Overview

This is a compact library catalogue application developed as an Android mobile application. The Library app presents a scrollable list of book entries sourced from a local JSON asset, showing cover art, titles, authors, ISBNs, and synopses. It demonstrates core Android patterns such as RecyclerView adapters, view holders, and Material card-based layouts for clean, readable content presentation.

Features

The Library Android application offers the following features:

1. RecyclerView Book List

   • Efficient scrollable list for book entries
   • LinearLayoutManager for smooth vertical scrolling
   • View holder pattern for performance and reuse

2. Book Cards

   • MaterialCardView layout for each book
   • Cover image, title, author, ISBN, and synopsis
   • ConstraintLayout for tidy, responsive alignment

3. Local JSON Data Source

   • Book data stored in assets/books.json
   • Simple parsing with org.json to populate the list
   • No network dependency for content

4. Cover Image Rendering

   • Drawable-based cover images loaded by resource name
   • Centre-inside scaling to preserve cover proportions
   • Clean, minimal card background styling

5. Modern Android UI

   • Material Design components
   • Consistent typography and spacing
   • Light theme styling with clear contrast

6. Data Model Separation

   • Book model for structured data
   • BookAdapter for binding data to UI
   • MainActivity for list initialisation and setup

Technologies Used

• Java 8: Primary programming language
  • Source and target compatibility with Java 8 features
• Android SDK 33: Android 13 compile and target SDK
  • Minimum SDK: API 30 (Android 11)
  • Target SDK: API 33 (Android 13)
• Android Gradle Plugin 8.0.1: Android build tooling
• Gradle 8.0: Build automation and dependency management
• AndroidX Libraries:
  • AppCompat 1.6.1: Backward compatibility support
  • Material Components 1.5.0: Material Design UI components
  • ConstraintLayout 2.1.4: Advanced layout management
• Testing Frameworks:
  • JUnit 4.13.2: Unit testing framework
  • AndroidX Test Ext JUnit 1.1.5: Android instrumentation testing
  • Espresso Core 3.5.1: UI testing automation

Project Specifications

• Platform: Android Mobile Application
• Programming Language: Java
• Minimum Android Version: Android 11 (API 30)
• Target Android Version: Android 13 (API 33)
• Application ID: com.example.library
• Version: 1.0 (Version Code: 1)
• Build System: Gradle with Android plugins
• Architecture Pattern: RecyclerView adapter pattern with model separation

User Interfaces

UIs

Getting Started

To run the Library Android application locally, follow these steps:

1. Prerequisites:

   • Install Android Studio (Electric Eel or later recommended)
   • Ensure Java Development Kit (JDK) 8 or higher is installed
   • Set up an Android Virtual Device (AVD) or connect a physical Android device

2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/supunxiii/library-app.git

3. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd library-app

4. Open the project in Android Studio:

   • Launch Android Studio
   • Select "Open an Existing Project"
   • Navigate to the cloned repository directory
   • Click "OK" to open the project

5. Sync the project with Gradle:

   • Android Studio should automatically prompt to sync
   • If not, click "File" -> "Sync Project with Gradle Files"
   • Wait for the sync to complete

6. Run the application:

   • Select your target device (emulator or physical device)
   • Click the "Run" button (green play icon) or press Shift + F10
   • The application will build and install on your selected device

7. Alternative: Build from command line:

   # On macOS/Linux
   ./gradlew assembleDebug
   
   # On Windows
   gradlew.bat assembleDebug

   The APK will be generated in app/build/outputs/apk/debug/

Project Structure

library-app/
├── .gradle/                                     # Gradle cache and build files
├── .idea/                                       # Android Studio IDE configurations
├── app/                                         # Main application module
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── main/
│   │   │   ├── assets/
│   │   │   │   └── books.json                   # Book data source
│   │   │   ├── java/com/example/library/
│   │   │   │   ├── MainActivity.java            # Main activity class
│   │   │   │   ├── BookAdapter.java             # RecyclerView adapter
│   │   │   │   └── Book.java                    # Data model class
│   │   │   ├── res/
│   │   │   │   ├── drawable/                    # Book covers and drawable assets
│   │   │   │   └── layout/
│   │   │   │       ├── activity_main.xml        # Main layout with RecyclerView
│   │   │   │       └── book_layout.xml          # Book card layout
│   │   │   └── AndroidManifest.xml              # App manifest
│   │   ├── androidTest/                         # Instrumented tests
│   │   └── test/                                # Unit tests
│   ├── build.gradle                             # App-level build config
│   └── proguard-rules.pro                       # ProGuard rules
├── gradle/                                      # Gradle wrapper files
│   └── wrapper/
├── build.gradle                                 # Project-level build config
├── gradle.properties                            # Gradle properties
├── gradlew                                      # Gradle wrapper script (Unix)
├── gradlew.bat                                  # Gradle wrapper script (Windows)
├── settings.gradle                              # Project settings
└── README.md                                    # This file

Development Guidelines

Building the Application

To build the project in different configurations:

# Debug build
./gradlew assembleDebug

# Release build (requires signing configuration)
./gradlew assembleRelease

# Clean and rebuild
./gradlew clean assembleDebug

Running Tests

# Run unit tests
./gradlew test

# Run instrumented tests (requires connected device/emulator)
./gradlew connectedAndroidTest

# Run all tests
./gradlew testDebug connectedAndroidTest

Contributors

This project was developed by:

• Supun Wijesooriya - Developer

Contributing

Contributions to the Library application are welcome! If you would like to contribute, please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.

2. Create a new branch:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

3. Make your changes and commit them:

   git commit -m "Add your commit message"

4. Push your changes to your forked repository:

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name

5. Open a pull request to the main repository, describing your changes and the purpose of the pull request.

Important Notes

• This application requires Android 11 (API 30) or higher to run
• The application is optimised for mobile devices running Android 11-13
• Uses RecyclerView for efficient memory management and smooth scrolling
• Material Design components ensure consistent UI across different Android devices
• ProGuard rules are included for code optimisation in release builds
• Book data is stored in local JSON assets for easy maintenance

Future Enhancements

Potential improvements for future versions:

• Book detail pages with extended information
• Search functionality to find specific titles or authors
• Favourites list for bookmarked books
• Category filters for genres or authors
• Offline data updates with local storage
• Share book details via social media
• UI animations for card interactions
• Dark theme styling with custom colour schemes

Contact

For any inquiries or feedback, please contact the developer:

• Supun Wijesooriya: GitHub Profile
• Project Repository: library-app

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Note: This is a beginner-friendly programme designed to understand Android native application development. The project covers fundamental concepts including RecyclerView implementation, Activity lifecycle management, adapter patterns, ConstraintLayout usage, XML-based UI design, resource management (drawables and assets), Material Design principles, and AndroidX library integration. This application serves as a learning resource for building scrollable lists with custom layouts in Android.