I was given a library on an .apk file. see: http://code.google.com/p/android-serialport-api/downloads/list
I assume it contains the package that I will have to import, but what do I do with it?
I was given a library on an .apk file. see: http://code.google.com/p/android-serialport-api/downloads/list
I assume it contains the package that I will have to import, but what do I do with it?
Without actually downloading and using this APK, it appears that what you've downloaded is a pre-built demo of the serial port API. If you want to know how to use it, you should examine its sources rather than the sample application.
From the link you provided, you can click the Source tab, then click the Browse link. Inside the 'trunk' you'll find the sources, which for "android-serialport-api" appear to be a native library along with its Java classes (SerialPort, SerialPortFinder) and a sample application.
I'm not an Android expert, though I have used android for a while. I've had .apk files myself in the past, and found that you can use a file manager tool, such as 'Root Explorer' from Speed Software (available for free in the market) to locate and execute your .apk file. My (limited) understanding is that .apk files are self-contained.
HTH