Class Central is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Treehouse

Build a Simple Android App with Kotlin Course (How To)

via Treehouse

Overview

This course covers the very basics of Android development. We will build a simple app that will serve up some fun facts when you tap on a button. We introduce you to programming in Android, a tool for Android development called Android Studio, and some very basic concepts of the Android Software Development Kit, or SDK. By the end you will have a good idea of how a basic app works, and you will be armed with the knowledge to start building more.

What you'll learn

  • Android Studio
  • Using an emulator or device
  • Screen layouts
  • Android Views and Activities

Syllabus

Getting Started with Android

Making an Android app is easier than you think! Learn how to set up and use a few free tools to make a simple Fun Facts app that you can test on your computer. You don't even need an Android phone!

Chevron 6 steps
  • Introducing Android

    1:25

  • A Brief Introduction to Android Tools

    3:07

  • Android Tools

    5 questions

  • Creating the Fun Facts Project

    6:11

  • Running the Fun Facts Project

    5:18

  • Android Project Basics

    5 questions

Creating the Screen Layout

Before we start writing any code, let's create the screen layout we will use to display our fun facts.

Chevron 13 steps
  • Getting to Know Our Tools

    5:22

  • Android Tools Overview

    5 questions

  • Editing a Layout File

    4:58

  • Changing Text in a Layout

    1 objective

  • Adding a TextView

    3:55

  • Changing Text Size

    1 objective

  • Adding a Button

    4:30

  • Adding a Button

    1 objective

  • Setting Colors

    5:48

  • Setting Colors

    2 objectives

  • Setting Padding

    1:14

  • Setting a Fullscreen Theme

    3:38

  • Setting Padding

    1 objective

Basic Android Programming

Android apps are typically written in a programming language called Java. Let's take a deeper look at the concepts we need to make our button do something.

Chevron 8 steps
  • Accessing Views in Code: Declaring Variables

    5:41

  • Accessing Views in Code: Assigning Variables

    6:35

  • Initializing a Button

    1 objective

  • Making a Button Do Something

    3:56

  • Android Programming Basics

    5 questions

  • Generating a Random Number

    4:01

  • Choosing a Random Fact

    4:41

  • Using the Random Class

    1 objective

Improving Our Code

In this stage we'll take a moment to "refactor" our code. Then we'll add a new class to help us change the background color for each fact!

Chevron 11 steps
  • Simple Refactoring: Creating a New Class

    5:45

  • Creating a New Class

    2 objectives

  • Simple Refactoring: Using a New Class

    3:47

  • Simple Refactoring

    5 questions

  • Dynamically Changing the Background Color

    3:58

  • Dynamically Changing the Background Color

    1 objective

  • Adding More Colors

    3:52

  • Using the New Colors

    3:38

  • Adding Colors

    1 objective

  • Adding an App Icon

    4:47

  • Adding an App Icon

    3 questions

Testing and Debugging

We can't always see what's going on behind the scenes of our app. In this stage we'll learn how to use a few tools to monitor how the Fun Facts app is working and to troubleshoot problems. We'll also see how to run it on a real phone.

Chevron 9 steps
  • Toast Notifications

    4:11

  • Working with Toasts

    3 questions

  • The Android Log

    7:28

  • Writing to the Log

    2 objectives

  • Using the Debugger

    7:09

  • Using the Debugger

    5 questions

  • Running an App on a Device

    3:31

  • Running an App on a Device

    3 questions

  • Wrapping Up

    0:50

Reviews

Start your review of Build a Simple Android App with Kotlin Course (How To)

Never Stop Learning.

Get personalized course recommendations, track subjects and courses with reminders, and more.

Someone learning on their laptop while sitting on the floor.