What is Android?
Android is an operating system that runs on a smartphone, tablet or computer. It is based on Linux and has Java as its programming language, although other languages can also be used. The system is designed to be customizable by hardware and software manufacturers, allowing them to design a unique user interface for their devices. It is also open source, which means that the code behind it is freely available for anyone to use.
The Android operating system is divided into several different layers, which are shown in the diagram below. The core components of the system are the kernel, the application framework and Dalvik virtual machine. The kernel provides the main operating system functions to the phone, while the application framework handles the user interface with the help of classes and services.
The system can be customized by the device’s hardware and software, allowing developers to add extra features or make changes to existing ones. The OS can also be modified to work with different screen sizes and types, processor speeds, and other characteristics of the hardware. This makes it possible to create a wide variety of devices that run the same operating system and can share common apps and services.
It began as a project by a Palo Alto company called Android Inc., which was bought by Google in 2005. The developers initially planned to develop it as an operating system for digital cameras, but eventually changed the focus in order to reach a wider audience with smartphones. The first Android phones were released in 2007.
Android has a large market share because it allows for more customization and choice, both in terms of hardware and software. The system is also more flexible than its competitor, the iPhone. It is more suited to people who want to customize their devices and are willing to spend money on them.
Many users love android for the freedom it offers in terms of software control, which can lead to a more customizable and optimized user experience. It is also a system that can be adapted to a wide variety of devices, including computers, watches, televisions and GPS devices.
Android apps are built with an XML file known as the manifest. This file declares the components and requirements for the app, as well as any permissions it needs to access data or perform tasks. It also lists the resources that the app uses. These include the UI strings, which are used to display text on the device’s screen, and the assets that are used to represent images or sounds in the app. The manifest also contains a link to the Android resource directory, which is used to store alternative language strings for your UI. These are specified by using a language qualifier, such as res/values-fr/ for French string values, and are applied to the UI based on the device’s locale settings. This makes it easy to support multiple languages in a single app.