Android Development

[James How]

Anyone know how to develop an app in android ah?

 

[davidktw]

Anyone know how to develop an app in android ah?

State your needs

 

[KnightNiwrem]

Anyone know how to develop an app in android ah?

Everyone knows how to develop an android app. You don't need any programming knowledge for this - just start Android studio and you have your first hello_world example android app.

Obviously, that is probably not what you want.

 

[natnai]

Everyone knows how to develop an android app. You don't need any programming knowledge for this - just start Android studio and you have your first hello_world example android app.

Obviously, that is probably not what you want.

I just cannot understand how any person can be so lazy. It's not that hard to Google and buy a book or read a free one.

 

[KnightNiwrem]

I just cannot understand how any person can be so lazy. It's not that hard to Google and buy a book or read a free one.

To be fair, if he wants to build a complicated app that uses some API to perform some server-side action, the learning journey can get quite long.

Being too lazy to list the feature he is looking for, though, is... not very excusable.

 

[davidktw]

I just cannot understand how any person can be so lazy. It's not that hard to Google and buy a book or read a free one.

Lack of initiatives. Modern dilemma of educations. Too much information, end up with students that are just not hungry enough. In the past I spend significant part of my time going to National Libraries borrowing heavy books and read. Now with ebooks and Internet, it seems much more difficult to learn something with the distance cost of just a few clicks.

 

[natnai]

To be fair, if he wants to build a complicated app that uses some API to perform some server-side action, the learning journey can get quite long.

Being too lazy to list the feature he is looking for, though, is... not very excusable.

Poor excuse. Many programmers are self-taught. In fact many famous and prominent programmers are entirely self-taught. Douglas Crockford for example never attended a formal programming undergraduate degree. It would be understandable if he got stuck at "what is REST" or "how do I version an API" but not "how do I build an app".

Lack of initiatives. Modern dilemma of educations. Too much information, end up with students that are just not hungry enough. In the past I spend significant part of my time going to National Libraries borrowing heavy books and read. Now with ebooks and Internet, it seems much more difficult to learn something with the distance cost of just a few clicks.

That should make people _less_ lazy don't you think? I managed to learn basic discrete mathematics by just doing two online courses in 3 months. No excuse at all. Laziness of the mind is a serious disease.

 

[natnai]

Oh ya, KnightNiwrem, see you in NUS next year

 

[davidktw]

That should make people _less_ lazy don't you think? I managed to learn basic discrete mathematics by just doing two online courses in 3 months. No excuse at all. Laziness of the mind is a serious disease.

It does goes both ways and unfortunately there will be some that took advantage of the situation and while some ends up with disadvantage having the wrong attitude to start with.

People with initiatives will find the more accessible information appealing. Those without and/or complacent ends up showing their flaws more obvious since more accessibility did not allow them to improve as accordingly.

 

[cwchong]

To be fair, android development and testing is kind of a nightmare for beginners with all the current bugs and stuff
I was trying out a simple maps sample in android studio and couldn't figure out the reason why the app is crashing due to permission issue, even though it is explicitly stated.
fast forward a few hrs and an obscure blog post, i chanced upon the reason: a bug affecting all nexus emulators in the AVD.
Switching to another device allowed the app to run perfectly, well almost. Then the location services wouldn't work, no error, it just wouldn't do anything!
Fast forward an hour and i decided to take the leap of faith and test it on an actual phone. It worked flawlessly this time.

Imagine how many would have stopped trying at step 1.
I think platform stability is sort of a necessity for ppl to enjoy the initial baby steps.

/rant

 

[davidktw]

To be fair, android development and testing is kind of a nightmare for beginners with all the current bugs and stuff
I was trying out a simple maps sample in android studio and couldn't figure out the reason why the app is crashing due to permission issue, even though it is explicitly stated.
fast forward a few hrs and an obscure blog post, i chanced upon the reason: a bug affecting all nexus emulators in the AVD.
Switching to another device allowed the app to run perfectly, well almost. Then the location services wouldn't work, no error, it just wouldn't do anything!
Fast forward an hour and i decided to take the leap of faith and test it on an actual phone. It worked flawlessly this time.

Imagine how many would have stopped trying at step 1.
I think platform stability is sort of a necessity for ppl to enjoy the initial baby steps.

/rant

Use a real device. In any case, if step 1 is good enough to forbid someone stepping into the ring, and there are already 1.6mils (http://www.statista.com/statistics/276623/number-of-apps-available-in-leading-app-stores/) android apps in the market today, and this is not a testament to how common and in abundance the skill set is, then it's better to stay outside the ring for good. I don't think there is any fairness to speak when one expected to be spoonfeeded and expect skill sets to come easy without the hardwork to push through challenges and difficulties no matter at which stage the learning process they are encountered.

If it has to be fair, then lets be fair that people who are diligent and take up challenges to be kept in the ring and those otherwise be outside the ring.

 

[KnightNiwrem]

Oh ya, KnightNiwrem, see you in NUS next year

See you there next year, Ian - assuming I don't go for exchange or internship or something next year.

Are you taking the undergraduate course?

 

[natnai]

See you there next year, Ian - assuming I don't go for exchange or internship or something next year.

Are you taking the undergraduate course?

Yes, undergraduate. I don't have any tertiary background in mathematics, so it will have to be undergraduate I was told. I don't expect year 1 will be very exciting though :/

 

[davidktw]

Yes, undergraduate. I don't have any tertiary background in mathematics, so it will have to be undergraduate I was told. I don't expect year 1 will be very exciting though :/

If it's Computer Science, not unless you are already verse in Computer Architecture, it will be exciting

 

[natnai]

If it's Computer Science, not unless you are already verse in Computer Architecture, it will be exciting

Don't know anything about computer architecture apart from threads, looking forward to it!

 

[Daimon]

Lack of initiatives. Modern dilemma of educations. Too much information, end up with students that are just not hungry enough. In the past I spend significant part of my time going to National Libraries borrowing heavy books and read. Now with ebooks and Internet, it seems much more difficult to learn something with the distance cost of just a few clicks.

I still do that. Broaden your mind by studying many subjects whether it's computer science or not.

 

[natnai]

I still do that. Broaden your mind by studying many subjects whether it's computer science or not.

Really agree with this. Taking an interest in numerous areas of study helps you to see things in different perspectives... My initial tertiary speciality definitely equipped me to better deal with ambiguity than if I had just a pure math/science background, even in programming.

Sent from Xiaomi MI NOTE LTE using GAGT

 

[Daimon]

Oh ya, KnightNiwrem, see you in NUS next year

Wow. I ask my friends to keep a lookout for an overage guy.

 

[Daimon]

Really agree with this. Taking an interest in numerous areas of study helps you to see things in different perspectives... My initial tertiary speciality definitely equipped me to better deal with ambiguity than if I had just a pure math/science background, even in programming.

Sent from Xiaomi MI NOTE LTE using GAGT

My starting point was philosophy. Then later on, I discover that studying two different things intensively bring you to a metalevel of understanding.

 

[davidktw]

I still do that. Broaden your mind by studying many subjects whether it's computer science or not.

Of course, programming is just a technical skill set. What that is important is domain knowledge and learning how to marriage these knowledge together.

Computer science itself is not just about computer. It is abou the application of automation to all parts of lives and the advancement of mankind