A new beginning, a fresh start or a new challenge, whatever you would like to call it, A couple of years ago, precisely back in 2013 I decided to make the switch to Android. To learn more about this field, to explore it's features and everything that people brag about starting from the basic features which android developer's claim that Apple stole from Android.
I decided to write this blog after being dormant for years to share my knowledge about the basics, to be able to share what I learned in the simplest way possible as I have done in the past and hey of course teaching is the best form of learning. So without further delay, let's get started.
Now , you would ask me, what is Android? The definition says:
" Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets."
But digging deeper into the technical side, as a developer, it's much more than the mere definition listed above. Let's cover the basic diagram as below:
So, THIS ladies and gents is what Android REALLY is. More like the "organs/layers" of android which make up the whole Android Operating System. Let me give you a very basic definition of each of these layers without going too much in detail.
Application Layer: This is the topmost layer of the Android layer schema. This is where the UI interactions happen between the user and the device. All basic functions from playing games to making calls, sending texts, etc. is where this layer comes into play.
Examples are included in the diagram above.
Application Framework Layer: Just below the Application layer lies this layer, where the interactions are managed. From basic functionalities like telephony, location management to complex ones like Resource Management, using Content Providers etc. this is a very important layer for making sure the operations perform smoothly as expected. You can think of this layer as the "delivery" guy in lay man terms who is responsible for making sure the correct thing triggers when certain action is performed on the UI end.
Libraries: Right below the applications framework comes the libraries Layer in the android architectural paradigm. This layer carries libraries which carry a set of rules to help the device in taking care of different types of data. For example: music player recording or playback is done by the Media Framework library. More examples can be found in the diagram above.
Hardware Abstraction Layer: If I would have to grade this layer, I would most probably grade it as the brain of the whole architecture where main components like graphics, audio camera etc. lie. It is the base layer which allows the next couple of layers to interact with the hardware device at a very general or "abstraction" level.
Linux Kernel: Right at the bottom of the entire architectural stack is the Linux Kernel Layer. It doesn't interact with anyone. It just sits there without a care in the world about users, but you can think of it as the heart of the system.It provides a lot of important features starting from power management, system drivers, security settings etc.as Android system evolved, the linux kernels evolved alongside, starting from basic 1.0 right to Nougat linux kernels have been evolving and improving alternately hand in hand.
Now, that we have defined android in more technical terms. I think we are all set to journey into the actual world of android apps. Stay tuned for more of my android adventures and blogs!
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