Android Tutorial for Beginners - Basic examples

Introduction
Create Android Project
Create MainActivity and sub Activities
Interface design for main_activity.xml
Call an Activity from an Activity
Example1Activity - Call another Activity

1. Introduction

This document is based on:

Android Studio 3.6.1

You are viewing the series of Android programming tutorials, this is the 2nd tutorial, in this document I will guide you how to develop an Android application step by step, the basics will be covered include:

Call Activity from another Activity.
Process basic event.
Develop basic interface and work with resource.

Before starting with this document, please ensure that you have run successfully "Hello Android" example and learn about the structure of an Android project. You can look at:
Android Tutorial for Beginners

2. Create Android Project

If you are working with an Android project in Android Studio, close this project, we will create a different project.

In Android Studio select:

File/Close Project

Create new project:

Next, the Wizard will ask if you want to create an Activity or not, select "Add No Activity", wizard will create an empty project that is not included an Activity.

Enter:

Name: AndroidBasic2
Package name: org.o7planning.androidbasic2

The application which is creating will be used on Phone and Tablet.

Note: API 16, Android 4.1 is currently used on most of the Phone and Tab devices (Approximately 94%).

Project has been created.

3. Create MainActivity and sub Activities

We will create a main activity (MainActivity),this Activity will be called when application is run. On MainActivity will have buttons to call the other Activities.

In Android Studio select:

File/New/Activity/Empty Activity

MainActivity has been created and included MainActivity.java and main_activity.xml files, information on this Activity has been registered with AndroidManifest.xml.

Similarly, we add 5 Activities.

Example1Activity
Example2Activity
Example3Activity
Example4Activity
Example5Activity

In Android Studio select:

File/New/Activity/Empty Activity

Note: All Activities that has been created is not main Activity, it is called from MainActivity, thus, you should not check to "Launcher Activity".

That's OK, 5 new Activitiies has been created, and they have been registered with AndroidManifest.xml.

4. Interface design for main_activity.xml

On Android Studio open main_activity.xml to design the interface for it.

Design window has 3 modes:

Code
Split
Design

Mostly you work in Design mode, it helps you drag and drop components into the interface and automatically generate XML code:

OK, we will design a simple interface, including 5 Button(s):

Drag and drop 5 Button(s) into the interface:

Set constraints for the buttons.

Set ID, Text for buttons on the interface. ID is very important, in Java code you can access a Button through its ID.

On the design window, switch to Code mode, you will see the generated XML code.

Below is the content of my activity_main.xml file, you can copy and paste into your Code window to have the same interface.

activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="32dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:text="Go to Example1 Activity"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button2"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="24dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:text="Go to Example2 Activity"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button1" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button3"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="24dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:text="Go to Example3 Activity"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button2" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button4"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="24dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:text="Go to Example4 Activity"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button3" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button5"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="24dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:text="Go to Example5 Activity"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button4" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

5. Call an Activity from an Activity

Here we will handle events when the user clicks on the Buttons, and they will call Example1Activity, ..Example5Activity respectively.

Activities talk with each other via Intent object. For example, Activity1 wants to call Activity2 to run, it will encapsulate what needs to say, and the request to an Intent object and send this Intent object to Activity2. You can see the illustration below.

Open MainActivity class, you can access the Button(s) via its ID on Java code

// Get button by ID
Button button1 = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.go_button1);

// Register listener user clicks on the button1.
button1.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

  @Override
  public void onClick(View v) {

     // Create a Intent:
     // (This object contains content that will be sent to Example1Activity).

      Intent myIntent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, Example1Activity.class);

      // Parameter for Intent.
      myIntent.putExtra("text1", "This is text1 sent from MainActivity at " + new Date());
      myIntent.putExtra("text2", "This is text2 sent from MainActivity at " + new Date());

      // Start Example1Activity.
      MainActivity.this.startActivity(myIntent);
  }
});

Complete Code of MainActivity.java:

MainActivity.java

package org.o7planning.androidbasic2;

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;

import java.util.Date;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private Button button1;
    private Button button2;
    private Button button3;
    private Button button4;
    private Button button5;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        // Find Button by its ID
        this.button1 = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.button1);

        // Find button by its ID
        this.button2 = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.button2);

        // Find button by its ID.
        this.button3 = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.button3);

        // Find button by its ID.
        this.button4 = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.button4);

        // Find button by its ID.
        this.button5 = (Button) this.findViewById(R.id.button5);

        // Called when the user clicks the button1.
        button1.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {

                // Create a Intent:
                // (This object contains content that will be sent to Example1Activity).
                Intent myIntent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, Example1Activity.class);

                // Put parameters
                myIntent.putExtra("text1", "This is text1 sent from MainActivity at " + new Date());
                myIntent.putExtra("text2", "This is text2 sent from MainActivity at " + new Date());

                // Start Example1Activity.
                MainActivity.this.startActivity(myIntent);
            }
        });

        // Called when the user clicks the button2.
        button2.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {

                // Create a Intent:
                // (This object contains content that will be sent to Example2Activity).
                Intent myIntent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, Example2Activity.class);

                // Start Example2Activity.
                MainActivity.this.startActivity(myIntent);
            }
        });

        // Called when the user clicks the button3.
        button3.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {

                // Create a Intent:
                // (This object contains content that will be sent to Example3Activity).
                Intent myIntent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, Example3Activity.class);


                MainActivity.this.startActivity(myIntent);
            }
        });

        button4.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {

                // Create a Intent:
                // (This object contains content that will be sent to Example4Activity).
                Intent myIntent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, Example4Activity.class);

                // Start Example4Activity.
                MainActivity.this.startActivity(myIntent);
            }
        });

        button5.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {

                // Create a Intent:
                // (This object contains content that will be sent to Example5Activity).
                Intent myIntent = new Intent(MainActivity.this, Example5Activity.class);

                // Start Example5Activity.
                MainActivity.this.startActivity(myIntent);
            }
        });
    }
}

6. Example1Activity - Call another Activity

Next, open activity_example1.xml to design interface for Example1Activity

Set constraints for the components on the interface.

Set ID, Text for components on the interface:

activity_example1.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".Example1Activity">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="51dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="54dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:text="TextView"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView2"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="36dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="37dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:text="TextView"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/textView1" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button_clickMe"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="36dp"
        android:text="Click me"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/textView2" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button_back"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="22dp"
        android:text="Back"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/button_clickMe" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

Example1Activity.java

package org.o7planning.androidbasic2;

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.TextView;


public class Example1Activity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private Button buttonClickMe;
    private Button buttonBack;
    private TextView textView1;
    private TextView textView2;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_example1);

        // Find TextView by its ID
        this.textView1  = (TextView)this.findViewById(R.id.textView1);

        // Find TextView by its ID
        this.textView2 = (TextView)this.findViewById(R.id.textView2);

        this.buttonClickMe = (Button)this.findViewById(R.id.button_clickMe);

        this.buttonBack = (Button)this.findViewById(R.id.button_back);

        // Get the intent sent from MainActivity.
        Intent intent = getIntent();

        // Parameter in Intent, sent from MainActivity
        String value1 = intent.getStringExtra("text1");

        // Parameter in Intent, sent from MainActivity
        String value2 = intent.getStringExtra("text2");

        this.textView1.setText(value1);
        this.textView2.setText(value2);

        // When user click "Click me" button.
        this.buttonClickMe.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                textView2.setText("You click button");
            }
        });

        // When user long click "Click me" button.
        this.buttonClickMe.setOnLongClickListener(new Button.OnLongClickListener() {


            // return true if the callback consumed the long click, false otherwise.
            @Override
            public boolean onLongClick(View v) {
                textView2.setText("You long click button");
                return true;
            }
        });

        // When user click "Back" button.
        this.buttonBack.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                // Back to previous Activity.
                Example1Activity.this.finish();
            }
        });

    }
}

Running the example:

Android Programming Tutorials

Flutter Programming Tutorials

Android Tutorial for Beginners - Basic examples

1. Introduction

Android Studio 3.6.1

2. Create Android Project

3. Create MainActivity and sub Activities

4. Interface design for main_activity.xml

5. Call an Activity from an Activity

6. Example1Activity - Call another Activity

Android Programming Tutorials

Android Programming Tutorials

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