googlecloudplatform-test: Cloud Enabling your Mobile App

Google Cloud Platform Blog

Product updates, customer stories, and tips and tricks on Google Cloud Platform

Cloud Enabling your Mobile App

June 26, 2014

Google Cloud Save

.save(client, List<Entity>)

.delete(client, Query)

.query(client, Query)

.requestSync(client)

All data is written locally first, then automatically synchronized in the background. The save, delete and query methods provide your basic CRUD operations while the requestSync method allows you to force a synchronization at any time.

On the backend the data is stored in Google Cloud Datastore which means you can access the raw data directly from a Google App Engine or Google Compute Engine instance using the existing Datastore API. Changes on the server will even be automatically synced back to client devices.

Importantly, this per-user data belongs to you, the developer, and stored in your own Google Cloud Datastore database.

Cloud Save (3).png

Google Cloud Save is currently in private beta and will be available for general use soon. If you’re interested in participating in the private beta, you can sign up here!

Cloud Tools for Android Studio

To simplify the process of adding an App Engine backend to your app, Android Studio now provides three App Engine backend module templates which you can add to your app:

App Engine Java Servlet Module - Minimal Backend

App Engine Java Endpoints Module - Basic Endpoint scaffolding

App Engine with Google Cloud Messaging - Push notification wireup

Built-in rich editing support for Google Cloud Endpoints

Once you have added the backend module to your Android application, you can use Google Cloud Endpoints to streamline the communication between your backend and your Android app. Cloud Endpoints automatically generates strongly-typed, mobile optimized client libraries from simple Java server-side API annotations, automates Java object marshalling to and from JSON, and provides built-in OAuth 2.0 support.

On deployment, this annotated Endpoints API definition class generates a RESTful API. You can explore this generated API (and even make calls to it) by navigating to Endpoints API explorer as shown in the image below:

To simplify calling this generated API from your Android app, Android Studio will automatically set up your project to include all compile dependencies and permissions required to consume Cloud Endpoints, and will re-generate strongly-typed client libraries if your backend changes. This means that you can start calling the client libraries from your Android app immediately after defining the server-side Endpoints API.

The underlying work-horses: Gradle, and Gradle plug-in for App Engine

Under the hood, Gradle is used to build both your app and your App Engine backend. In fact, when you add an App Engine backend to your Android app, the open-source App Engine plug-in for Gradle is automatically downloaded by Android Studio, and common App Engine tasks become available as Gradle targets. This allows you to use the same build system across your IDE, command-line or continuous integration environments.

Checkout more details on the new Cloud Endpoints features in Android Studio on the Android Developer Blog.

-Posted by Jason Polites, Product Manager