■ ANDROID APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

Android OS & Architecture | Activities & UI Design | Advanced UI | Toast | Menu | Dialog | List & Adapters |
SQLite Database

■ Exam Gujarat Police Wireless PSI / Technical Operator

■ Subject Computer Engineering (Part B — Technical)

■ Importance HIGH | Expected 8–12 Questions from this Topic

■ Chapters 7 Chapters | Complete Theory + Code Coverage

Prepared exclusively for the Wireless PSI / Technical Operator Government Exam. All concepts are exam-focused,
concise, and aligned with the official syllabus.
 ■ TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 — Android OS — Concepts & Overview

■ 1.1 What is Android?
■ 1.2 History & Versions of Android
■ 1.3 Features of Android OS
■ 1.4 Android vs iOS Comparison
■ 1.5 Android SDK & Development Tools
■ 1.6 ADB — Android Debug Bridge

Chapter 2 — Android Architecture

■ 2.1 Android Software Stack — 5 Layers
■ 2.2 Linux Kernel Layer
■ 2.3 Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)
■ 2.4 Android Runtime (ART) & Dalvik VM
■ 2.5 Native C/C++ Libraries
■ 2.6 Java API Framework
■ 2.7 System Apps Layer

Chapter 3 — Android Activities and UI Design

■ 3.1 What is an Activity?
■ 3.2 Activity Lifecycle — All States & Methods
■ 3.3 Activity Stack & Back Stack
■ 3.4 Intent — Explicit & Implicit
■ 3.5 UI Layout Files — XML
■ 3.6 Layout Types — Linear, Relative, Constraint, Frame, Table, Grid
■ 3.7 [Link]
■ 3.8 Project Structure

Chapter 4 — Advanced UI Programming

■ 4.1 Common View Widgets
■ 4.2 TextView, EditText, Button
■ 4.3 ImageView, ImageButton
■ 4.4 CheckBox & RadioButton
■ 4.5 Spinner (Dropdown)
■ 4.6 ProgressBar & SeekBar
■ 4.7 Fragments — Introduction
■ 4.8 RecyclerView Overview

Chapter 5 — Toast, Menu & Dialog

■ 5.1 Toast — Types and Usage
■ 5.2 Snackbar
■ 5.3 Options Menu
■ 5.4 Context Menu
■ 5.5 Popup Menu
■ 5.6 AlertDialog
■ 5.7 ProgressDialog
■ 5.8 DatePickerDialog & TimePickerDialog
■ 5.9 Custom Dialog

Chapter 6 — List and Adapters

■ 6.1 What is an Adapter?
■ 6.2 ListView
■ 6.3 ArrayAdapter

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 2

 ■ 6.4 BaseAdapter
■ 6.5 Custom ListView with Custom Adapter
■ 6.6 RecyclerView & [Link]
■ 6.7 ViewHolder Pattern
■ 6.8 GridView

Chapter 7 — Working with Database — SQLite

■ 7.1 SQLite in Android
■ 7.2 SQLiteOpenHelper
■ 7.3 Creating Database & Tables
■ 7.4 CRUD Operations
■ 7.5 ContentValues
■ 7.6 Cursor & Reading Data
■ 7.7 Complete CRUD Example
■ 7.8 Room Database (Introduction)

Quick Revision — Master Cheatsheet & Top 12 Exam Tips

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 3

 Chapter 1

Android OS — Concepts & Overview

■ 1.1 What is Android?

Android is an open-source, Linux-based mobile operating system developed by Google. It is designed primarily
for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is the world's most widely used
mobile OS.
Andy Rubin is widely recognized as the Father of Android. He founded Android Inc. in 2003

Parameter Details

Developer Google LLC (originally Android Inc., acquired by Google in 2005)

First Release September 23, 2008 (Android 1.0)

Based On Linux Kernel

License Open Source — Apache License 2.0 (most parts)

Programming Language Java, Kotlin (official), C/C++ (NDK)

Architecture ARM, x86, MIPS

Market Share ~72% of global mobile OS market (2024)

App Store Google Play Store

App Format .apk (Android Package) / .aab (Android App Bundle)

IDE Android Studio (official IDE by Google)

■ 1.2 Android Versions History

Version Name Year API Level Key Feature

Android 1.0 — 2008 1 First release — basic apps

Android 2.3 Gingerbread 2010 9-10 NFC support, improved SIP

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich 2011 14-15 Unified phone/tablet UI, Face Unlock

Android 4.4 KitKat 2013 19-20 Performance improvements, ART preview

Android 5.0 Lollipop 2014 21-22 Material Design, ART replaces Dalvik

Android 6.0 Marshmallow 2015 23 Runtime permissions, Doze mode

Android 7.0 Nougat 2016 24-25 Multi-window, improved notifications

Android 8.0 Oreo 2017 26-27 Picture-in-Picture, notification channels

Android 9 Pie 2018 28 Adaptive battery, gesture navigation

Android 10 Q (no name) 2019 29 Dark theme, foldables support

Android 11 R 2020 30 Bubbles, conversation notifications

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 4

 Version Name Year API Level Key Feature

Android 12 S 2021 31-32 Material You, privacy dashboard

Android 13 T (Tiramisu) 2022 33 Per-app language, themed icons

U (Upside Down
Android 14 2023 34 Health Connect, large screen
Cake)

V (Vanilla Ice
Android 15 2024 35 Predictive back, privacy improvements
Cream)

✎ EXAM TIP: Android versions: Lollipop(5.0)=Material Design+ART. Marshmallow(6.0)=runtime

permissions. Oreo(8.0)=notification channels. Android 10+ = no dessert names. API level = version
number!

■ 1.3 Features of Android OS

Feature Description

Open Source Source code available under Apache License — free to use, modify, distribute

Linux Kernel Based on Linux — provides process management, memory management, security

Multitasking Run multiple apps simultaneously — background services

Multi-touch Supports multi-finger touch gestures — pinch, zoom, swipe

Rich UI Material Design guidelines — smooth animations, consistent UI

Connectivity WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 4G/5G, USB — comprehensive connectivity

Google Services Deep integration with Google Maps, Gmail, Play Store, Drive

App Store Google Play Store — millions of apps — easy distribution

Media Support Supports MP3, AAC, H.264, VP8, JPEG, PNG, GIF and more

Storage Internal storage + external SD card support

Security App sandbox, permissions model, encryption, Play Protect

Developer Friendly Android Studio, ADB, emulator, comprehensive SDK and APIs

Customization Highly customizable — OEM skins (Samsung One UI, Xiaomi MIUI) MIUI , ColorOS ,
OxygenOS , SailfishOS ,
Ubuntu Touch, Maemo,
Virtual Machine ART (Android Runtime) executes Dalvik bytecode efficiently
OneUI/Tizer Samsung,
KaiOS , IndusOS ,
HarmonyOS,

■ 1.4 Android Development Tools FunTouchOS , TeslaOS ,

iOS, Nokia Symbian

Tool Purpose

Android Studio Official IDE by Google — replaced Eclipse + ADT plugin in 2013

Android SDK Software Development Kit — libraries, tools, APIs for Android development

ADB (Android Debug

Command-line tool to communicate with emulator/device for debugging
Bridge)

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 5

 Tool Purpose

AVD Manager Android Virtual Device Manager — create and manage emulators

Gradle Build automation system — compiles and packages Android apps (.apk/.aab)

DDMS Dalvik Debug Monitor Server — now replaced by Android Profiler in Android Studio

ProGuard / R8 Code shrinker and obfuscator — reduces APK size and protects code

Android Emulator Virtual device to test apps without physical hardware

Firebase Google's mobile platform — analytics, crash reporting, authentication, cloud DB

✎ EXAM TIP: Android Studio = official IDE (replaced Eclipse in 2013). ADB = Android Debug Bridge =
command-line debugging. Gradle = build system. AVD = Android Virtual Device (emulator)!

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 6

 Chapter 2

Android Architecture

■ 2.1 Android Software Stack — 5 Layers

Android Architecture (Top to Bottom): Layer 5: System Applications (Gmail, Camera, Browser, Phone, Contacts)
Layer 4: Java API Framework (Activity Manager, View System, Content Providers, etc.) Layer 3: Native C/C++
Libraries + Android Runtime (ART) Layer 2: Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) Layer 1: Linux Kernel (Drivers,
Security, Memory, Power Management)

■ 2.2 Layer-wise Explanation

Layer Components Key Role

Display driver, Camera driver, Bluetooth, Foundation — hardware abstraction,

Linux Kernel (Layer 1) WiFi, USB, Power Management, Memory process/memory management, security,
Management, Binder IPC networking

HAL — Hardware
Audio HAL, Bluetooth HAL, Camera HAL, Standard interface between hardware and Java
Abstraction Layer (Layer
Sensors HAL, Graphics HAL API framework — OEM implements HAL
2)

Android Runtime + ART, Core Java Libraries, WebKit, OpenGL ART executes .dex bytecode. Native C/C++
Native Libraries (Layer 3) ES, SQLite, Media Framework, libc libraries provide core services

Activity Manager, Window Manager, Content

Java API Framework Providers, View System, Package Manager, Building blocks for Android apps — access via
(Layer 4) Notification Manager, Location Manager, Java/Kotlin APIs
Resource Manager

System Applications Phone, SMS, Email, Browser, Camera, Pre-installed apps using the same framework
(Layer 5) Calendar, Contacts, Settings APIs as third-party apps

■ 2.3 Android Runtime (ART) & Dalvik VM Virtual Machine (VM)

Feature Dalvik VM (Old) ART (Current — Android 5.0+)

Compilation JIT — Just-In-Time (at runtime) AOT — Ahead-Of-Time (at install time)

Performance Slower (JIT overhead) Faster (pre-compiled native code)

Battery Higher consumption Lower consumption

Install Time Fast Slightly slower (compiles at install)

App Size Smaller Larger (includes compiled code)

Bytecode format .dex (Dalvik Executable) .dex → compiled to native code

Introduced Android 1.0 Android 5.0 Lollipop (replaced Dalvik)

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 7

 ✎ EXAM TIP: ART replaced Dalvik in Android 5.0 (Lollipop). ART = AOT compilation = faster execution.
Dalvik = JIT. Both use .dex bytecode format. ART = better performance and battery life!

■ 2.4 Key Framework Components

Component Function

Activity Manager Manages Activity lifecycle — starts, stops, resumes activities

Window Manager Manages windows and display — renders UI to screen

Content Providers Enables data sharing between applications (contacts, media store)

View System UI building blocks — all widgets (TextView, Button, etc.) are Views

Package Manager Manages installed applications — install, remove, query app info

Notification Manager Manages status bar notifications and alerts

Location Manager Provides GPS and network-based location services

Resource Manager Manages non-code resources — layouts, strings, images, styles

Telephony Manager Access to telephony services — call state, network info

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 8

 Chapter 3

Android Activities and UI Design

■ 3.1 What is an Activity?

An Activity is a single screen with a user interface in an Android app. Every screen in an Android application is
represented by an Activity. It acts as the entry point for user interaction.

• An Activity represents one screen / one window of the app

• Activities contain UI elements (Views) arranged in layouts
• Apps typically have multiple activities — each is a separate class extending Activity or AppCompatActivity
• Activities are declared in [Link]
• Example: SplashActivity, LoginActivity, MainActivity, ProfileActivity

■ 3.2 Activity Lifecycle — Complete

Activity Lifecycle States & Callback Methods (in order): onCreate() → Activity created — initialize UI, set content
view, bind data onStart() → Activity becomes visible to user onResume() → Activity is in foreground, user can
interact — RUNNING state onPause() → Another activity partially covers this one — release resources onStop()
→ Activity no longer visible — save state onRestart() → Called after onStop() when activity comes back
onDestroy() → Activity is being destroyed — final cleanup

Method When Called What to Do Here

onCreate() Activity first created — initial setup setContentView(), find views, initialize objects, set listeners

onStart() Activity becoming visible Start animations, register BroadcastReceiver

Activity in foreground, fully

onResume() Start camera, play media, resume paused operations
interactive

Activity partially hidden (dialog,

onPause() Pause animations, save unsaved data, release camera
new activity)

onStop() Activity completely hidden Save to database, stop heavy computations

Activity returning from stopped

onRestart() Refresh data that may have changed
state

Activity being permanently

onDestroy() Release all resources, close connections
destroyed

✎ EXAM TIP: Activity lifecycle order: onCreate→onStart→onResume

(visible+interactive)→onPause→onStop→onDestroy. Most code goes in onCreate(). Save state in
onPause()/onStop(). Always call [Link]() first!

■ 3.3 Intent — Communication Between Activities

An Intent is a messaging object used to request an action from another component — start an activity, start a
service, or deliver a broadcast.

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 9

 Intent Type Description Example

Directly specify the target component Intent i = new Intent(this, [Link]);

Explicit Intent
(class name) — used within same app startActivity(i);

Declare general action — Android finds Intent i = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW,

Implicit Intent
appropriate app to handle it [Link]("[Link] startActivity(i);

Passing Data Between Activities:

// Sending activity: Intent intent = new Intent(this, [Link]);
[Link]("username", "Rahul"); [Link]("age", 25); startActivity(intent); //
Receiving activity (SecondActivity): String name = getIntent().getStringExtra("username");
int age = getIntent().getIntExtra("age", 0);

✎ EXAM TIP: Explicit intent = specify class directly = within app. Implicit intent = specify action = system
chooses app (browser, camera, maps). Use putExtra() to pass data, getIntent().getXxxExtra() to receive!

■ 3.4 UI Layout Types

Layout Description Best Use

Arranges children in a single row (horizontal)

LinearLayout or column (vertical). Uses weight for Simple forms, rows/columns of buttons
proportional sizing.

Positions children relative to each other or

RelativeLayout parent — alignParentTop, toRightOf, below, Complex UI where elements need precise positioning
etc.

Most flexible — positions using constraints to

Any complex layout — recommended for all new
ConstraintLayout parent or other views. Best performance.
development
Default in new projects.

Stacks children on top of each other — only Fragment containers, overlapping views, splash
FrameLayout
one visible at a time typically. screens

Arranges children in rows and columns like

TableLayout Form layouts, grids of data
an HTML table.

Divides space into grid — children placed in

GridLayout Calculator UI, icon grids
specific rows and columns.

Single child view that can scroll vertically

ScrollView Long forms, content pages
when content exceeds screen.

Advanced container for Material Design

CoordinatorLayout Toolbar collapsing, FAB positioning
animations and interactions.

✎ EXAM TIP: ConstraintLayout = best performance = default for new projects. LinearLayout = simplest.
RelativeLayout = relative positioning. FrameLayout = fragment containers. All layouts extend
ViewGroup!

■ 3.5 [Link]

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 10

 The [Link] is the most important configuration file in every Android app. It must be in the root of
the app project.

Manifest Element Purpose

Root element — package name, version code, version name

App-wide settings — icon, label, theme, backup

Register each Activity — name, intent-filter, label, theme

Define what intents an activity can handle — MAIN+LAUNCHER = app entry

Register background Service components

Register BroadcastReceiver components

Register ContentProvider components

Declare permissions needed — INTERNET, CAMERA, STORAGE, etc.

Declare hardware features needed — camera, GPS, NFC

Minimum and target SDK versions

Example [Link] snippet:

<manifest package="[Link]"> <uses-permission
android:name="[Link]"/> <application android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
android:label="My App"> <activity android:name=".MainActivity"> <intent-filter> <action
android:name="[Link]"/> <category
android:name="[Link]"/> </intent-filter> </activity>
</application> </manifest>

✎ EXAM TIP: [Link] must declare ALL activities, services, receivers. MAIN+LAUNCHER in
intent-filter = app launcher entry point. uses-permission = request device permissions!

■ 3.6 Android Project Structure

Folder / File Contents

app/src/main/java/ Java/Kotlin source files — Activity classes, utilities

app/src/main/res/layout/ XML layout files — activity_main.xml, fragment layouts

app/src/main/res/values/ [Link] (text), [Link], [Link], [Link]

app/src/main/res/drawable/ Image resources — PNG, XML drawables, icons

app/src/main/res/mipmap/ App launcher icons (different DPI sizes)

app/src/main/res/menu/ XML menu resource files

app/src/main/[Link] App configuration — activities, permissions, features

app/[Link] Module-level build config — dependencies, SDK versions

[Link] (project) Project-level build config — repositories, plugins

[Link] Gradle build properties

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 11

 Folder / File Contents

app/src/main/assets/ Raw files — HTML, fonts, JSON — accessed via AssetManager

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 12

 Chapter 4

Advanced UI Programming

■ 4.1 Common View Widgets

Widget XML Tag Key Attributes Common Use

text, textSize, textColor, textStyle,

TextView TextView Display text labels
gravity

hint, inputType, maxLength,

EditText EditText User text input
imeOptions

Button Button text, onClick, background, enabled Clickable button

ImageView ImageView src, scaleType, adjustViewBounds Display images

CheckBox CheckBox text, checked, onCheckedChanged Boolean toggle

RadioButton RadioButton text, checked (in RadioGroup) Single selection from group

RadioGroup RadioGroup orientation, onCheckedChanged Container for RadioButtons

Spinner Spinner entries, prompt, onItemSelected Dropdown selection

ProgressBar ProgressBar progress, max, indeterminate Show progress/loading

SeekBar SeekBar progress, max, onProgressChanged Slider control

Switch Switch checked, text, onCheckedChanged Toggle switch (on/off)

ToggleButton ToggleButton textOn, textOff, checked Two-state toggle button

ScrollView ScrollView (wraps single child) Vertical scrolling container

WebView WebView loadUrl(), loadData() Display web content in app

■ 4.2 Common UI Code Patterns

Finding Views and Setting Click Listeners:

// In onCreate() of Activity: Button btnSubmit = findViewById([Link]); EditText
etName = findViewById([Link]); TextView tvResult = findViewById([Link]); // Set
click listener: [Link](new [Link]() { @Override public
void onClick(View v) { String name = [Link]().toString(); [Link]("Hello, "
+ name); } }); // Lambda (modern Java / Kotlin): [Link](v -> {
[Link]("Hello, " + [Link]()); });

■ 4.3 Fragments

A Fragment is a reusable portion of UI within an Activity. Fragments have their own lifecycle. An Activity can
contain multiple fragments.

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 13

 Fragment Feature Description

Reusability Same fragment used in multiple activities — code reuse

Modular UI Break complex UI into manageable, independent pieces

Back Stack Fragment transactions added to back stack — back button navigation

Lifecycle Has own lifecycle tied to hosting activity

FragmentManager Manages fragments — add, replace, remove, find by tag

FragmentTransaction Batch fragment operations — add(), replace(), commit()

Fragment Arguments Pass data to fragments using Bundle — setArguments()

Communication Fragment → Activity via interface; Activity → Fragment via findFragmentById()

✎ EXAM TIP: Fragment = reusable UI piece within Activity. Fragment has own lifecycle.
FragmentManager manages fragments. setArguments(bundle) to pass data. Used in tablets for
multi-pane layouts!

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 14

 Chapter 5

Toast, Menu and Dialog

■ 5.1 Toast

A Toast is a small popup message that appears briefly on screen and automatically disappears. It does NOT
require user interaction.

Toast Parameter Options

Duration Toast.LENGTH_SHORT (2 seconds) or Toast.LENGTH_LONG (3.5 seconds)

Position Default bottom center; can be customized with setGravity()

Content Text only (basic) or custom View (custom toast)

Blocking Non-blocking — app continues running while toast is shown

Toast Code Examples:

// Basic Toast: [Link](this, "Hello World!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); // Long
Toast: [Link](getApplicationContext(), "Saved!", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show(); // Toast
with custom position: Toast toast = [Link](this, "Top Center!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
[Link]([Link] | Gravity.CENTER_HORIZONTAL, 0, 100); [Link]();

✎ EXAM TIP: Toast = brief non-interactive popup. LENGTH_SHORT = 2s. LENGTH_LONG = 3.5s. Always
call .show() — forgetting .show() is a common mistake! Toast cannot receive user clicks!

■ 5.2 Types of Menus

Menu Type Description How to Create When It Appears

Primary menu of an activity — Override

User taps 3-dot overflow icon or
Options Menu shown in ActionBar/toolbar as onCreateOptionsMenu(), inflate
menu hardware button
3-dot overflow menu [Link].menu_main

Floating menu that appears when Override

User long-presses registered
Context Menu user long-presses (long-clicks) a onCreateContextMenu() +
view
view registerForContextMenu(view)

Small menu anchored to a specific

Create PopupMenu object, Triggered by button click or other
Popup Menu view — appears below/above
inflate menu, show() action
anchor

Options Menu Code:

// res/menu/menu_main.xml: <menu xmlns:android="..."> <item android:id="@+id/action_settings"
android:title="Settings" android:showAsAction="never"/> <item
android:id="@+id/action_search" android:title="Search" android:icon="@drawable/ic_search"
android:showAsAction="ifRoom"/> </menu> // In Activity: @Override public boolean
onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) { getMenuInflater().inflate([Link].menu_main, menu); return
true; } @Override public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) { if ([Link]()
== [Link].action_settings) { // Handle settings click return true; } return

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 15

 [Link](item); }

✎ EXAM TIP: Options Menu = toolbar/ActionBar menu. Context Menu = long-press menu. Popup Menu =
anchored to view. Menu items defined in XML res/menu/ folder. showAsAction: always/ifRoom/never!

■ 5.3 Dialogs

Dialog Type Class Use Key Methods

Yes/No confirmations, setTitle(), setMessage(), setPositiveButton(),

Alert Dialog [Link]
information messages setNegativeButton(), setNeutralButton()

Show progress — use

ProgressDialog setMessage(), setProgressStyle(),
Progress Dialog ProgressBar in custom
(deprecated) show()/dismiss()
dialog instead

Date Picker Dialog DatePickerDialog Let user select a date [Link]

Time Picker Dialog TimePickerDialog Let user select a time [Link]

Custom Dialog Dialog / AlertDialog Any custom UI in dialog setContentView() with custom layout

AlertDialog Example:
[Link] builder = new [Link](this); [Link]("Confirm
Delete") .setMessage("Are you sure you want to delete?") .setPositiveButton("Yes", (dialog,
which) -> { // User clicked Yes deleteRecord(); }) .setNegativeButton("No", (dialog, which)
-> { [Link](); }) .setIcon([Link].ic_dialog_alert) .show();

✎ EXAM TIP: [Link] pattern: create builder, set title/message/buttons, call show().
setPositiveButton = OK/Yes. setNegativeButton = Cancel/No. setNeutralButton = third option. Always call
show()!

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 16

 Chapter 6

List and Adapters

■ 6.1 What is an Adapter?

An Adapter acts as a bridge between data source and UI view (ListView/RecyclerView). It converts each data
item into a View that can be displayed.

Data Source (Array/List/Database) → ADAPTER → ListView/RecyclerView (UI)

Adapter Type Data Source View Use Case

ArrayAdapter Array or ArrayList ListView, Spinner Simple list of strings/objects

BaseAdapter Custom data ListView Custom list items — extend and override getView()

SimpleCursorAdapter Database Cursor ListView Database query results

[Link] List RecyclerView Modern replacement for ListView — highly optimized

CursorAdapter Cursor ListView Database-backed lists

■ 6.2 ListView with ArrayAdapter

XML Layout (activity_main.xml):

<ListView android:id="@+id/listView" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"/>

Java Code:
ListView listView = findViewById([Link]); // String array data source: String[] fruits
= {"Apple", "Banana", "Mango", "Orange", "Grapes"}; // ArrayAdapter with built-in
simple_list_item_1 layout: ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<>( this,
[Link].simple_list_item_1, fruits ); [Link](adapter); // Item click
listener: [Link]((parent, view, position, id) -> { String selected =
fruits[position]; [Link](this, "Selected: " + selected, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
});

✎ EXAM TIP: ArrayAdapter = simplest adapter for ListView. Three params: context, layout
(simple_list_item_1), data array. setOnItemClickListener for click events. position = index of clicked item!

■ 6.3 Custom Adapter with BaseAdapter

Custom Adapter — 4 methods to override:

Method Purpose

getCount() Return total number of items in data source

getItem(int position) Return data item at given position

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 17

 Method Purpose

getItemId(int position) Return unique ID for item at position (often return position)

getView(int position, View

convertView, ViewGroup Return View for each item — inflate layout, bind data
parent)

Custom Adapter Code:

public class FruitAdapter extends BaseAdapter { Context context; String[] names; int[]
images; LayoutInflater inflater; public FruitAdapter(Context ctx, String[] n, int[] img) {
context = ctx; names = n; images = img; inflater = [Link](context); } @Override
public int getCount() { return [Link]; } @Override public Object getItem(int pos) {
return names[pos]; } @Override public long getItemId(int pos) { return pos; } @Override
public View getView(int pos, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) { if (convertView == null)
convertView = [Link]([Link].list_item, parent, false); TextView tvName =
[Link]([Link]); ImageView ivIcon =
[Link]([Link]); [Link](names[pos]);
[Link](images[pos]); return convertView; } }

■ 6.4 RecyclerView — Modern List View

RecyclerView is the modern, more flexible replacement for ListView. It recycles (reuses) view holders for better
performance.

RecyclerView Component Purpose

RecyclerView The view itself — placed in XML layout

[Link] Creates ViewHolder objects and binds data

[Link] Holds references to views for one list item — avoids repeated findViewById()

Controls how items are arranged (LinearLayoutManager, GridLayoutManager,

LayoutManager
StaggeredGridLayoutManager)

ItemDecoration Add dividers, spacing between items

ItemAnimator Animate add/remove/change operations

RecyclerView Adapter Structure:

public class MyAdapter extends [Link]<[Link]> { List<String>
data; // ViewHolder: holds references to views for one item static class ViewHolder extends
[Link] { TextView tvName; ViewHolder(View v) { super(v); tvName =
[Link]([Link]); } } @Override // Create new ViewHolder public ViewHolder
onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) { View v =
[Link]([Link]()) .inflate([Link].item_layout, parent, false);
return new ViewHolder(v); } @Override // Bind data to ViewHolder public void
onBindViewHolder(ViewHolder holder, int position) {
[Link]([Link](position)); } @Override public int getItemCount() { return
[Link](); } }

Setting up RecyclerView in Activity:

RecyclerView rv = findViewById([Link]); [Link](new
LinearLayoutManager(this)); MyAdapter adapter = new MyAdapter(dataList);

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 18

 [Link](adapter);

✎ EXAM TIP: RecyclerView = modern ListView. ViewHolder = caches view references (performance).
onCreateViewHolder = inflate layout. onBindViewHolder = bind data. LayoutManager = arranges items!

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 19

 Chapter 7

Working with Database — SQLite

■ 7.1 SQLite in Android

SQLite is a lightweight, embedded relational database built into Android. No separate server needed — database
stored as a single file in the app's private storage.

SQLite Feature Details

Type Embedded relational database — no server process needed

Storage Location /data/data/[Link]/databases/

File Format Single .db file — entire database in one file

SQL Support Standard SQL — CREATE, INSERT, SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE

Android Class SQLiteOpenHelper — helps create and version databases

Transactions Supports ACID transactions — begin/commit/rollback

Max DB Size ~140 TB theoretical — practical limit based on device storage

Modern Alternative Room Database (Jetpack) — annotation-based ORM over SQLite

■ 7.2 SQLiteOpenHelper

SQLiteOpenHelper is the Android class that manages database creation and version management. You extend it
to create your own database helper.

Method When Called What to Do

onCreate(SQLiteDatabase When database is

Execute CREATE TABLE SQL statements
db) created for FIRST time

When
onUpgrade(db,
DATABASE_VERSION Migrate data — ALTER TABLE or DROP + recreate
oldVersion, newVersion)
is incremented

Called to get writable DB

getWritableDatabase() Returns SQLiteDatabase for INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE
instance

Called to get readable

getReadableDatabase() Returns SQLiteDatabase for SELECT queries
DB instance

■ 7.3 Complete SQLite CRUD Example

Step 1 — Create DatabaseHelper class:

public class DatabaseHelper extends SQLiteOpenHelper { private static final String DB_NAME =
"StudentDB"; private static final int DB_VERSION = 1; private static final String TABLE =
"students"; public DatabaseHelper(Context context) { super(context, DB_NAME, null,
DB_VERSION); } @Override public void onCreate(SQLiteDatabase db) { String CREATE_TABLE =

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 20

 "CREATE TABLE " + TABLE + " (" + "id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, " + "name TEXT, " +
"age INTEGER, " + "email TEXT)"; [Link](CREATE_TABLE); } @Override public void
onUpgrade(SQLiteDatabase db, int oldV, int newV) { [Link]("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS " +
TABLE); onCreate(db); }

Step 2 — INSERT (Create):

// INSERT record public long insertStudent(String name, int age, String email) {
SQLiteDatabase db = [Link](); ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
[Link]("name", name); [Link]("age", age); [Link]("email", email); long id =
[Link](TABLE, null, values); [Link](); return id; // Returns row ID, -1 if error }

Step 3 — SELECT (Read):

// READ all records public List<String> getAllStudents() { List<String> list = new
ArrayList<>(); SQLiteDatabase db = [Link](); Cursor cursor =
[Link]("SELECT * FROM " + TABLE, null); if ([Link]()) { do { int id =
[Link](0); String name = [Link](1); int age = [Link](2); [Link](id
+ ": " + name + " (Age: " + age + ")"); } while ([Link]()); } [Link]();
[Link](); return list; }

Step 4 — UPDATE:
// UPDATE record public int updateStudent(int id, String newName, int newAge) {
SQLiteDatabase db = [Link](); ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
[Link]("name", newName); [Link]("age", newAge); int rows = [Link](TABLE, values,
"id=?", new String[]{[Link](id)}); [Link](); return rows; // Returns number of rows
affected }

Step 5 — DELETE:
// DELETE record public void deleteStudent(int id) { SQLiteDatabase db =
[Link](); [Link](TABLE, "id=?", new String[]{[Link](id)});
[Link](); } } // End of DatabaseHelper class

Step 6 — Using DatabaseHelper in Activity:

DatabaseHelper dbHelper = new DatabaseHelper(this); // INSERT: long id =
[Link]("Rahul", 21, "rahul@[Link]"); [Link](this, "Inserted ID: "
+ id, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); // READ and display in ListView: List<String> students =
[Link](); ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<>( this,
[Link].simple_list_item_1, students); [Link](adapter); // UPDATE:
[Link](1, "Rahul Kumar", 22); // DELETE: [Link](1);

✎ EXAM TIP: SQLiteOpenHelper: onCreate=first time DB created, onUpgrade=version changed.

ContentValues=key-value pairs for INSERT/UPDATE. Cursor=result of SELECT query. Always close
cursor and db!

■ 7.4 Cursor Methods

Cursor Method Purpose

moveToFirst() Move to first row — returns false if no rows

moveToNext() Move to next row — returns false if at last row

moveToPosition(int pos) Move to specific row by index

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 21

 Cursor Method Purpose

getCount() Return total number of rows in cursor

getInt(int columnIndex) Get integer value from column at given index

getString(int columnIndex) Get string value from column at given index

getFloat(int columnIndex) Get float value from column at given index

getColumnIndex(String name) Get column index by column name

close() MUST close cursor after use to prevent memory leak

isAfterLast() Check if past last row

■ 7.5 Room Database — Introduction

Room is Google's recommended database library — an abstraction layer over SQLite. Part of Android Jetpack.

Room Component Purpose Annotation

Entity Java class representing a database table @Entity, @PrimaryKey, @ColumnInfo

DAO (Data Access Interface with database operations

@Dao, @Insert, @Update, @Delete, @Query
Object) (queries)

Abstract class — database holder and

Database @Database(entities, version)
main access point

Optional — mediates between DAO and

Repository No annotation — design pattern
ViewModel

✎ EXAM TIP: Room = modern SQLite wrapper = annotation-based. @Entity = table, @Dao = queries,
@Database = db holder. Room validates SQL at compile time — catches errors early. Preferred over raw
SQLite!

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 22

 ✍ QUICK REVISION CHEATSHEET

All key facts in one place

Concept / Parameter Key Fact

Android developer Google LLC (originally Android Inc., acquired 2005)

Android first release September 23, 2008 (Android 1.0)

Android based on Linux Kernel

Android language Java (primary), Kotlin (official since 2017), C/C++ (NDK)

Official IDE Android Studio (replaced Eclipse + ADT in 2013)

App file format .apk (Android Package) or .aab (Android App Bundle)

App store Google Play Store

Linux Kernel → HAL → Native Libraries + ART → Java API Framework

Android architecture layers (5)
→ System Apps

Dalvik VM Old Android runtime — JIT compilation — replaced in Android 5.0

Android Runtime — AOT compilation — faster, better battery — since

ART
Android 5.0

ART vs Dalvik ART = AOT (install time compile). Dalvik = JIT (runtime compile)

.dex file Dalvik Executable — bytecode format for both Dalvik and ART

Android 5.0 Lollipop ART replaces Dalvik, Material Design introduced

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Runtime permissions introduced

Android 8.0 Oreo Notification channels, Picture-in-Picture

Activity Single screen with UI — extends Activity or AppCompatActivity

onCreate→onStart→onResume→onPause→onStop→onRestart→onDe
Activity lifecycle order
stroy

onCreate() purpose Initialize UI, setContentView(), find views, set listeners

onResume() Activity in foreground — user can interact — RUNNING state

onPause() Activity partially hidden — save data, release camera

Explicit Intent Directly specify target class — Intent(this, [Link])

Implicit Intent Specify action — system finds app — ACTION_VIEW, ACTION_SEND

putExtra() / getStringExtra() Pass data between activities via Intent

[Link] Declares ALL activities, permissions, features — required

MAIN + LAUNCHER intent-filter that marks app entry point activity

uses-permission Declares permissions like INTERNET, CAMERA, READ_CONTACTS

ConstraintLayout Best performance layout — default for new projects

LinearLayout Arranges children in row or column — uses weight attribute

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 23

 Concept / Parameter Key Fact

FrameLayout Stacks views — used for fragment containers

Toast.LENGTH_SHORT 2 seconds — Toast.LENGTH_LONG = 3.5 seconds

[Link]().show() MUST call .show() — forgot show() = no toast displayed

Options Menu Toolbar/ActionBar menu — onCreateOptionsMenu() + inflate XML

Long-press menu — registerForContextMenu() +

Context Menu
onCreateContextMenu()

[Link] setTitle, setMessage, setPositiveButton, setNegativeButton, show()

Adapter purpose Bridge between data source and ListView/RecyclerView

ArrayAdapter Simplest adapter — array/list data — built-in layouts

BaseAdapter Custom adapter — override getCount, getItem, getItemId, getView

Modern adapter — onCreateViewHolder, onBindViewHolder,

[Link]
getItemCount

ViewHolder pattern Cache view references — avoid repeated findViewById() calls

Controls RecyclerView layout: LinearLayoutManager,

LayoutManager
GridLayoutManager

SQLite location /data/data/[Link]/databases/

SQLiteOpenHelper Helper class — extends to create DB — onCreate + onUpgrade

onCreate(db) Called FIRST time DB created — execute CREATE TABLE SQL

onUpgrade(db,old,new) Called when DB_VERSION increases — migrate data

ContentValues Key-value pairs for INSERT and UPDATE operations

[Link]() INSERT row — returns row ID, -1 if error

[Link]() Execute SELECT SQL — returns Cursor

[Link]() UPDATE rows — returns number of rows affected

[Link]() DELETE rows from table

[Link]() Move to first row — false if no rows

[Link]() Iterate through results row by row

[Link]() MUST close cursor after use — memory leak if not closed

Room @Entity Annotates class as database table

Room @Dao Annotates interface with DB operations (@Query, @Insert, @Delete)

Room @Database Annotates abstract class — database holder

Fragment Reusable UI portion within Activity — has own lifecycle

res/layout/ XML layout files for activities and fragments

res/values/ [Link], [Link], [Link] — resource values

Auto-generated class — references to all resources ([Link],

R class
[Link])

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 24

 ■ TOP 12 EXAM TIPS

High-probability points — memorize before exam day

Android = Google + Linux-based + Open Source. First release = Sept 23, 2008. Official IDE = Android
Tip 1
Studio (2013). Language = Java/Kotlin. App format = .apk/.aab!

5 Architecture layers: Linux Kernel → HAL → ART+Native Libraries → Java API Framework → System
Tip 2
Apps. Linux kernel = bottom. System Apps = top!

ART replaced Dalvik in Android 5.0 Lollipop. ART = AOT (ahead-of-time) compile at install. Dalvik = JIT
Tip 3
(just-in-time) at runtime. ART = faster + better battery!

Activity lifecycle: onCreate→onStart→onResume(running)→onPause→onStop→onDestroy. onCreate

Tip 4
= setup UI. onResume = user interacts. onPause = save data!

Explicit Intent = specify class directly (within app). Implicit Intent = specify action (system picks app).
Tip 5
putExtra/getStringExtra = pass data between activities!

[Link] = declares ALL activities + permissions. MAIN+LAUNCHER = app entry point.

Tip 6
uses-permission = INTERNET, CAMERA, etc. Missing declaration = app crashes!

ConstraintLayout = best performance = default. LinearLayout = simple row/column. FrameLayout =

Tip 7
fragment container. RelativeLayout = relative positioning!

Toast: makeText(context, message, duration).show(). LENGTH_SHORT=2s. LENGTH_LONG=3.5s.

Tip 8
MUST call show() or toast wont appear. Toast cannot be clicked!

Options Menu = toolbar (onCreateOptionsMenu). Context Menu = long-press

Tip 9
(registerForContextMenu). [Link]: setPositiveButton=Yes, setNegativeButton=No!

Adapter = bridge between data and ListView. ArrayAdapter = simple. BaseAdapter = custom.
Tip 10
[Link] = modern. ViewHolder = cache view refs for performance!

SQLiteOpenHelper: onCreate=first DB creation (CREATE TABLE). onUpgrade=version change.

Tip 11
ContentValues=INSERT/UPDATE data. Cursor=SELECT results. ALWAYS close cursor!

Room = modern SQLite: @Entity=table, @Dao=queries, @Database=holder. Fragment = reusable UI

Tip 12
in Activity. [Link] = resource reference. res/layout = XML layouts!

All the best for your Wireless PSI / Technical Operator Exam! Prepare smart, revise daily, practice
MCQs regularly. ■

Wireless PSI / TO Exam Prep | Android Application Development Page 25