Android is an operating system created and developed by Google, and designed primarily for touchscreen devices. It is open-source, with applications being built in Java using the Android software development kit (SDK).
Compared to Apple's iOS operating system, Android is a much more open platform, meaning that programmers outside of Google can manipulate and contribute to its development. Additionally, there are more development tools available, though when it comes to IDEs, most developers still go with the official one: Android Studio.
You'll need to learn the basics of Java, and then become familiar with the Android SDK before moving on to work on your capstone project.
- Learn Java language basics, or “procedural Java"
- Syntax
- Data types
- Loops and conditionals
- Learn object-oriented concepts
- Classes: properties and methods
- Access modifiers: public, private, protected, package
- Polymorphism, inheritance, encapsulation
- Learn Android SDK basics
The time to learn these tasks can be highly variable, depending on which resources you use, how many hours per week you are able to devote to learning, and what type of support you have (online via message boards, in-person at meetups, etc). Focus on learning all of these topics, rather than hitting the specified number of hours.