Virtual Files, Alternative Mime Types, and the Storage Access Framework

New in #AndroidNougat, apps using the Storage Access Framework can now provide virtual files - files without a direct bytestream representation. While you can’t use openInputStream() with these virtual files, you can use Android 7.0’s alternative mime types to potentially transcode the files into alternative file formats or simply use them with an ACTION_VIEW Intent to open them in their native editor.

Check out the documentation on virtual files at https://developer.android.com/about/versions/nougat/android-7.0.html#virtual_files and read more about the Storage Access Framework at https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider.html

#BuildBetterApps.

Building a DocumentsProvider

Android 4.4 KitKat introduced the Storage Access Framework, a common framework which allows apps use a system provided UI to request files from apps and from local storage. Your app can be an equal partner on that list by implementing a DocumentsProvider, making files your app owns available to other apps, all without needing the Storage permission or requiring you build your own file selection UI.

Watch the video to go through the required APIs needed for building a DocumentsProvider, then read the novel blog post for more details and all of the other functionality that you can add to a DocumentsProvider: https://medium.com/google-developers/building-a-documentsprovider-f7f2fb38e86a

See this video and many others in the full Android Development Patterns playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaMUvV-gOfE&list=PLWz5rJ2EKKc-lJo_RGGXL2Psr8vVCTWjM&index=10

#BuildBetterApps

Android Developers Backstage Episode 55: Glide

In this episode, +Chet Haase and +Romain Guy talk with Sam Judd from the Google Photos team about Glide, an image loading and caching library, and its use in the Photos app.

http://androidbackstage.blogspot.com/2016/08/episode-55-glide.html



Hutch improves player engagement with A/B testing

Hutch is a London based mobile studio focusing entirely on racing games. Watch the team explain how they improved game design and user engagement with A/B testing by providing more informed data to make the best possible game for players.

Congrats to the games selected to exhibit at the Google Play Indie Games Festival on September 24 in San Francisco. This is your chance to play some of the best new/unreleased mobile games for the first time and vote for your favorites. Learn more: http://goo.gl/g1YmlD

Special guest include:
-Ron Carmel, Co-founder of Indie Fund; co-creator of World of Goo
-Jordan Maron, Gamer and independent YouTuber “CaptainSparklez”
-Lina Chen, Co-founder & CEO of Nix Hydra
-David Edery, CEO of Spry Fox
-Maria Essig, Partner Manager, Indies at Google Play
-Noah Falstein, Chief Game Designer at Google
-Dan Fiden, Chief Strategy Officer at FunPlus
-Emily Greer, CEO of Kongregate
-Alex Lee, Producer, Program Manager, Daydream & Project Tango at Google
-Richard Lemarchand, Game designer Associate Professor, Interactive Media and Games Division at University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts

Registration for the event is also free to FREE. Sign up here: g.co/dev/indiegamesfestsf

Taking the final wrapper off of Android 7.0 Nougat

Today, Android 7.0 Nougat will begin rolling out to users, starting with Nexus devices. At the same time, we’re pushing the Android 7.0 source code to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), extending public availability of this new version of Android to the broader ecosystem.

http://goo.gl/53pvbI

TIME MESH, an Android Experiment by Coding for Love. A physics simulation connected by springs, rendered using OpenGL in Java.

FORM, a watch face by Roman Nurik. #AndroidExperiments

LIP SWAP photos with your own recorded video. An Android Experiment by Anthony Tripaldi.

Media Playback Apps and the Support Library

When it comes to building a media playback app, the last thing you want to worry about is Android API level. With the restructure of the v4 Support Library and the introduction of the Media-Compat Support Library, knowing exactly what media APIs are available in what Support Library can save you time and effort as you #BuildBetterApps

https://medium.com/google-developers/meida-playback-and-the-must-have-android-support-library-apis-9f48dc6b657e

MUZEI by Roman Nurik is a live wallpaper that refreshes each day with famous works of art. #AndroidExperiments

Java 8 Language Features introduced with Android Nougat

With the help of the Jack toolchain, you’ll be able to use a number of Java 8 language features such as lambda expressions and method references back to Gingerbread! Apps running on Nougat devices also get access to the Stream APIs, default method implementations and static methods for interfaces, and repeatable annotations.

Watch the video for all the details on what exactly that means and how to enable Jack for your apps!

See this video and many others in the full #AndroidNougat playlist: https://goo.gl/Zcyv1c