Android Tutorial B4A Beginners Guide

This guide is obsolete ! It is no more updated.
Please use the B4X Booklets.


Here is a Beginner's Guide in pdf format.
The source code for the example programs is included.

All suggestions, remarks and typo reports are welcome.

To know what vesion you have, look at the lower right corner of the cover page there is an Edit number.
Latest version Edit 3.3

Best regards.


EDIT 2016.10.26 Edition 3.3
Updated with the new B4A V6.30 features.
A big thank you to widget who sent me a complete review with suggestions and typos.
Almost all suggestions have been added.

EDIT 2015.12.08 Edition 3.2
Updated with the new B4A V5.50 features.

EDIT 2015.10.14 Edition 3.1
Updated with the new B4A V5.20 features.

EDIT 2015.07.26 Edition 3.0
Updated with the new B4A V5.02 features.

EDIT 2014.06.04 Edition 2.9
Updated with the new B4A V3.80 features.
Amended some typos.

EDIT 2014.05.07 Edition 2.8
Updated with the new B4A V3.50 features.
Amended some typos.

EDIT 2014.02.05 Edition 2.7
Updated with the new B4A V3.20 features.

EDIT 2013.10.13 Edition 2.6
Updated with the new B4A V3.00 features.

EDIT 2013.05.19 Edition 2.5
Updated with more recent Android SDKs.
Updated to Basic4Android Version 2.70
Added some code snippets to B4A Code Snippets.

EDIT 2013.01.20 Edition 2.4
Minor update with the changes of B4A Version 2.5

EDIT 2012.12.27 Edition 2.3
Updated to Basic4Android 2.3
Updated some chapters

EDIT 2012.08.30 Edition 2.2
- Updated to B4A 2.02
- Removed chapters Keywords, Views and Collections moved them in a separate guide Keyword_Views.pdf
- Added Chapter 12. Tools
- Chapter 12 Example Programs becomes 13
- Chapter 13 Basic Language becomes 14
- Chapter 14 Basic Graphics / Drawing becomes 15
- Chapter 15 Keywords removed
- Chapter 16 Views removed
- Chapter 17 Collections rmoved
- Chapter 18 VB6 versus B4A becomes 16
- Chapter 19 FAQ's becomes 17
- Chapter 20 Glossary becomes 18
- Added new chapters to FAQ'schapter
- Chapter 17.39 not yet finished

Two new Guides have been added:
- Keyword / Views / Collections these chapters were in the Beginner's Guide before
- B4A Code Snippets, it's a collection of code snippets I took from the forum.

EDIT 2012.04.11 Edition 2.1
- Added chapter 5.3 Screen Orientations
- Added chapter 6.4 Exchanging files with PC
- Added chapter 8.9 Designer Script
- Added chapter 13.5.3 Calling a Sub from another module
- Added chapter 13.11 Lists
- Added chapter 13.12 Maps
- Added chapter 17 Collections
- Chapter 17 becomes 18
- Chapter 18 becomes 19
- Added chapter 19.25 Detect screen orientation
- Added chapter 19.26 Some functions don't work in Activity_Pause
- Added chapter 19.27 Calling internal Calculator
- Added chapter 19.28 Get the Alph / Red / Green / Blue values

EDIT 2012.03.11 Edition 2.0
- Amended some errors
- Updated to B4A version 1.8
New chapter
- Working with different screen sizes / number of layouts

Removed chapters
- SQL moved to the User's Guide
- GPS moved to the User's Guide

EDIT 2012.01.01 Edition 1.6
- Added the Widget tutorials.
- Amended some errors.

EDIT 2011.12.25 Edition 1.5
- Added the GPS Example program with some explanations of the code.
- Added some subchapters inspired by forum questions.

Edit: 2011.11.01 Version 1.4
New chapters:
- 8.7 The Abstract Designer
- 8.8 Adding views by code
- 12.5 GPS (a new GPS program will be added in the next update)
- 13.7 Basic Language / Events
- 13.10 Basic Language / Files
- 18.xx some new FAQ's

Edit: 2011.08.29 Version 1.3
New chapter:
- 18 FAQ's

Edit: 2011.08.15 Version 1.2
Above chapters have been added.

Edit: 2011.06.12 Version 1.1
Still missing chapters:
Modules
Example Programs
- ScrollView example
- Database example
Basic Language
- String manipulations
- Timers
Graphics
 
Last edited:

adex1

Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
All the code projects supplied with the Beginner's Guide and the User's Guide are example codes to illustrate different subjects.
All Basic4Android users can use them and modify them to their needs.
I don't think it would be really useful to put these onto GIT HUB nor Code.google which are hudge containers.
I'm sure that it is easier to search for a specific code in this forum rather than in much more generaland big forums.
That's the reason why the Code Snippets subforum was created.

You are right I was just trying to populate the B4A. Any thanks
 

neri pongos

New Member
thank you for having this basic pdf tutorial i really need it badly, i cry just tonight because my teacher gave me an android project for thesis, thinking im going to make it to an eclipse ide and i cant imagine it .. thanks i found basicforandroid :)
 

RonC.

Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
I don't know if this was mentioned before (tried to do a forum search), but on the top of page 43 of the PDF it states "Click on pnlKeyboard", I think it should read "Click on btnAction" and then change that Parent to pnlKeyboard. I'm new, but that was the only way I could get the same results...
 

RonC.

Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
Found some more minor edits in Beginner's Guide. BTW, thanks for all the great work!

Part 3: Second Program

Page 49 - Image shows 5 occurrence(s) replaced ... When I did the example: 3 occurrence(s) replaced
Page 52 - Changed all the names from btnSender to Send without mentioning...​
 

klaus

Expert
Licensed User
Longtime User
Page 49 - Image shows 5 occurrence(s) replaced ... When I did the example: 3 occurrence(s) replaced
Looking at MyFirstProgram there are 5 occurences,which will be replaced.
Page 52 - Changed all the names from btnSender to Send without mentioning...
Changed for the next edition.

Best regards and thank you.
 

SACERDAVE

New Member
Page 112
5.4.1.5 Scaling strategy
[...]
This is done with SetTopAndButton and SetLeftAndRight methods.

I think it should be SetTopAndBottom, as written some line after
 

joedarock

Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
Klaus

What is the difference between the User's Guide and the Beginner's Guide? If I want a thorough printed documentation set, which one(s) should I print?

Joe
 

joedarock

Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
Thanks

Seems like, if I want to make a thorough 'book', I should print and bind both together.

Joe
 

Fergus Cheng

New Member
Licensed User
Longtime User
Thanks very much with the Beginner's Guide, I used it to write my first successful program.

Is there any plan updating a new version to address the change on B4A V.5.02(1)? Thanks.
 
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