kotlin android app development course, compatibility with phone sizes

In the modern mobile environment, various devices are connecting.
Accordingly, app developers must design and write code to accommodate different screen sizes and resolutions.
This course will cover how to ensure compatibility with different phone sizes while developing Android apps using Kotlin.

1. Understanding Screen Sizes and Resolutions

Android devices come with various screen sizes and resolutions, so developers must support them all.
Screen sizes are categorized by diagonal length, and resolutions vary by the number of pixels.
In Android, the screen size and resolution are combined to use “density-independent pixels (DP)” for designing the UI.

1.1 The Concepts of DP and SP

DP (density-independent pixel) helps provide a consistent UI across various screen sizes.
SP is a unit that follows the user’s font size settings and is used when specifying text size.

2. Managing Layout Resources

In Android, various layout folders can be used to provide layouts that match screen sizes and densities.
For example, the layout folders are as follows:

  • res/layout: Default layout
  • res/layout-small: Layout for small screens
  • res/layout-large: Layout for large screens
  • res/layout-xlarge: Layout for extra-large screens
  • res/layout-sw600dp: Layout for widths over 600dp (e.g., 7-inch tablets)

2.1 Example: Using Different Layout Resources

Below is an example of activity_main.xml.
You can define different layouts based on screen sizes in the layout.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Hello World!" />

</LinearLayout>

3. Adaptive Screen Design

Responsive Design is a technique for creating apps that look consistent across various screens.
To achieve this, you can use ConstraintLayout.
ConstraintLayout provides flexible layouts for different screen sizes, allowing you to design apps for various devices without separate layout files.

3.1 Using ConstraintLayout

Below is a simple UI configuration using ConstraintLayout.

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Hello World!"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

    </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

4. Adjusting Fonts and Scale Settings

Adjusting fonts for various screen sizes is also very important.
For this, you can place various sizes of fonts in the res folder.
Additionally, you can use scale to adjust the size of text according to density.

4.1 Defining Font Resources

<TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Hello World!"
        android:textSize="16sp" />

5. Dynamic Layout Adjustment

Dynamically adjusting layouts is important as it considers various user environments.
For example, you can use Fragments to provide different layouts on various screens.

5.1 Fragment Example Code

class ExampleFragment : Fragment() {
        override fun onCreateView(
            inflater: LayoutInflater, container: ViewGroup?,
            savedInstanceState: Bundle?
        ): View? {
            return inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_example, container, false)
        }
    }

6. Optimization and Testing

Finally, it’s essential to test and optimize the app on various screen sizes.
To do this, you should conduct tests in Android Emulator and on actual devices of various sizes.

6.1 Device Testing

Android Studio supports emulators with various screen sizes,
allowing you to verify behavior on real devices.

Conclusion

To develop Android apps compatible with various screen sizes and densities,
it is essential to understand and apply various techniques and design principles.
In Android development using Kotlin, you should utilize units such as DP and SP,
manage various layout resources, and efficiently use ConstraintLayout.

kotlin android app development course, setting permissions

Setting permissions in Android application development is a very important aspect. Permissions mean the rights that an application requests from the user to use specific features or data, and proper permission settings contribute to improving user experience and enhancing security. In this course, we will explore how to set permissions in Android applications using Kotlin in detail.

1. Understanding Permissions

In Android, permissions must be requested when using various functions such as network access, camera, and location information. These permissions may be required at the time the user installs the app or requested at runtime when specific features are used. Permissions can be broadly classified into two categories:

  • Static Permissions: Declared in the application’s AndroidManifest.xml file and approved by the user upon installation.
  • Dynamic Permissions: A concept introduced after Marshmallow (Android 6.0, API 23), which are requested from the user at runtime.

2. Setting Permissions in AndroidManifest.xml

Static permissions are declared in the application’s AndroidManifest.xml file. For example, to set camera access permission, the following code should be added.

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA"/>

The above code is essential for apps that use the camera. It is advisable to clearly state all required permissions and explain the permissions requested from the user.

3. Requesting Dynamic Permissions

Dynamic permissions are requested from the system while the application is running. Below, we will look at how to request permissions for the camera and location information.

3.1 Installing Permission Request Library

To handle permission requests more easily, you can use the ActivityCompat and ContextCompat classes provided by Android. These classes provide various methods related to permission requests. Now, let’s go through a simple example of requesting dynamic permissions.

3.2 Code Example

The following is the complete code of a simple Android app that requests camera and location information.

import android.Manifest
import android.content.pm.PackageManager
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
import androidx.core.app.ActivityCompat
import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
import android.os.Bundle
import android.widget.Button
import android.widget.Toast

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    
    private val CAMERA_REQUEST_CODE = 100
    private val LOCATION_REQUEST_CODE = 101
    
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
        
        val buttonCamera = findViewById

3.3 Code Explanation

The above code requests camera and location information from the user. The requestCameraPermission and requestLocationPermission methods check and request camera and location permissions, respectively. The ActivityCompat.requestPermissions method sends the permission request. The results of this request are handled in the onRequestPermissionsResult method.

4. Precautions When Requesting Permissions

There are several precautions to consider when requesting permissions:

  • If a user denies a permission, provide an alternative method. For example, if camera permission is denied, you could provide an option to choose a photo instead of using the camera.
  • Clearly explain the purpose of the permission to the user to encourage them to grant the permission. For example, it is advisable to add descriptions like “Needed for providing location-based services” when requesting location permission.
  • Not all apps need all permissions. Requesting unnecessary permissions can cause undue inconvenience to users, so it is preferable to request only the permissions that are absolutely necessary.

5. Conclusion

Permission settings are a crucial part of Android applications, essential for protecting users’ personal information and effectively utilizing the application’s features. This course covered how to set permissions using Kotlin. By requesting the necessary permissions from users, enhance the functionality of your application.

We will continue to cover Android development related content in the future. In the next course, we will delve deeper into user interface design, so please stay tuned!

Author: [Author Name]

Date: [Date]

Kotlin Android app development course, storing in a file

How to effectively store data in Android app development is very important. User data should be stored securely and should be easy to manage. In this course, we will learn how to store and manage data in Android through the file system using Kotlin. This article will cover internal storage, external storage, and file input/output (I/O) in depth.

1. Overview of the Android File System

Android has two main storage options: internal storage and external storage. Each storage type differs in terms of access methods and the persistence of stored data.

1.1 Internal Storage

Internal storage is an application-specific area that cannot be accessed by other applications. Data stored here is deleted when the application is uninstalled. Internal storage is suitable for storing sensitive data.

1.2 External Storage

External storage is accessible by general users, not just the application. This typically includes external memory devices like SD cards. Data stored in external storage remains even if the application is deleted. Therefore, it is suitable for storing public data that can be shared with users.

2. Basics of File Input/Output (I/O)

File input/output (Files I/O) allows you to set up processes for reading and writing data. To access the Android file system in Kotlin, you need to perform the following tasks:

  • Create and write files
  • Read files
  • Delete files

2.1 Writing Files

First, let’s look at an example of code to write a file to internal storage.

 
fun writeToFile(filename: String, data: String) {
    // Write file to internal storage
    context.openFileOutput(filename, Context.MODE_PRIVATE).use { output ->
        output.write(data.toByteArray())
    }
}

The above function takes the file name and data as parameters and writes that data to a file in internal storage.

2.2 Reading Files

Now let’s see how to read the file we wrote.


fun readFromFile(filename: String): String {
    // Read file from internal storage
    return context.openFileInput(filename).bufferedReader().use { it.readText() }
}

This function takes the file name as a parameter and returns the contents of the file as a string.

2.3 Deleting Files

Now let’s learn how to delete a specific file. You can delete a file by passing its name as a parameter.


fun deleteFile(filename: String) {
    context.deleteFile(filename)
}

3. Saving Files to External Storage

Now let’s see how to save files to external storage. To access external storage, you must set the appropriate permissions. Below is an example code for saving a file to external storage.

3.1 Requesting Permissions

To write data to external storage, the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission is required. Therefore, you need to add the following code to your AndroidManifest.xml file:


<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />

3.2 Writing Files

Below is how to write a file to external storage.


fun writeToExternalFile(filename: String, data: String) {
    val directory = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOCUMENTS)
    val file = File(directory, filename)
    
    file.writeText(data)
}

This code is an example of writing a file to the user’s documents directory.

3.3 Reading Files

The code to read a file from external storage is as follows.


fun readFromExternalFile(filename: String): String {
    val directory = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOCUMENTS)
    val file = File(directory, filename)
    
    return file.readText()
}

3.4 Deleting Files

Here’s how to delete a file from external storage.


fun deleteExternalFile(filename: String) {
    val directory = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOCUMENTS)
    val file = File(directory, filename)
    
    if (file.exists()) {
        file.delete()
    }
}

4. Example App Project

Now, let’s create a simple Android app using all the above code. We will build an app that allows users to input text and write, read, and delete it from both internal and external storage.

4.1 Setting Up the Android Studio Project

Open Android Studio and create a new project. Choose an appropriate package name and minimum SDK.

4.2 Designing the UI

Open the activity_main.xml file and set up the UI as follows:


<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:padding="16dp">

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/editText"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:hint="Input data"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnSaveInternal"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Save to Internal Storage"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnSaveExternal"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Save to External Storage"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnReadInternal"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Read from Internal Storage"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnReadExternal"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Read from External Storage"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnDeleteInternal"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Delete Internal Storage File"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnDeleteExternal"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Delete External Storage File"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textViewOutput"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Result Output"/>
    
</LinearLayout>

4.3 Adding Code to MainActivity.kt

Now let’s add the following code to the MainActivity.kt file to manage button click events and handle file I/O operations.


class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    
    private lateinit var editText: EditText
    private lateinit var textViewOutput: TextView

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

        editText = findViewById(R.id.editText)
        textViewOutput = findViewById(R.id.textViewOutput)
        
        findViewById

5. Conclusion

Through this course, we have learned how to use the file system in Android. We acquired basic skills to store and read data via internal and external storage, and implement this using Kotlin. These features will significantly help you in managing user data securely in your apps. The next step is to explore more complex data storage methods such as databases.

6. Learn More

Look for additional resources on Android and Kotlin and experiment with more examples. This will enhance your understanding of Android app development and help you address more complex data management issues.

kotlin android app development course, firebase cloud messaging

In recent years, the development of mobile apps has significantly changed the way we communicate with users. In particular,
Push Notifications have established themselves as an effective means of communication with users.
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is a push notification service provided by Google, which is easy to integrate into applications, making it popular among many developers.
In this article, we will explain how to set up and use FCM during the development process of Android apps using Kotlin.

1. Introduction to Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)

FCM is a service for sending messages between the application server and the client app. This allows developers to send notifications to users in real-time and push notifications in response to specific events within the application.
For example, users can receive notifications when a friend comments on a post in a social media app, or when they receive rewards in a gaming app.

2. Installing and Setting Up FCM

2.1 Creating a Firebase Project

  1. Login to the Firebase console (https://console.firebase.google.com/).

  2. Create a new project, enter the project name, and click ‘Continue’.

  3. You can enable Google Analytics if desired, or disable it and click the ‘Create’ button.

  4. In the project dashboard, click the Android icon to add an Android app.

  5. Enter the package name, app nickname, etc., and click ‘Register App’.

  6. Download the google-services.json file and add it to the ‘app’ directory of your app.

2.2 Gradle Setup

Add the Google Services plugin and Firebase dependencies to the project’s build.gradle file.

        
        // Project level build.gradle
        buildscript {
            dependencies {
                // Add this line
                classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:4.3.10'
            }
        }
        // App level build.gradle
        apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
        apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'

        dependencies {
            // Add this line
            implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging-ktx:23.0.0'
        }
        
    

3. Creating a Service for Receiving Messages

To receive messages from FCM, you need to create a service that extends FirebaseMessagingService. The service you create will
receive messages from the FCM server and handle them appropriately.

        
        class MyFirebaseMessagingService : FirebaseMessagingService() {
            override fun onMessageReceived(remoteMessage: RemoteMessage) {
                // Called when a message is received.
                remoteMessage.notification?.let {
                    showNotification(it.title, it.body)
                }
            }

            private fun showNotification(title: String?, message: String?) {
                // Code to create and display the notification
                val notificationManager =
                    getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE) as NotificationManager

                val notificationBuilder = NotificationCompat.Builder(this, "YOUR_CHANNEL_ID")
                    .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_notification)
                    .setContentTitle(title)
                    .setContentText(message)
                    .setPriority(NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_HIGH)

                notificationManager.notify(0, notificationBuilder.build())
            }
        }
        
    

4. Managing FCM Tokens

The client app receives a unique token from FCM to receive messages. This token can be registered on the server to
send notifications to specific clients. Write code to manage and receive updates for the token.

        
        class MyFirebaseMessagingService : FirebaseMessagingService() {
            override fun onNewToken(token: String) {
                super.onNewToken(token)
                // Logic to register the new token with the server
                sendTokenToServer(token)
            }

            private fun sendTokenToServer(token: String) {
                // Code to send the token to the server
            }
        }
        
    

5. Sending FCM Messages

On the server side, messages are sent using the issued FCM token. This is done by generating messages on a web server rather than a smartphone,
and sending them to the FCM server. For instance, you can write code to send messages using Express.js on a Node.js server.

        
        const admin = require("firebase-admin");
        admin.initializeApp();

        function sendNotification(token, title, body) {
            const message = {
                notification: { title: title, body: body },
                token: token
            };

            admin.messaging().send(message)
                .then((response) => {
                    console.log("Successfully sent message:", response);
                })
                .catch((error) => {
                    console.log("Error sending message:", error);
                });
        }
        
    

6. Testing and Verification

Now the FCM setup is complete. Run the app to test if it can receive push notifications.
Send a message using the token from the FCM server and verify that the message received in the client app is displayed correctly.

7. Conclusion

With Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), developers can send notifications to users in various ways.
You have learned how to integrate FCM into an Android app through the processes described above.
Push notifications can greatly enhance the user experience and increase app engagement, so make sure to take advantage of them.

8. Additional Resources

Firebase Official Documentation: https://firebase.google.com/docs/cloud-messaging
Android Developer Documentation: https://developer.android.com/training/notify-user/group

Kotlin Android app development course, understanding Firebase

Author: Your Name | Date: October 1, 2023

1. Introduction

Today, cloud functionality is essential in mobile application development. If you are an Android developer, it is important to understand cloud services not only to write code but also to manage user data securely and enhance app features. In this course, we will thoroughly cover how to develop Android apps using Kotlin by leveraging Google’s Firebase.

Firebase offers various cloud-based services, particularly real-time databases, authentication, hosting, storage, and analytics, which are highly useful. In this course, we will learn the basic concepts of Firebase and how to create a simple Android application using Kotlin.

2. What is Firebase?

Firebase is a mobile and web application development platform provided by Google.
Firebase offers a serverless architecture, helping developers create and deploy applications quickly and easily. The main features include:

  • Real-time Database: Supports real-time data synchronization and storage.
  • Authentication: Makes user authentication and management easy.
  • Cloud Functions: Allows execution of server-side logic in the cloud.
  • Hosting: Supports static web hosting.
  • Analytics: Provides application usage analytics features.

3. Setting Up the Project

3.1 Creating a Firebase Project

To use Firebase, you must first create a project in the Firebase Console.
Follow the steps below to create a Firebase project:

  1. Log in to the Firebase Console.
  2. Click ‘Add Project’ to create a new project.
  3. Enter the project name and choose whether to enable Google Analytics.
  4. Then click ‘Create Project’.

3.2 Adding an Android App

Once you have created a Firebase project, you can now add an Android app to Firebase.
Enter the app package name, app nickname, etc., and click the ‘Register App’ button.

You need to download the google-services.json file from Firebase and place it in the app folder of your Android project.
This file sets up communication between Firebase and the application. Then, add the following Gradle configuration:

dependencies {
    // Firebase Analytics
    implementation platform('com.google.firebase:firebase-bom:32.0.0')
    implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-analytics-ktx'
}

4. Using Firebase Features

In this section, we will create a simple application using the main features of Firebase.
We will use Firebase Realtime Database and Authentication features.

4.1 Using Firebase Authentication

Firebase Authentication provides a simple way to handle user authentication.
In this example, we will use email/password authentication.

First, go to the Authentication section of the Firebase console and enable the ‘Email/Password’ option in ‘Sign-in Method’.
Then implement user registration and login using the code below.

class LoginActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    
    private lateinit var auth: FirebaseAuth

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_login)

        auth = FirebaseAuth.getInstance()

        val loginButton: Button = findViewById(R.id.loginButton)
        loginButton.setOnClickListener { login() }

        val registerButton: Button = findViewById(R.id.registerButton)
        registerButton.setOnClickListener { register() }
    }

    private fun login() {
        val email = findViewById(R.id.emailEditText).text.toString()
        val password = findViewById(R.id.passwordEditText).text.toString()

        auth.signInWithEmailAndPassword(email, password)
            .addOnCompleteListener(this) { task ->
                if (task.isSuccessful) {
                    val user = auth.currentUser
                    Toast.makeText(baseContext, "Login Successful: ${user?.email}", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
                } else {
                    Toast.makeText(baseContext, "Login Failed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
                }
            }
    }

    private fun register() {
        val email = findViewById(R.id.emailEditText).text.toString()
        val password = findViewById(R.id.passwordEditText).text.toString()

        auth.createUserWithEmailAndPassword(email, password)
            .addOnCompleteListener(this) { task ->
                if (task.isSuccessful) {
                    Toast.makeText(baseContext, "Registration Successful", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
                } else {
                    Toast.makeText(baseContext, "Registration Failed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
                }
            }
    }
}

4.2 Using Firebase Realtime Database

Firebase Realtime Database is a database that allows real-time storage and synchronization of JSON data.
In this example, we will explore how to store and retrieve user information in the database.

First, create a Realtime Database in the Firebase console and set the rules as follows:

{
    "rules": {
        ".read": "auth != null",
        ".write": "auth != null"
    }
}

Then, write code to add and read simple data.

class DatabaseActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

    private lateinit var database: DatabaseReference

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_database)

        database = FirebaseDatabase.getInstance().getReference("users")
    }

    private fun saveUser(name: String, email: String) {
        val userId = database.push().key
        val user = User(userId, name, email)

        database.child(userId!!).setValue(user)
            .addOnSuccessListener { Log.d("Database", "Data saved successfully") }
            .addOnFailureListener { Log.d("Database", "Data save failed") }
    }

    private fun loadUsers() {
        database.addValueEventListener(object : ValueEventListener {
            override fun onDataChange(dataSnapshot: DataSnapshot) {
                for (snapshot in dataSnapshot.children) {
                    val user = snapshot.getValue(User::class.java)
                    Log.d("Database", "User: ${user?.name}, Email: ${user?.email}")
                }
            }

            override fun onCancelled(databaseError: DatabaseError) {
                Log.e("Database", "Error loading data: ${databaseError.message}")
            }
        })
    }
}

data class User(val id: String? = null, val name: String? = null, val email: String? = null)

5. Practical Example

Based on what we’ve learned so far, let’s create a simple Android application for user registration and storing user information in the database.
The overall flow is as follows:

  1. The user registers with an email and password.
  2. After registration, the user information is saved to the Firebase Realtime Database.
  3. The saved user information is retrieved and displayed in a list.

The GUI is structured using Activity and Layout files.
Set up the layout with the following XML code and handle the user interface in the Activity.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/emailEditText"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:hint="Email" />

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/passwordEditText"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:hint="Password"
        android:inputType="textPassword" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/registerButton"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Register" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/loginButton"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Login" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/userListTextView"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="User List"/>
</LinearLayout>

6. Conclusion

Firebase offers many advantages for Android app development. It allows easy implementation of database management, user authentication, cloud features, thereby significantly reducing development time and effort.
I hope the previous examples helped you understand the basic usage of Firebase and the process of developing Android apps using Kotlin.

I encourage you to further learn and utilize the various features of Firebase to develop richer and more user-friendly mobile applications.

Thank you for reading this tutorial to the end. If you would like more content, please leave a comment!