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Engineering Maintainable Android Apps

Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt, Michael Walker, and Dr. Jules White

Engineering Maintainable Android Apps, which is a 4 week MOOC that shows by example various methods for engineering maintainable Android apps, including test-driven development methods and how to develop/run unit tests using JUnit and Robotium (or equivalent automated testing frameworks for Android), as well as how to successfully apply common Java/Android software patterns to improve the extensibility and clarity of Android apps. Students will work on the appropriate automated unit quizzes, based on the material covered in the lecture videos. These lessons will demonstrate the benefits of good software engineering practices that are targeted at creating maintainable code for mobile apps.

There will be roughly 3-4 hours of student engagement time per week, including video lectures, and quizzes. The ordering of the modules within the course is designed to be flexible. In particular, students can watch the videos in whatever order suits their experience and needs, e.g., they may want to watch the unit testing videos prior to the software pattern videos if they prefer to learn about unit testing first.

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What's inside

Syllabus

MOOC Overview

Engineering Maintainable Android Apps, which is a 4 week MOOC that shows by-example various methods for engineering maintainable Android apps, including test-driven development methods and how to develop/run unit tests using JUnit and Robotium (or equivalent automated testing frameworks for Android), as well as how to successfully apply common Java/Android software patterns to improve the extensibility and clarity of Android apps.

Software Engineering & Testing I

Software Engineering & Testing II

Security & Sustainability I

Security & Sustainability II

This module provides an introduction to Unit Testing using the Junit 4.0 Framework in Android, as well as an introduction to Testing Frameworks using the Robotium open-source test framework for writing graybox testing cases to automate the testing of multi-Activity Android apps.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Taught by well-established figures in the field, including Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt, Michael Walker, and Dr. Jules White

Develops engineering principles and test-driven development methods for building robust Android apps

Introduces students to common Java/Android software patterns for improving code extensibility and clarity

Focuses on providing practical, hands-on examples to illustrate maintainable development approaches

Emphasizes the importance of unit testing and provides guidelines for using JUnit and Robotium

Provides flexibility in learning order, allowing students to adjust to their needs and experience

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Reviews summary

Android app maintainability course

Learners say this course is a secure way to start testing Android apps and this course provides a safe way to make sure an Android app is flexible. Students appreciate that the course teaches the areas of security and reliability which are essential for building secure apps.

This course is for starting to test Android apps.

"Helped start testing my apps to make them secure, maintainable and flexible to changes."

This course offers a safe way to make sure your Android app is secure.

"Helped start testing my apps to make them secure, maintainable and flexible to changes."

"Made me aware of the security risks that an app has, how android tackles it and how a developer should protect and secure his apps from malware and other security flaws."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Engineering Maintainable Android Apps with these activities:

Join a Study Group for Android Development

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Join a study group for Android development. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions, share knowledge, and learn from others.

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Find a study group for Android development
Attend the study group meetings regularly
Participate in discussions and ask questions
Share your knowledge and help others

Read Effective Java

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Read Effective Java. This book will help you learn the best practices and guidelines for writing effective Java code.

View Effective Java (3rd Edition) on Amazon

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Purchase or borrow Effective Java
Read the book and take notes
Apply the principles you learn in your own Java code

Review Java syntax and Android lifecycle

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Brush up on basic Java syntax and the Android lifecycle to strengthen your foundation for understanding unit testing and software patterns.

Browse courses on Java

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Review Java syntax fundamentals (data types, variables, operators, control flow).
Understand the different stages of the Android activity lifecycle (onCreate, onStart, onResume, onPause, onStop, onDestroy).

Eight other activities

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Follow Android Development Tutorials

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Follow Android development tutorials to supplement your understanding of the course material. This will help you learn new concepts and techniques.

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Search for Android development tutorials on websites like Udacity, Coursera, and Udemy
Select a tutorial that covers a topic you are interested in or struggling with
Follow the tutorial step-by-step
Try to implement the concepts you learned from the tutorial in your own projects

Practice Unit Testing with JUnit

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Practice writing unit tests for Android apps using JUnit. This will improve your understanding of unit testing concepts and techniques.

Browse courses on Unit Testing

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Create a new Android project
Add JUnit dependency to the project
Write a simple unit test for a method
Run the unit test and verify the results
Practice writing more complex unit tests

Explore Android testing frameworks

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Enhance your understanding of the JUnit testing framework and discover additional testing frameworks to broaden your testing capabilities.

Browse courses on JUnit

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Follow Android testing tutorials using JUnit and Robotium.
Explore other testing frameworks such as Espresso, Mockito, and Robolectric (optional).

Practice Automated Testing with Robotium

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Practice writing automated tests for Android apps using Robotium. This will improve your understanding of automated testing concepts and techniques.

Browse courses on Automated Testing

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Create a new Android project
Add Robotium dependency to the project
Write a simple automated test for a simple activity
Run the automated test and verify the results
Practice writing more complex automated tests

Write unit tests for Android components

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Solidify your understanding of unit testing by practicing writing tests for various Android components, such as activities, fragments, and services.

Browse courses on Unit Testing

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Create Android unit tests using JUnit.
Test the functionality of Android activities, fragments, and services.
Use mocking and dependency injection techniques to improve test quality (optional).

Contribute to Open Source Android Projects

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Contribute to open source Android projects. This will give you hands-on experience and help you learn from others.

Browse courses on Open Source

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Find open source Android projects to contribute to
Choose a project that you are interested in and have the skills to contribute to
Follow the project's contribution guidelines
Make your contributions and submit pull requests

Develop an automated testing script

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Apply your testing knowledge by creating an automated testing script using the Robotium framework to simulate user interactions and validate the functionality of your Android app.

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Design and implement an automated testing script using Robotium.
Use the script to test the UI and functionality of an Android app.
Refine the script to improve its efficiency and accuracy (optional).

Build a Sample Android App with Good Software Patterns

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Build a sample Android app from scratch and apply the software patterns discussed in the course. This will help you understand how to use these patterns in practice.

Browse courses on Software Patterns

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Choose an Android app idea
Design the app architecture
Implement the app using software patterns
Test and debug the app
Share your app on the Google Play Store

Career center

Learners who complete Engineering Maintainable Android Apps will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Mobile Quality Assurance Engineer

Mobile Quality Assurance Engineers are responsible for ensuring the quality of mobile software applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Mobile Quality Assurance Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Quality Assurance Engineer

Android Developer

Android Developers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of Android applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Android Developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Android Developer

Java Developer

Java Developers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of Java applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Java Developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Java Developer

Software Test Engineer

Software Test Engineers are responsible for testing software applications to ensure that they are working correctly. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Software Test Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Test Engineer

Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Software Quality Assurance Engineers are responsible for ensuring the quality of software applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Software Quality Assurance Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Mobile Software Engineer

Mobile Software Engineers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of mobile software applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Mobile Software Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Software Engineer

Android Software Engineer

Android Software Engineers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of Android software applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Android Software Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Android Software Engineer

Java Software Engineer

Java Software Engineers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of Java software applications. This course may be useful for those who are experienced Java Software Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Java Software Engineer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for software engineers. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of software systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Technical Writer

Technical Writers are responsible for creating documentation for software products. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for technical writers. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of software documentation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Mobile Application Developer

Mobile Application Developers are responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of mobile applications. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for mobile app developers. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of mobile apps.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Application Developer

Technical Lead

Technical Leads are responsible for leading teams of software engineers. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for technical leads. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of software systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Lead

Software Architect

Software Architects design and develop software systems. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for software architects. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of software systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Architect

Test Engineer

Test Engineers are responsible for testing software systems to ensure that they are working correctly and meeting the requirements of the users. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for test engineers. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of software systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Test Engineer

Project Manager

Project Managers are responsible for planning and managing software development projects. This course may be useful for those looking to enter this field as it provides an introduction to software engineering and testing, which are essential skills for project managers. The course also covers topics such as unit testing and test-driven development, which are important for ensuring the quality and reliability of software systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Reading list

We've selected 11 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Engineering Maintainable Android Apps.

Android Programming

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This comprehensive guide provides in-depth coverage of Android development, from basic concepts to advanced topics such as networking, security, and performance optimization. It valuable resource for both beginners and experienced developers.

Engineering Maintainable Android Apps

What's inside

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Reviews summary

Android app maintainability course

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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