How do I connect to JSON APIs in an Android project?

Connecting to JSON APIs

The good news is that Google has implemented JSON support directly into Android. This is accomplished with the android.util.JsonReader Object. Google provides a complete example of how the framework works.

The goal is to load a JSON packet, examine the contents of the object and then do something with the data.

The bottom line is that JSON applies to the following two methods:

• Array handling methods: beginArray(), endArray(), hasNext()
• Object handling methods: beginObject(), endObject(), hasNext()

The goal is to load a JSON packet, examine the contents of the object and then do something with the data.

JSON frameworks to use with Android projects

There are a large number of frameworks that make it easier work with JSON APIs. Here are some good examples:

• RestLet: build, test and run APIs for projects.
• Spring for Android: quickly add APIs built with Spring framework.
• Volley Framework: an easy to implement framework for JSON.
• GSon: make it easy to add rich JSON functionality.
• Jackson: another lightweight, fast JSON framework.

Experiment with these frameworks to see which works best for you and your team.

Additional frameworks Google supplies for Android

Google wants to make it easier to create solutions for developers. To do this, they have developed a series of APIs that support this goal. These APIs fall into three categories: develop, engage and earn. Here are specific APIs that teams should use:

• Analytics: track everything about how users interact with an app.
• Maps: arguably the most successful API of all time gives developers the opportunity to add Google Maps to any Android project.
• Google Cloud Message: send push notifications to any Android device.
• AdMob: monetize any Android app.

You can find more information about these APIs on the Google Developers site.