Do not hardcode /data/ use Context.getFilesDir().getPath()

Spinner in Android application is equivalent of ComboBox in WinApi.
Spinner get selected item to string example.
Spinner get selected item position to int example.

Main activity class MainComboBox.java

public class MainComboBox extends Activity {
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        Spinner spinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinner);
        ArrayAdapter<CharSequence> adapter = ArrayAdapter.createFromResource(
                this, R.array.countries_array, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item);
        adapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
        spinner.setAdapter(adapter);
        spinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new MyOnItemSelectedListener());

        Button myButton =(Button)findViewById(R.id.button1);
        myButton.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {
            public void onClick(View v) {
            	
            Spinner sp =	(Spinner)findViewById(R.id.spinner);
            String spinnerString = null;
            spinnerString = sp.getSelectedItem().toString();
            int nPos = sp.getSelectedItemPosition();
            
             
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "getSelectedItem=" + spinnerString,
                    Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "getSelectedItemPosition=" + nPos,
                		Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            }
        });
    }
}

File MyOnItemSelectedListener.java

public  class MyOnItemSelectedListener implements OnItemSelectedListener {

    public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> parent,
        View view, int pos, long id) {
      Toast.makeText(parent.getContext(), "Item is " +
          parent.getItemAtPosition(pos).toString(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }

    public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView parent) {
      // Do nothing.
    }
}

strings.xml

<resources>
    <string name="hello">Hello World, MainComboBox!</string>
    <string name="app_name">ComboBox</string>
    <string name="prompt">Choose a country</string>
    <string-array name="countries_array">
        <item>China</item>
        <item>India</item>
        <item>USA</item>
        <item>Indonesia</item>
        <item>Brazil</item>
        <item>Pakistan</item>
        <item>Nigeria</item>
        <item>Bangladesh</item>
        <item>Russia</item>
    </string-array>    
</resources>

main.xml

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="//schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:padding="10dip"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <TextView
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="10dip"
        android:text="@string/prompt"
    />
    <Spinner 
        android:id="@+id/spinner"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:prompt="@string/prompt"
    />
    <Button android:text="Button" android:id="@+id/button1" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"></Button>

</LinearLayout>

"id cannot be resolved or is not a field” error
If you copy project to workspace or some code from other project you can get this error.

Try remove or add import your R file:

import com.example.app.R

Check xml files.
Clean project by menu Project-Clean

Maybe you have to create new project end copy old source files to new project folders.

Toast in Android application is equivalent of Alert in JavaScript or MessageBox in WinApi.

// Toast android.widget.Toast.makeText(Context context, CharSequence text, int duration)
// public static Toast makeText (Context context, CharSequence text, int duration) 

Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Hello world!",
                  Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

Put extends PreferenceFragment API level 11 instead PreferenceActivity

public class SettingsActivity extends PreferenceFragment {
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      addPreferencesFromResource(R.xml.preferences);
  }
}

// or insert suppresswarning
public class SettingsActivity extends PreferenceActivity {
  @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
	@Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      addPreferencesFromResource(R.xml.preferences);
  }
}

How set JAVA path to Environment Variables on Windows (7)
Select Start menu > Computer > System Properties > Advanced System Settings(properties).
Then open Advanced tab > Environment Variables and add a new system variable JAVA_HOME that points to your JDK folder, for example

 C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_05