1. Android Frameworks
Highlighting the need for a solid
development framework

2. A little about me...
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In the industry since 2002.
Started at Mutual Mobile in 2011.
Last hair cut 2011.
During which I’ve released 7 apps.

3. What is a framework
● Starting from scratch is unsustainable.
● A framework is a common code base that is
reusable in multiple contexts
● Basically its just an Android project ready to
be copied
● This is possible because most app share
common basic tasks

4. Technical benefits
● All libraries are bootstrapped and ready to
play
● Prevents reinventing the wheel
● Common build system interface

5. Organizational benefits
● Allows all team members a common ground
for communication
● Allows for cross team problem solving
● Allows for easy onboarding
● Unifies non collocated teams
● Measure team member success

6. Components of a Framework

7. Component: REST Consumption
Most app currently leverage REST. As such
this is one of your most important decisions.
● Existing Libraries
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HttpUrlConnection
ApacheHTTPClient
Volley
Retrofit
okhttp

8. Component: Object Serialization
While ReST services are great at returning
strings, POJO’s are better.
● Existing Libraries
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Gson
Jackson
Simple
Protobuf

9. Component: Caching
As mobile matures so do the users. Redundant
REST requests won’t cut it any more.
● Existing Libraries
○ Volley
○ okhttp
○ DiskLruCache

10. Component: Local Database
Invariably the app will need to keep state. Your
devs will need a place to keep it.
● Existing Libraries
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Shared Preferences
Sqlite
Ormlite
GreenDAO
DB4O

11. Component: In App Communication
Communicating is hard, even more so if you
have Asynctasks, Services and, Fragments in
the mix.
● Existing Libraries
○ Android intent system
○ Otto
○ Eventbus

12. Component: Automated Testing
Well done. Here are the test results: You are a horrible
person. I'm serious, that's what it says: "A horrible person."
We weren't even testing for that.
-- GLaDOS / Portal 2
● Testing Options and Support Libraries
○ Android Test Projects
○ JUnit
○ Robolectric
○ Mockito
○ Robotium
○ uiautomator

13. Component: Build system & CI
Autonomous build creation is a wonderful thing
and gives you moment to moment status of
your projects.
● Existing Options
○ ANT build process
○ Maven (kinda...)
○ Gradle build process

14. Additional Considerations
This is not an exhaustive list keep your eyes
open for other things as well.
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Logging
Crash reporting
Code Metrics
Image loading

15. Component: Glue
Even with the best libraries selected a
successful framework needs to be pulled
together.

16. Mutual Mobile’s Framework
Praxis: the process by which a theory, lesson,
or skill is realized.
● Libraries Used
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ApacheHTTPClient
Gson / Simple
DB4O
Otto
JUnit / Robotium
ANT
Dagger

17. Care and feeding of your framework
● Frameworks only last so long.
● Some of the libraries listed haven’t had their
first birthday yet.
● Keep looking for new ways to improve and
adapt.

18. Keeping up with the times
● Some examples from Mutual Mobile’s
framework
○ On 2.2 we used a segmented controller but, after
ICS we changed to Android’s Actionbar.
○ We used singletons and static members to keep
system state, now we use our DI framework to
moderate standard POJOs, holding state
○ We used Handlers to communicate AsyncTask
results, now we ride the bus.

19. Questions?