Android 6 Essentials

Yossi Elkrief

• Verlag: Packt Publishing
• Jahr: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781785884412
• Auflage: 1
• Thema: Ciencia de la computación
• Thema: Programación de dispositivos móviles

Design, build, and create your own applications using the full range of features available in Android 6

About This Book

• Learn how to utilize the robust features of Android 6 to design, develop, and publish better Android applications
• Get useful guidance on creating new apps or migrating existing apps to support features such as app permissions, app links, fingerprint authentication, etc
• A fast paced guide, packed with hands-on examples that ties all the features such as API, audio, video, camera, tab customization together under a single cover

Who This Book Is For

This book is for Android developers who are looking to move their applications into the next Android version with ease.

What You Will Learn

• Familiarize yourself with the features of Android 6
• Code with the new Android permissions model
• Use apps auto backup and restore lost data automatically
• Increase user engagement with apps through an assistant using triggers and providing contextual assistance
• Assess and handle proper usage of the API
• Work with Audio, Video, Camera in Android 6
• Utilize the new features in Android for professional purposes
• Understand and code Chrome's custom tabs

In Detail

Android 6 is the latest and greatest version of the Android operating system, and comes packed with cutting edge new features for you to harness for the benefit of building better applications.

This step-by-step guide will take you through the basics of the Android Marshmallow permissions model and beyond into other crucial areas such as the Audio, Video, Camera API and Android's at work features. Learn how to create, deploy, and manage Android applications with Marshmallow's API and the latest functionalities.

The combination of instructions and real-world examples will make your application deployment and testing a breeze.

Style and approach

This easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorial provides explanations and examples to add the new Android 6 features to your skill set. Each chapter provides sequential steps and detailed information about the API, as well as best practices and testing options.

Android 6 Essentials

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Table of Contents

Android 6 Essentials

Credits

About the Author

Acknowledgments

About the Reviewer

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why subscribe?

Free access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Android Marshmallow Permissions

An overview of Android permissions

Permissions

Permission group definitions

Permissions that imply feature requirements

Viewing the permissions for each app

Understanding Android Marshmallow permissions

An overview

Permission groups

Runtime permissions

Taking coding permissions into account

Testing permissions

Coding for runtime permissions

Best practices and usage notes

Minimalism is a great option

Asking for too many permissions at once

Honesty can be a great policy

Need support handling runtime permissions?

Some permissions are normal and safer to use

Summary

2. App Links

The Android Intent system

Creating a website association

Why this file?

Triggering app link verification

App link settings and management

Testing app links

Checking manifest and listing domains

The Digital Asset Links API

Testing our intent

Checking policies using adb

Summary

3. Apps' Auto Backup

An overview

Data backup configuration

Including or excluding data

The backup configuration syntax

Opting out from app data backup

Backup configuration testing

Setting backup logs

Testing the backup phase

Testing the restore phase

Troubleshooting

Important bytes

What to exclude from the backup

BackupAgent and backup events

Summary

4. Changes Unfold

Power-saving modes

The Doze mode

What happens to apps when a device is dozing?

Testing apps with Doze mode

The App Standby mode

What happens to apps when in the App Standby mode?

Testing apps with the App Standby mode

Excluded apps and settings

Tips

Removable storage adoption

Apache HTTP client removal

Notifications

Text selection

Support library notice

Android Keystore changes

Wi-Fi and networking changes

Runtime

Hardware identifier

APK validation

USB connection

Direct Share

What if we have nothing to share?

Direct Share best practices

Voice interactions

The Assist API

Bluetooth API Changes

Bluetooth stylus support

Improved Bluetooth low energy scanning

Summary

5. Audio, Video, and Camera Features

Audio features

Support for the MIDI protocol

MidiManager

Digital audio capture and playback

Audio and input devices

Information on audio devices

Changes in AudioManager

Video features

android.media.MediaSync

MediaCodecInfo.CodecCapabilities.getMaxSupportedInstances

Why do we need to know this?

MediaPlayer.setPlaybackParams

Camera features

The flashlight API

The reprocessing API

android.media.ImageWriter

android.media.ImageReader

Changes in the camera service

Summary

6. Android for Work

Behavioral changes

The work profile contacts display option

Wi-Fi configuration options

The Wi-Fi configuration lock

Work Policy Controller addition

DevicePolicyManager changes

Single-use device improvements

Silently installing/uninstalling apps

Improved certificate access

Automatic system updates

Third-party certificate installation

Data usage statistics

Managing runtime permissions

VPN access and display

Work profile status

Summary

7. Chrome Custom Tabs

What is a Chrome custom tab?

What is WebView?

Customization options

When to use Chrome custom tabs

The implementation guide

Can we use Chrome custom tabs?

Custom UI and tab interaction

The custom action button

Configuring a custom menu

Configuring custom enter and exit animations

Chrome warm-up

Connecting to the Chrome service

Warming up the browser process

Creating a new tab session

Setting the prefetching URL

Custom tabs connection callback

Summary

8. Authentication

The Fingerprint authentication API

How do we use fingerprint authentication?

Setting up for testing

Credentials' Grace Period

Cleartext network traffic

So, what do we do with the cleartext network traffic flag?

Summary

Index

Android 6 Essentials

Copyright © 2015 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

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First published: November 2015

Production reference: 1251115

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

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