Unlike in the standard UI layout, preference definitions are stored in the res/xml resources folder. Each preference layout is defined as a hierarchy, beginning with a single PreferenceScreen element: You can include additional Preference Screen elements, each of which will be represented as a selectable element that will display a new screen when clicked. Within … Read more
The timing and techniques you use to download data can have a significant effect on battery life. The wireless radio on mobile devices draws significant power when active, so it’s important to consider how your application’s connectivity model may impact the operation of the underlying radio hardware Every time you create a new connection to … Read more
To use the Google Play Store, users must be signed in to a Google account on their phones; therefore, if your application connects to a Google App Engine backend to store and retrieve data related to a particular user, you can use the Account Manager to handle the authentication. The Account Manager enables you to … Read more
Software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing are becoming increasingly popular as companies try to reduce the cost overheads associated with installing, upgrading, and maintaining deployed software. The result is a range of rich Internet services with which you can build thin mobile applications that enrich online services with the personalization available from your … Read more
The query method takes a DownloadManager.Query object as a parameter. Use the setFilterById method on a Query object to specify a sequence of download reference IDs, or use the setFilterByStatus method to filter on a download status using one of the DownloadManager .STATUS_* constants to specify running, paused, failed, or successful downloads The Download Manager … Read more
The Download Manager was introduced in Android 2.3 (API level 9) as a Service to optimize the handling of long-running downloads. The Download Manager handles the HTTP connection and monitors connectivity changes and system reboots to ensure each download completes successfully To access the Download Manager, request the DOWNLOAD_SERVICE using the getSystemService method, as follows: … Read more
The earthquake feed XML is parsed here by the DOM parser Start by creating an Earthquake project featuring an Earthquake Activity. Create a new EarthquakeListFragment that extends ListFragment. This Fragment displays your list of earthquakes. public class EarthquakeListFragment extends ListFragment {} Modify the main.xml layout resource to include the Fragment you created in Step 2. … Read more
The XML Pull Parser API is available from the following libraries: It enables you to parse an XML document in a single pass. Unlike the DOM parser, the Pull Parser presents the elements of your document in a sequential series of events and tags Your location within the document is represented by the current event. … Read more
Using the Package Manager, you can enable and disable any of your application’s manifest Receivers at run time using the setComponentEnabledSetting method. You can use this technique to enable or disable any application component (including Activities and Services), but it is particularly useful for manifest Receivers. To minimize the footprint of your application, it’s good … Read more