applications have firmly entered our lives. There are a huge number of different types of apps in the marketplace. Today, even companies that never needed apps are coming into play. While some of them go out of their way to stay on top of technology and improve their apps, many are simply meeting customer demand for an app that makes their lives easier.
There are many types of apps within which you can develop something new. You can read about many of them further.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle apps are conquering the mobile app market because they streamline our daily chores. Such mobile applications help us find and improve people’s homes and offices, take up new hobbies, look good and feel good, remind us to go to the gym or drink the right amount of water, help us find our soulmate, etc.
Social Media
Social networks are a global trend that will not lose their relevance anytime soon. Messengers, business social networks, social media storages, directories, and corporate social networks are only a fraction of what the social media industry has to offer.
Utility
Utility applications are used almost every day and by almost every person. They exist to quickly satisfy certain needs. Examples of such applications are a calculator, an alarm clock, a QR scanner, or a flashlight.
Entertainment
Nobody uses their smartphone for phone calls only – it’s also an extremely popular entertainment tool. There is a huge number of apps that are designed with this function in mind. Watching videos, reading books, and listening to music is only a small part of the services these solutions provide.
Productivity
The purpose of these applications is to organize specific processes and tasks to make them more efficient and to save the user’s time and energy. Just like utility apps, they can be simple but very useful in everyday life. Among these applications, there are task managers, to-do lists, calendars, password managers, data viewers, email services, notes creators, and cloud storage applications.
News and Magazines
A smartphone allows you to be in the center of all worldly events, as well as to stay informed on all the topics that are interesting to you specifically. A huge number of applications provide users with the opportunity to read various magazines and newspapers that cater to all possible interests.
Educational
These days there are thousands of applications that help users learn anything from foreign languages to musical instruments – the choice is nearly limitless.
Games
This type of app needs no description – every smartphone includes at least one simple game to pass the time by default.
Travel
These applications can become a great assistant not only to those who travel the world but also to those who just need to find a way to a certain destination in their city. This can include online maps, taxi apps, apps for finding and booking tickets and apartments, and so on.
Food
This type of application has become more popular than ever due to the pandemic. Food ordering apps allow you to purchase food from various establishments, find interesting recipes, get cooking advice, and so on.
Finance
These applications help users effectively organize all their finances. Such apps include budget planners, trading tools, mobile banking, etc.
Photo and Video
This type of application is a godsend to those actively involved in film and photography. These apps aggregate many different functions for editing photos and videos, allowing you to make little masterpieces of your own.
Shopping
These apps also gained more popularity during the pandemic, as they allow you to make purchases from the comfort of your home and without letting go of your smartphone. A huge selection of such applications allows you to purchase almost any goods one could need.
Conclusion
There is a massive number of applications available today, so much so that you can satisfy almost every basic need by just using your smartphone. With how many niches there are, there’s bound to be an audience for any application. Don’t hesitate, start looking for a team of professionals who can develop a perfect app for you!
Bamboo Agile is one such team of professionals. We create mobile applications by using the most renowned and powerful technologies in the mobile development industry. Contact us now by filling out the form on our website, and we will be happy to discuss your mobile application project!
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