I would go further than that. If the OP has no programming experience, then Java/Android is an almost impossible starting point:
1. The online doco is hopeless. Yes, as you say they all assume a pretty high level knowledge of Java to start with. Worse, for the beginner, is that unlike some other IDEs/environments I won't mention, the class library doco doesn't provide full functioning programs or even code snippets illustrating use. And these are hard and sometimes impossible to find. 2. Teach yourself OO programming? Are you kidding? Teaching yourself Fortran, C, Pascal etc is hard enough, and Java/C#/C++ are that squared. It would be easier to learn C, then jump from there into Java. And Android isn't just Java, its XML as well. Learn all that when you have never written a program in your life? 3. The environment is that much harder and slower to use because of the indirectness of cross-compling and running an emulator. When people first start coding, they are testing changes on a line-by-line basis, and the whole emulator thing is even more of a PITA. I love this stuff, don't get me wrong, and a lot of it is complicated and difficult because it has to be, but I can't think of a more difficult environment to learn programming for the first time than Java/Eclipse/Android. On Aug 26, 11:42 am, Indicator Veritatis <[email protected]> wrote: > I'd even go one step of certainty further: it will definitely be a > frustrating experience unless he learns enough Java first. Too many of > the sample programs, whether in forums, in books on Android, or in the > official Google tutorial, all use constructs that will otherwise > appear mysterious and obscure, such as anonymous classes for Event > Listeners, final static Strings for constants... > > But he does not need black belt level mastery of Java before starting > Android. Orange belt is good enough;) > > On Aug 24, 5:29 am, TreKing <[email protected]> wrote:> On Sun, Aug 22, > 2010 at 1:32 AM, Droidblazer00 <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > So would it be better for me to learn Java before getting started with the > > > SDK and eclipse? Or is it just the same to jump right > > > in on App development and learn on the fly? > > > Well, it's definitely not the same, but whether it's "better" really > > depends. > > Do you have other programming experience? Are you good at learning quickly > > on your own? > > > If no to either, probably a good idea to take some time to learn Java on > > it's own. It has some quirks you need to learn. Android has quirks you need > > to learn. Depending on your background, learning both those quirks, at the > > same time, will be an exercise in frustration. > > > Good luck. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > TreKing <http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> - Chicago > > transit tracking app for Android-powered devices -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
