Pro Android Python with SL4A Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been programming computers for about thirty years, but have just started programming on the Android platform in the last few months. I found this to be a great book that not only explains the SL4A (Scripting Layer for Android), but also provides a great primer for the underlying Android architecture. The book starts with an easy to understand explanation of the Android SDK & API, as well as the Eclipse development platform. The book covers the initial setup of the SDK under Windows & Linux. For my own development I am running Linux in Virtualbox, and while I was already setup, I found the setup instructions comprehensive. Adding SL4A to the phone took only a few minutes, and I was writing scripts to send SMS messages and do other cool things in just a few minutes more.
The book then delves into the SL4A platform (which offers a variety of languages in addition to Python). SL4A & Python also provide extensive access to the Android platform's wide range of features. I was especially impressed with the range of examples provided. One of the weaknesses I often find in programming books is that the examples can be contrived and not as helpful as they might be. This book provides great examples, and reading each one reinforces how much you can do with scripting.
In addition to the batch-like scripting, SL4A offers various dialog and HTML user interface options, and the book goes into what is necessary to provide these features. It concludes with a discussion of the steps needed to package your scripts for distribution.
My overall feeling about the book is favorable, and I can recommend it to anyone who wants to start Android development who has at least an intermediate level of programming experience.


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Pro Android Python with SL4A is for programmers and hobbyists who want to write apps for Android devices without having to learn Java first. Paul Ferrill leads you from installing the Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A) towriting small scripts, to more complicated and interesting projects, and finally to uploading and packaging your programs to an Android device. Android runs scripts in many scripting languages, but Python, Lua, and Beanshell are particularly popular. Most programmers know more than one programming language, so that they have the best tool for whatever task they want to accomplish. Pro Android Python with SL4A explores the world of Android scripting by introducing you to the most important open-source programming languages that are available on Android-based hardware. Pro Android Python with SL4A starts by exploring the Androidsoftware development kitand then shows you how to set up an Eclipse-based Android development environment. You then approach the world of Android programming by using Beanshell, which runs on the Dalvik, and learning how to write small programs to administer an Android device. Next, discover how Lua, a lightweight language perfectly suited for scripting on smaller devices, can work with Android. Lua can be used for small but important tasks, like SMS encryption and synchronizing photos with flickr. Last, but certainly not least, you will discover the world of Python scripting for SL4A, and the power contained within the full range of Python modules that can combine with the Android SDK. You'll learn to write small location-aware apps to get you started, but by the end of this book, you'll find yourself writing fully GUI-fied applications running on the Android desktop! Pro Android Python with SL4A is rounded out with a chapter on distributing and packaging scripts, a skill that you'll find very useful as you reach out to a wider audience with your programs.

What you'll learn
Understand the SL4A
Explore the Androidsoftware development kit
Write scripts to administer an Android phone
Write and execute full Python and applications
Learn how to write simple apps using Facades
Explore the full Android development process, from development to packaging

Who this book is for
This is a book for beginning and intermediate Android developers, and a book for anyone coding in Python, Lua or exploring Beanshell.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Getting Started with Android Scripting
Navigating the Android SDK
Developing Androids Scripts with Eclipse
Exploring the Android API
Background Scripting
Python Utilities
Python Dialog-Based GUIs
Python for GUI with WebUI
Packaging and Distributing Your Scripts

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Creating Web Pages All-in-One For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Review

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(More customer reviews)This a great place to start if you are new to web creation and design. This book does not go into a lot of detail, but it contains enough information (on 9 different subjects) to get you started. And then, if you want more in-depth information, you can go on to a more specialized book. And I'm sure they'll have a "Dummies" book for that. This book is really meant for people who are at the very beginning of the learning process when it come to web creation. It will give you enough of an idea about the different options available for creating web pages to help you make your decision as to which direction to take. If you already have some experience and are looking for refining your skills, then I'd recommond you skip this one.

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Learn all the core tools needed to create Web pages
Businesses, special-interest groups, families, and individuals are all relying on Web sites to communicate. This all-in-one guide offers one-stop shopping for all the information you need to put together powerful Web pages to get your point across and keep visitors coming back. Nine individual minibooks cover best design practices, online tools, Microsoft Expression Web, Dreamweaver, cascading style sheets, HTML and XHTML, graphics and multimedia, scripting, and Flash, arming you to create professional-looking pages.
Knowing how to build an effective Web site is important to businesses, groups, and even individuals today; this guide teaches how to use all the basic Web page tools
Explains what goes into a well-designed page and how to use available online tools such as Google Page Builder and Blogger as well as Microsoft's popular Expression Web tool, Dreamweaver, and CSS
Covers the core language behind Web sites, using graphics and multimedia, JavaScript, and Flash

Creating Web Pages All-in-One For Dummies prepares anyone to build Web pages that get attention.

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Android Application Development For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm going to preface this review by saying that I have been programming for about 15 years, and have been working professionally as a developer for almost 3 years. My background is in VB, C#, Javascript, HTML, and even a little dabbling in C/C++. With that in mind, my Java knowledge was essentially everything I had learned from C# (which is very similar), and the tutorials on Google's Android development website. You could argue Javascript may help, but they're so different that I don't think it counts as experience.
I finished all of the tutorials on Google's site and still felt like I wasn't really grasping the concept of Android development. For those of you who have developed in C#/VB for Windows or Windows Mobile, you may understand what I mean when I say that going from something so straight-forward as using Visual Studio and .NET languages to something a little more complex and code-heavy like C++ or Java while using an unfamiliar IDE like Eclipse can be a little daunting at first. Google's tutorials, while full of great examples, don't really take the time to explain the "why" and then "what" of Android development, and instead have a more confusing approach of "Step 1: Type all this code in; Step 2: That code you just type does [this]; Step 3: Run your application".
The first half of this book is incredibly informative, and after reading only a couple short paragraphs on things I've already tried to learn and failed, I really understood it this time. The author's tone and descriptions make even the most complicated topics very easy to understand. The author also likes to commonly encourage the reader, writing that we are "experts", and making assumptions that we understand what we just read, even after it was some insanely complicated thing that was described in detail across four pages. It seems like this approach might be little odd, but I liked it. It kept my confidence up as I was reading.
The second half of the book, while also great, starts a little on the fast track. There are other reviews that mention this, and although I partially agree, it's also worth mentioning that a lot of the things that are flown through quickly come together a little later in the book. However, the pace does seem to go from a "one line at a time" methodology into a "type these 60 lines of code in and I'll explain it later" sort of teaching. While I don't prefer this, and I think it's a bit messy, the information IS there; it's just harder to soak it all in than it was in the first half of the book. The application you are building at the end is quite large, and I have tried to think of an easier way the author could have filled me with the knowledge instead of the approach taken, but I really couldn't think of a better way, mainly due to the way the code has to be written for the particular task at hand.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it was a great introduction to Android development, and is leaps and bounds above Google's documentation, at least for a beginner. I wish the book was a little longer, and I wish the author didn't frequently say things like "I could write an entire book on [subject], so I won't go into detail about this. If you want to learn more, read the documentation at [Google link]." For these reasons, I gave it four stars instead of five. The fundamentals do exist in this book, but I would have liked to have seen more.
I would recommend this book for anyone with any sort of programming background looking to get into Android development. I would probably not recommend it to someone who has no programming background whatsoever.


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The fun and friendly guide to creating applications on the Android platform
The popularity of the Android market is soaring with no sign of slowing down. The open nature of the Android OS offers programmers the freedom to access the platform's capabilities and this straightforward guide walks you through the steps for creating amazing Android applications. Android programming expert Donn Felker explains how to download the SDK, get Eclipse up and running, code Android applications, and submit your finished products to the Android Market. Featuring two sample programs, this introductory book explores everything from the simple basics to more advanced aspects of the Android platform.
Takes you soup through nuts of developing applications for the Android platform
Begins with downloading the SDK, then explains how to code Android applications and submit projects to the Android Market
Written by Android guru Donn Felker, who breaks every aspect of developing applications for the Android platform into easily digestible pieces

No matter your level of programming experience, Android Application Development For Dummies is an ideal guide for getting started with developing applications for the Android platform.

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Beginning HTML, XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best written technical books that I've read lately. If you've wanted to know, "how do I make a web page from scratch?" this book will explain how, step by step. I'm already comfortable with most aspects of HTML, so I'm moving on to the more interesting areas: CSS and JavaScript. One of of my frustrations with CSS is remembering what properties to use, and this book has nice tables, examples, and exercises on this topic. This is almost like a textbook, or a self-help book. You don't need to be an absolute beginner to appreciate the organization of this book! I'm also interested in reading about the various JavaScript libraries that are popular today, including YUI and scriptaculous, which are discussed briefly. I don't really have anything that I'd like to see changed about this book. It's really up to the reader to decide what area to learn about next.

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An indispensable introductory guide to creating web pages using the most up-to-date standards
This beginner guide shows you how to use XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create compelling Web sites. While learning these technologies, you will discover coding practices such as writing code that works on multiple browsers including mobile devices, how to use AJAX frameworks to add interactivity to your pages, and how to ensure your pages meet accessible requirements.
Packed with real-world examples, the book not only teaches you how to write Web sites using XHTML, CSS and JavaScript, but it also teaches you design principles that help you create attractive web sites and practical advice on how to make web pages more usable. In addition, special checklists and appendices review key topics and provide helpful references that re-enforce the basics you've learned.
Serves as an ideal beginners guide to writing web pages using XHTML
Explains how to use CSS to make pages more appealing and add interactivity to pages using JavaScript and AJAX frameworks
Share advice on design principles and how to make pages more attractive and offers practical help with usability and accessibility
Features checklists and appendices that review key topics

This introductory guide is essential reading for getting started with using XHTML, CSS and JavaScript to create exciting and compelling Web sites.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

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