Android app building is for many an introduction into mobile computing, if even on an experimental basis. And there are many resources for building that exciting first Android app [1]. After that, the question quickly becomes how to develop a “real” app, and if a broader development platform is necessary. If it is, some would suggest Android Studio as that platform [2,3], which has the support of this title.

Learn Android Studio is the second title in the Apress series for professionals on developing apps, after the “for absolute beginners” book (there are four other more advanced titles as well). The title tries to cover a large expanse, including Git, Gradle, GitHub, and Bitbucket. The source code provided is to the release 1.2 specification of Android Studio. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are introductions to Android Studio and unnecessary for anyone beyond absolute beginners. Chapter 4 on refactoring code is excellent, as is the introduction to Git in chapter 7 and layout design in chapter 8. Chapters 5, 6, 9, and 10 are labs, which go through public domain examples that are very simple.

The text continues with good chapters on testing and code analysis, debugging, and introducing Gradle. Superficial chapters include “More SDK Tools” and a simplistic short lab on Android Wear. The final few pages cover Android Studio customization. The index is very good.

The target audience seems to be working professionals who may want to decide if the studio environment for app development is of any interest to them. This book alone will not suffice, but it may help them along the way.

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