Much like Ryan (who attributed his curiosity with Android app development to his love for his Android handset), I have been on a quest to find out how to make and finish an Android app. This search has included books in the beginning but due to the frequent updates of packages to download to accommodate new Android platform versions, books are usually outdated very quickly.

If you would rather not sift through lots of outdated material to teach yourself Android application development, you’re in luck today. I have scoured the web for some reliable online resources that have at least recent material for beginner or aspiring Android developers. Some of the best resources I have found for beginners will be presented up next.

TheNewBoston’s Android App Development Video Series

TheNewBoston is one of my favorite channels on YouTube ever. It is a dedicated company that has, as of the writing of this article, released over 2,500 videos on a variety of topics including programming in a dozen different languages, game development, web design software, DIY projects (like building a go kart, which just sounds epic) and most recently, academic subjects, like Physics and Chemistry.

The playlist I’m highlighting is a series of 200 videos (yes, 200) that give you plenty of detail on how to install the software you’ll need (Eclipse, the Android SDK, etc), build an app, submit it to the market and everything in between. The playlist was just released in August of last year so it still has a lot of relevant information.

Videos in this playlist are usually around 5 minutes so they are easily digestible if you are planning to consume them throughout the summer. I have watched till video number 88 at the moment so of course I have learned a lot about what to put in the Android manifest, what views are, etc.

From what I have seen in the videos so far, the series helps you build a simple app that can keep a counter, with a few buttons that can increase and decrease that same counter, which is definitely manageable if you are a beginner Android developer, preferably with some exposure to Java. If you don’t want to sift through lots of uninviting text tutorials but do want good training videos made by non-hobbyists, I cannot recommend this channel enough.

Official Android Developer Site

I definitely cannot skip the official Android Developer site when talking about resources on Android app development. One of the best things about the official site is that it is definitely updated no matter what year or month you’re checking it out, unlike books. This means the exact steps to follow to get all the required software in the right versions will be listed on this site without fail.

The official site also has a more structured approach to presenting the information as it lists the specific steps you will be going through in its outline. If you want to get to know the basics of Android app development in one sitting, this site is probably your best bet.

Android App Inventor

This project, originally called Google App Inventor and now maintained by MIT, is probably the best way to visually learn about Android programming. If you have little or no programming experience but are heavily interested in uncovering the mysteriousness of getting an app up and running, this web-based App Inventor is also for you.

You get to visualize the programming so you logically build statements from smaller blocks consisting of if-statements and the like, which is similar to MIT’s Scratch software, aimed to help younger individuals reach an understanding of programming. App Inventor has more advanced tutorials for people that have done Hello World and are ready to build some simple games.

There is also another way to make an app for Android (and iOS) with no programming experience that seems to be highly rated - BuzzTouch. Do you know any other resources that are great for beginner or aspiring Android developers?

Image credit: Android Developer Site