Android Programming with Kotlin for Beginners

Introduction

The book «Android Programming with Kotlin for Beginners» (author — John Horton, 2019, 698 pages) is a comprehensive guide to creating Android applications using the modern Kotlin language. This edition is aimed at those who are just starting their journey in mobile development but already have basic programming skills. The book is built on the principle of "from simple to complex": each chapter contains theoretical material, practical examples, and assignments for independent work.

What the book is about

The author consistently introduces the reader to the fundamentals of Android development: setting up the environment (Android Studio), creating the first project, working with layouts, Activity, the application lifecycle, event handling, working with databases, multithreading, animation, working with the camera and sensors. Special attention is paid to the Kotlin language — its syntax, features, and advantages over Java. The book also covers modern approaches: using ViewModel, LiveData, coroutines, and Android Jetpack architectural components.

Who this book is for

The book is intended for beginner developers who want to learn Android development with Kotlin. It will be useful for students, high school students, as well as programmers transitioning from other languages (e.g., Java or Python). For comfortable reading, a basic understanding of algorithms and variables is sufficient — all other concepts are explained from scratch.

What the reader will learn

• How to install and configure Android Studio, create a first project, and run it on an emulator or a real device.
• Basics of the Kotlin language: variables, functions, classes, inheritance, lambdas, null safety.
• Structure of an Android application: Activity, Fragment, Intent, manifest, resources.
• Creating a user interface using XML and ConstraintLayout.
• Event handling: clicks, gestures, keyboard input.
• Working with data: SharedPreferences, SQLite, Room.
• Multithreading and coroutines for asynchronous operations.
• Using the camera, sensors, geolocation.
• Publishing an application to Google Play.

Strengths of the book

The main advantage is its practical focus. Each chapter ends with creating a small project that reinforces the material covered. The example code is neatly formatted and provided with comments. The author uses clear language, avoiding excessive academicism. The book covers all key topics necessary for starting in Android development, and at the same time is not overloaded with unnecessary details. The sections on Kotlin deserve special mention — they are written so that even a beginner will quickly master the syntax and start writing code.

Who it is recommended for

The book is ideal for self-study of Android development. It can be used as a textbook in courses or at a university. If you want to quickly start creating real applications and at the same time get a solid foundation, this is an excellent choice. For experienced developers, the book may seem too simple, but for beginners it will be a reliable guide into the world of mobile development with Kotlin.