The last post for Chapter 3 (Sudoku - New Game Button)

I have tested all of the feature in Chapter 3 including debug print window.

I have implemented "New Game" and "Exit" button today.
It can pop out "Difficulty" dialog box as the same way as  I did for "About" button. The game is not started since it has only an entry point and it is supposed to print a message on the screen.

2 problems I encountered:

• It did not show the message "clicked on ... " as the book said.

RESOLVED: They are not printed to standard output. There is a log window in Eclipse

Click Window->ShowView->LogCat

See image below.

• It did not exit the game by pressing "Exit" button.

Page 56-57 of Hello, Android
In Sudoku2.java

private void startGame(int i) {

    Log.d(TAG, "clicked on " + i); // This prints nothing (?) See LogCat window

    // Start game here 

}


case R.id.exit_button:
finish(); // Did not exit the program (?) 
break;

New Game Dialog is implemented 

LogCat Window for Log.d output

At the end, I would recommend you save the directory (whole package) after each feature worked then start modifying files for the new feature.
In general, there is labeling mechanism in source code control system. I do not know if Eclipse has the feature. If you know, please let me know.

(Chapter 3) Implemented "About" button successfuly

• Today, I implemented actual activity for ABOUT button. When I press the button, it navigates to the next  window in the format so called "Dialog box" since I defined the theme of "Dialog" in AndroidMainifest.xml. 

• AndroidMainifest.xml is the file which maps the activities to the xml pages or texts you have created.

• XML (layout) and Java activities are synced with IDs. If there are some discrepancies in between, Eclipse will put bug marks in the files and also on the lines which have problems so that the developer will know easily and fix them.  

• For this feature, I needed to call OnClickLisner function. Unlike C, Java calls its functions "Methods". Methods belong to a certain Class. 

• Other buttons can be implemented exactly the same way.

(Chapter 3) User Interface Design

Android app uses XML to define the user interface on the screen.

I learned how to use graphic design tool in Eclipse.
By using the graphic layout tool, editing of XML file could be minimized and shorten the development time dramatically.

Following is the layout I designed for the example Sudoku game.

(Chapter 10 ) Vertical Integration – NOTES and OUTLINE

Corporate strategy:

How management react to take advantage of the environment (market) in corporate level.

One of the major issue is to determine supply chain.

Vertical integration in supply chain means that a firm owns its upstream suppliers and its downstream buyers.

• 3 variations of vertical integration (Need to review)
• Advantage: Monopolization (may not good for customers), control of price, stable or predictable market managed by own. Investment growth.
• Disadvantage: More effort and resource on management side 

1.       Forward

Supplier own its producer. When Suppliers manage the distribution of its products in the same supply chain belonging to one owner, it called Forward vertical integration

[EXAMPLE] Farmer sells vegetables to the local restaurant which he/she own

2.       Backward

Producer own its suppliers.  A company parches the parts from its own companies and produces its products.

[EXAMPLE] Ice cream company owns a dairy farm.

3.       Balanced  

·         Example and analysis

The 2003 purchase of DirectTV by News Corporation is an example of a forward integration through acquisition. DirectTV is a satellite TV company, and its purchase enabled News Corporation to use it as a medium to distribute more of its news, movies and television shows by managing the process itself.


Starbucks is best known as a chain of coffee shops. As such, it has various suppliers and inputs -- it buys coffee beans to make coffee as well as customized mugs and products to sell in its stores. It backward vertically integrated when it bought a coffee farm in China, because normally it would have to buy coffee beans from a coffee bean supplier.

(Chapter 2) Basic Concepts

·         Architecture

------------------------------

Application and Widget

Application Frame works

Libraries

Embedded Linux Kernel

Drivers

------------------------------

Hardware

------------------------------

-          As you see, Application runs on Linux OS so that is why we need Emulator on Windows. With Emulator, application uses none of the Windows resource but runs on emulated smart phone resource.

-          Linux OS will provide a certain degree of abstraction from Hardware layer.

·         What is the difference between Application and Widget?

Application will hold the entire screen once it is launched. Widget runs using only a part of the screen (similarly  windows applications on PC or any other shell)

·         What is dalvik?

This is a virtual machine developed by google.

·         State machine
      - Android app is a state machine

- By using  Java’s object oriented mechanism, all applications can be written based on a certain base classes such as Activities.

Independent Study BUS596 - Proposal

Strategic Management - BUS 523 (Requisite) 

• Describe the proposed Independent Study.  Include a description of the work to be accomplished and specific information on the tasks required (attach additional sheets if needed).

I would like to study Strategic Management (BUS 523) which I missed to take in the last semester in CALMAT. This course is one of the required courses to graduate and earn MBA degree.

Research topic (as a final presentation) is “DELL ‘s M & A analysis”

                BOOK: Jay B. Barney, Gaining & Sustaining Competitive Advantage, 4^th Edition, 
                                Prentice Hall

                                From PART III Corporate Strategies, Page 271-

( Chapter 10 - 15 )  

• Describe the nature of the final report, the expected end product or deliverables.

1)      I will create a blog with the label “BUS 596”. The blog will contains the summary of what I learned from the chapters and some feedback from my experience.

2)     As a final outcome from this course, I will submit the slides for 5-10 minutes presentation. Probably upload video to the blog.

(Day 2 HW) Design assignment: Your Killer App (individual, ready for group work next time)

Propose it to the Android App Competition at  http://innovation.csumb.edu/ideas-march

Ideas of March – Android Development Camp and Competition
Teams of students and software professionals will produce a real, working application in 54 hours.

I would propose something easy and fun to use at this time.


Font Creator

1. Select the images from { Cat, Dog, Flowers, Plants, Snake, Pencils, etc } 
2. Input text or message
3. Generate text/message with the font selected
4. Share-able the message with facebook/twitter 

• The example of Cat Fonts

• In Spring, one can create a message with cherry blossom.