Greetings

Hi, welcome to the forum for Rapid Android Development: Build Rich, Sensor-Based Applications with Processing.
I’m looking forward to your feedback!

Feel free to add a new topic concerning a particular chapter or topic. I’ll try to answer your questions and respond to your comments, if I can.

If you find an issue or would like to submit a correction, please post it to the erraga page:http://pragprog.com/titles/dsproc/errata

If you are using the Ketai library and expand your code beyond the demos in this book, and encounter an issue there, please post it to the issue forum Google Code:https://code.google.com/p/ketai/issues/list

Happy posting…

Hi I just bought the book, looks great so far! I’m not a Processing developer nor an Android developer but have been programming on various platforms for quite a while. I think Processing on Android is very promising!

Wanted to ask a question—in your book, you mentioned that Android 4 ICS is needed and newer versions are also ok. However on the http://wiki.processing.org/w/Android#Instructions site, it is mentioned that only Android 2.3.3 is supported without any mention of ICS?

Hi Chang,
the Processing Wiki states the minimum Android requirements for the Android Mode in Processing to work properly. You can use ICS with Processing 2.0 Android Mode, no problem.

The reason for the book and the Ketai library to require ICS is that it uses advanced features brought introduced in ICS, such as NFC Beam, but also an updated approach to using the device camera, face recognition, etc.
I hope this explains the different minimum requirements.

Best,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,

I would like to second Chang’s compliment. Soon I think people will realize how easy it is to program an Android phone, especially those coming from a Arduino background like myself. Thanks!

I was recently going through the examples on the book when I got stuck at the Ketai part, like Chang above. I installed the Ketai library (manually), but I believe processing is still trying to target Android 2.3.3 (API 10). I installed Android 4.0.3 (API 15) from the SDK manager, but am getting an error when I try to build/run the program. It says “Error from inside the Android tools, check the console.” When I try to run the programs not using the Ketai library, it still works. Just as a background, I am using an HTC EVO 3d with Android 4.0.3, Windows 7 (64 bit), Processing 2.08a (64 bit), JDK 1.7 Rev 7 (64 bit), Android Tools 20.0.3. Would you be willing to provide the versions of everything you were using for reproducibility?

Do you have any suggestions or specific instructions on how to make this work? I looked in the processing forums and someone said that the only way they were able to change the target API was by rebuilding the Processing IDE itself. I’m a little uneasy doing this because I’m sure that I’ll create more problems if I go down this road.

I would be happy to correspond and troubleshoot this with you too, if you are willing.

Regards,
Scott
9/8/2012 (2 pm CT)

Update 9/9/2012 (2 pm CT): I noticed that the Ketai library was not available from the Processing library repository.

Update 9/9/2012 (9 pm CT): Problem solved. After much digression with Java versions, environment variables, the Android SDK (which should be in a location that does not need superuser/admin access permission, by the way), etc., I finally figured it out. I exported the project to Eclipse (which I was very hesitant to do because of how intimidating the Processing for Android wiki had made that sound) and it was able to tell me right away what was wrong: I had spelled “background” wrong. I entered in the code by hand from the book, so I made the mistake. When building in Processing it kept telling me the problem was in Android tools, but I did/do not know of any way to look at the specific errors created when using Processing. Do you know, by chance? It would be great to not export every sketch to Eclipse when I have a problem. On the other hand, I learned how to run Processing sketches in Eclipse – which was not that bad considering that I’ve only used Eclipse a couple of times before to run “Hello Android” type programs.

Hi Scott,
thanks for your feedback. There are three steps I can recommend when writing code and developing Android apps in Processing:

- the code highlighting feature in the Processing IDE can help catch a first level of typos as all core methods turn green when you type them correctly (or orange in the Java mode). Otherwise “Cannot find symbol” is the next level of feedback in the Console
- If you have Eclipse installed, I recommend you use the Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS) under Window > Open Perspective > Other… > DDMS http://developer.android.com/tools/debugging/dd… to get feedback from your Android device as you Run the Sketch on your device from Processing.
Once you click on the device you are monitoring using DDMS, you get to know everything what’s going on on the device, without the need to Export you Android Project. You are connected via USB to your desktop and the Android reports to the DDMS that way

There is nothing wrong with Exporting your project to to Eclipse, Processing folks have done a great job with this feature, so everything get’s packaged in a way that is immediately executable within Eclipse.

I’ll add this info to the next beta book and a a few common error messages to the appendix for the book.

I appreciate your detailed comment.
Best,
Daniel

Hi, Daniel,

I want to say thanks to you for your great work on Ketai! I found it very very helpful.

Hey Daniel,

Wanted to reiteriate the praise, the Ketai Library simply rocks!

Those trying to get Processing to play nice with Android might find AK Erics tutorial immeasurably helpful. I used it to set up all the Android stuff…

http://www.akeric.com/blog/?p=1250

Cheers,
Greg

Thank you all for your positive comments on Ketai. Based on your comments and suggestions in this forum, we are working on v8, hoping to release the first week of October.

Best,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,

I bought the book to. It looks like very helpful.
I would use bluetooth with my Galaxy S3. At this time I have some problems, but I’m working on this. You can look at this:
https://forum.processing.org/topic/need-help-wi…

Can you add a section to the book where messages like
No library found for android.content
No library found for android.os
are declared?
The other thing is a section for changing the used api level which processing uses. Like Scott Little’s post.

The book and the library are great work.
Thanks,
Olaf

Hi Olaf,
I’ll add a few common errors to the Appendix. There is typically a few possible causes prompting the same error message, so it will be quite general.
Best,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,
you are right. There are many things that can be a problem. And not all can be written in one book. google will help in many things.
The book is great. One thing that I’m missing in it is a sample for using QR Codes. I know the center of interest is the ketai library, but a quick excurse to ZXing would be nice.

Best regards
Olaf

Just want to say thanks for the book – I discovered processing about 3 days ago, processing.js 2 days ago and then android mode yesterday. Already in love with it’s simplicity and flexibility!

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. Revisions are coming to an end, so get get ready for the final chapter and revisions this week.

Best,
Daniel

Daniel you rock!!! vs 8 of Ketai supporting Gingerbread… I am so so thankful to you for putting in the extra effort to make ketai backwards compatible for Androids quickly changing os development. This book is a FANTASTIC resource, Merry Christmas!

Thanks y’all,
Ketai version 9 is out for both Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich and higher http://code.google.com/p/ketai/downloads/list
Updates/Fixes:
- added method to change location update parameters
- formatted code & JavaDoc generated for all code
- added method to see if Bluetooth is currently in discovery mode
- fixed Camera issue when constructing PImage super class

Keep track of future releases @KetaiLibrary https://twitter.com/KetaiLibrary

Best,
Daniel