Explore the diverse world of Android with comprehensive coverage of common interview topics. From app development and user interface design to security and performance optimization, we’ve got you covered. Dive into the essential categories and topics that will help you ace your Android interview.
Android Basics:
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What is Android?
- Android is an open-source mobile operating system developed by Google for smartphones and tablets.
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Explain the Android application architecture.
- Android applications consist of four key components: Activities, Services, Broadcast Receivers, and Content Providers. These components work together to provide a seamless user experience.
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What is the AndroidManifest.xml file used for?
- The AndroidManifest.xml file contains essential information about your app, such as its package name, permissions, and the components it contains.
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What is an APK?
- An APK (Android Package) is the file format used to distribute and install Android applications on devices.
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What is the Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM) and how is it different from the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)?
- The DVM is the virtual machine used by Android to run applications. It’s optimized for mobile devices and uses .dex (Dalvik Executable) files. In contrast, the JVM runs standard Java bytecode.
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What is the Android Debug Bridge (ADB)?
- ADB is a command-line tool used to communicate with Android devices or emulators. It allows developers to perform various debugging and development tasks.
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Explain the activity lifecycle in Android.
- The Android activity lifecycle includes methods like onCreate(), onStart(), onResume(), onPause(), onStop(), onDestroy(), etc. These methods govern the state transitions of an activity.
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What is the difference between Serializable and Parcelable?
- Serializable represents a standard Java interface for object serialization, whereas Android-specific Parcelable is designed for high-performance data transfer between processes.
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What is the purpose of the onSaveInstanceState() method?
- onSaveInstanceState() is used to save the state of an activity before it’s destroyed, typically in response to a configuration change. This data can be later retrieved in onCreate().