All you need to know about multitasking in Android 5

The main purpose of multitasking - allow the user to quickly switch between applications, without making them wait. With the arrival of Lollipop, Google completely altered the concept of multi-tasking and that's what has changed.

Rather than simply transfer the user back to the app developers now have the ability to split the application into separate processes.

This approach has several advantages. Return to the application is faster, and the developers have more opportunities to interact with the user.

Material Design

About Material Design has already been written some. Android new design looks great, beautiful and elegant. For Android is the biggest change in the history of the interface. We take a look at the new operating system from the standpoint of productivity and multitasking. Screen open applications, now called "Overview" and gives the opportunity not only to move to the application, but also in some of its area.

Display the "Overview"

Now switch the screen between the application looks like a stack of cards. Applications are frozen before leaving and are in such a state until the next opening. But Google has gone further and allow a single application to have multiple domains. For example, Gmail.

New Mail creates a separate card in the multitasking bar. Going there, you can open the folder "Inbox" or create a new letter. Now, on one application is necessary some action.

Also with Chrome. Each tab - a separate card in the multitasking bar, which you can switch. How deep to implement this feature remains the choice of developers. Some applications will receive from such a concept more advantages than others.

priorities

As if good was not a new approach, it should not complicate the user to work with the system. For each application has to be a set of logical screens on which it would have to be switched. In Gmail, for example, is a screen for creating a new message and the Inbox. In a Google search, it makes sense to add a separate tab for each search query, in order not to re-enter it.

Third-party applications are now also have this functionality. In applications for note taking can be a separate screen for new notes or chosen. Proper use of this concept will help to make the application more efficient and convenient, and the user happy.

Not a small role in this is the fact that Google has opened access to new guideline and many applications have been updated under the Material Design.

disadvantages of the approach

One of the main shortcomings can become overloaded multitasking screen. If each application will have 2-5 cards and such applications will be at least a dozen, you could be in trouble and confusion. Now the limit that established Google - 50 processes, and even it is too large. Each application must have no more than 2 processes, then the user will not be confused in their own applications.

future multitasking

Google suffered a multi-tasking to a new level, making it better for both users and developers alike. The only problem will be whether developers can not oversaturate user information and functionality.

Android developers should actively monitor this trend and watch the innovations that Google will certainly be implemented. This is a very interesting feature that will help users and developers.

(via)