Android Development Fundamentals (Kotlin & Jetpack Compose) (AND-101)

Welcome to AND101: Android Development Fundamentals (Kotlin & Jetpack Compose)—your first step into the exciting world of mobile app creation! This course is meticulously designed for absolute beginners, providing a hands-on and practical introduction to building Android applications using Kotlin, Google's preferred programming language, and Jetpack Compose, the modern toolkit for crafting beautiful user interfaces. You'll move beyond theory to build real, functional apps, gaining the confidence and foundational skills to kickstart your journey as an Android developer.

Target Audience

• Individuals with no prior programming experience eager to learn Android app development.
• Beginners in programming looking for a practical entry point into mobile development.
• Anyone interested in understanding the core concepts of the Android platform and modern UI development.

Prerequisites

• Basic computer literacy and comfort with using a desktop operating system.
• No prior programming knowledge required.
• A computer capable of running Android Studio (minimum 8GB RAM recommended).

Course Benefits

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Set up and navigate the Android Studio development environment.
• Write basic Kotlin code, understanding fundamental programming concepts.
• Design and build simple, single-screen user interfaces using Jetpack Compose.
• Understand the core components and lifecycle of an Android application.
• Handle basic user interactions within an app.
• Build and run simple Android applications on an emulator or physical device.

Course Outline 

Module 1: Introduction to Android & Kotlin Basics

• What is Android Development? Overview of the Android Ecosystem.
• Setting up Android Studio and your first project.
• Introduction to Kotlin: Variables, Data Types, and Operators.
• Control Flow: `if`/`else` statements and `when` expressions.
• Functions: Defining and calling reusable code blocks.
• Hands-on: "Hello Android" app, simple variable manipulations, and a basic conditional greeting app.

Module 2: User Interface with Jetpack Compose

• Introduction to Jetpack Compose: Declarative UI paradigm.
• `Composable` functions: Building blocks of UI.
• Basic Layouts: `Column`, `Row`, `Box` for arranging UI elements.
• Common UI Elements: `Text`, `Image`, `Button`, `TextField`.
• Modifiers: Customizing `Composables` (padding, size, background).
• Understanding State in Compose: `remember` and `mutableStateOf`.
• Hands-on: Build a simple profile card, a basic counter app, and a single-screen form with input fields.

Module 3: Android App Components & Basic Interaction

• Understanding `Activities`: The entry point of an app.
• The Android Activity Lifecycle: `onCreate`, `onStart`, `onResume`, etc.
• Handling User Input: `ClickListeners` and reacting to changes in `TextFields`.
• Displaying Information: `Toast` messages and simple dialogs.
• Introduction to Resources: Strings, colors, and drawables.
• **Hands-on:** Create a simple "Dice Roller" app with an image and a button, and a basic trivia app with questions and answers.

Module 4: Practical Application & Debugging

• Project Structure Deep Dive: `Manifest`, `Gradle`, resource folders.
• Debugging in Android Studio: Breakpoints, Logcat, inspecting variables.
• Introduction to basic theming and styling in Compose.
• Best Practices for beginners: Clean code, basic comments.
• **Hands-on Capstone Project:** Build a simple interactive story app or a unit converter, applying all learned concepts.

Career Outcomes

After completing this course, participants will:

• Have a foundational understanding of Android app development.
• Be able to independently create simple Android applications.
• Possess the necessary skills to progress to intermediate Android development courses.
• Be familiar with industry-standard tools like Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.

Ready to start building your first Android app and unlock a world of possibilities? Join us now!