The makers of Basic For Android (B4A), Anywhere Software, claim that their product “includes all the features needed to quickly develop any type of Android app. B4A is used by tens of thousands of developers from all over the world, including companies such as NASA, HP, IBM and others. Together with B4 you can now easily develop applications for both Android and iOS.”
NASA, IBM, what can we say? Not depreciating the B4A product proper in any way, Anywhere Software is wanting in power to encourage beginners to start programming their Android devices. And that is exactly where Elektor top author Dogan Ibrahim steps in with his latest book.
Yes, yes, Elektor readers… the trial version of Basic For Android (B4A) is free! and the book uses it to its full extent without you paying a cent! Only professionals and sponsored students should consider buying B4A.


 

The projects

In contrast to earlier books from Dogan Ibrahim, like Programming with STM32 Nucleo Boards I reviewed last year, the student-reader projects are now categorized as well as arranged in increasing level of difficulty. The impact of this double-base structure is logical and highly educational I feel, and certainly adds to the impression that the book is a source of ideas not just of various levels of complexity, but also of levels where you feel confident of stepping in.
Chapter 7 for instance, “Mobile device-only simple projects”, excels in being limited to programming things that run on the Android smartphone only, i.e. without any ancillaries or other computer systems. Basics first! As in all his books on microcontrollers and programming, the author maintains a rigid, textbook-style structure for each project no matter its relative complexity from LED flashing all the way up to UDP connections. The fixed nominators are:
  • Project title
  • Project description
  • Project aim
  • Project block diagram (if applicable)
  • Project circuit diagram (if applicable)
  • Project construction (if applicable)
  • Project program listing
  • Program description
  • Additional work (optional)

Here’s where we have proof of Dogan Ibrahim’s long experience as a technical author, instructor, lecturer and maker of curricula. All projects in the book have been tried and tested by him, and he responds to cries for help as well as to criticisms. ( >> READ ON)