Thanks Dianne, that's a useful post. On the topic of backwards
compatibility, my manifest file looks like:
<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="3" android:targetSdkVersion="5"/>
this produces a warning in eclipse:
Attribute minSdkVersion (3) is lower than the project target API
level (5)
this makes sense, it *is expected* though, right?
Thanks
On Dec 21, 6:54 pm, Dianne Hackborn <[email protected]> wrote:
> In a lot of cases you can probably avoid checking the API version at all.
> For example as Andy McFadden describes in the backwards compatibility blog
> post, it is natural to simply test for the particular class or other API
> that you are wanting to use at the time you use it:
>
> http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2009/04/backward-compatibility...
>
> On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 9:47 AM, Mark Murphy <[email protected]>wrote:
>
>
>
> > Mark Wyszomierski wrote:
> > > Hi,
>
> > > I'm using the level 5 sdk to compile my app, but set my target to sdk
> > > level 3 in my manifest. All is fine.
>
> > > I may need to use some level 5 classes (ExifInterface) though. What's
> > > the right way to go about using them while not fouling things up for
> > > devices running older sdk versions? Do we simply restrict use of the
> > > newer API methods to completely separate class files? Something like
> > > this:
>
> > > // Test.java
> > > class Test
> > > {
> > > public boolean sdkDependentItem() {
> > > if (Build.VERSION.SDK.equals("5")) {
> > > return (new sdk5()).getItem();
> > > }
> > > else {
> > > return (new sdk3and4()).getItem();
> > > }
> > > }
> > > }
>
> > > // sdk5.java
> > > class sdk5 {
> > > public boolean getItem() {
> > > // can use sdk level 5 apis in here ok.
> > > }
> > > }
>
> > > // sdk3and4.java
> > > class sdk3and4 {
> > > public boolean getItem() {
> > > // can use sdk level 3 and 4 apis in here ok.
> > > }
> > > }
>
> > > so as long as the api methods are completely separated into files that
> > > the older devices won't invoke, we should be ok?
>
> > I wouldn't do:
>
> > if (Build.VERSION.SDK.equals("5")) {
>
> > Instead, parse it to an integer and do a >=5 comparison. After all, most
> > DROIDs are now on API 6 (i.e., Android 2.0.1). And, once you drop older
> > SDK support, you can use SDK_INT and skip the parse step.
>
> > If you are going to make the request a lot, you might consider having
> > your two implementations extend a common abstract class or implement a
> > common interface. Then, you can make the determination of which one to
> > use once and hold onto that object, calling it by the common interface
> > as needed.
>
> > Otherwise, the notion of "if I don't load the class, there will be no
> > harm in it referencing newer API capabilities" is sound.
>
> > --
> > Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy)
> >http://commonsware.com|http://twitter.com/commonsguy
>
> > _The Busy Coder's Guide to Android Development_ Version 2.8
> > Available!
>
> > --
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>
> --
> Dianne Hackborn
> Android framework engineer
> [email protected]
>
> Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have time to
> provide private support, and so won't reply to such e-mails. All such
> questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and
> answer them.
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