Working with Android

12. September 2011 by admin.

I have started to explore the development of applications on the Android platform. I find it a very interesting topic and hope to learn the ins and outs of developing Android applicaitions. The intention is to document my research and chronicle the creation of an application. One of the possibilities is the PHR, Personal Health Record. The Android platform will lend itself well for the development of medical information systems.

On a smart phone connected to a personal cloud it would be possible to access the PHR easily at the point of contact. Records could be downloaded to the service provider as well as uploaded from the service provider to the PHR.

 The first thought might be to create an application where the user inputs their personal information into the Android device. This would be a beginning but not the ultimate approach. The personal cloud is the obvious next step. In an Android friendly personal cloud the PHR would be available by smartphone or tablet or other device depending on the capabilities of the particular personal cloud.

I am setting out to build my first Android application and it will relate to the PHR. I will document my research and explore my ideas in an open forum. I am taking this approach to keep current with technology. Since retiring from engineering I find myself losing sight of technology in this fast paced ever growing environment. Pursing a project that will demand some research and the development of necessary skills is an excellent approach to staying current in at least some relevent areas in today’s IT landscape.

 I enjoy writing and hope to journal on a regular basis my thoughts on projects related to my interests. When I got my Samsung Galaxy S 4G it seemed to be something that openned up new possibilities for information access. The main thing that sets this new environment is the standardization around the Android platform. The platform so far seems to be reliable. Reliability is essential. Some of the biggest problems with Microsoft operating systems has been consistency in reliablity. Android appears to be a more elementary operating system and that will make it so much more reliable.

 The flexibility of application space opens the door for continuing enhancements through the application model. With nearly 200,000 applications on the market it would seem to be saturated. But due to the granularity of each application there is much room to continuous development.

I hope to learn more each day as the project continues. So far the development environment has been set up with Java, JDK, Eclipse, ADT, and the Android SDK. It took a few hours  spread over two days to set everything up and get the first application to run on the Android Virtual Device. There are some quirks in the setup but it is sufficient to do the initial work.

I am reminded of Bob Lindsey and ASP, Advanced Software Products. Bob worked on his own to develop innovative software products and his genius came through in the his projects. I learned a lot from Bob and I hope to follow in some fashion his example in dedication to an end goal.

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