ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the reader to Android Application Architecture and presents various components that make up an Android application, and demonstrates how these components work when an application is running, through the use of logcat. It describes the application lifecycle phases of an Android application and examines the typical components of an Android application, determine when to use these components, and understand application lifecycle phases. A typical Android application is usually rich in functionality—for example, the built-in clock application. Through Intents, the Android provides a mechanism for late run-time binding between application components. Intent is a data structure designed to hold information on events or operations to be performed. Intents can be classified into two different types: explicit and implicit. Explicit Intents provide the component name that must be invoked through the Intent. However, any sensitive information, such as passwords, should never be sent through Intents, as these can be received by malicious components.
