Well, you have
decided to join the incredible world of Android app development. Awesome!
However, the first thing to do before starting is set up your dev environment.
And oh believe me, a good environment is going to be separating you between
happy coding and lots of 'will this bloody work' experiences. This is a
Complete Guide on setting up android development environment for most of the
new learners.
Learn Android App Development
Android App Development on what?
Simply put, Android app development is building
applications for devices that run on an Android OS. Available on - includes
smartphones, tablets, wearables and smart home devices. As a hell lot of
Android Users are throughout the globe so developing for this platform can give
your apps bigger audience.
Why Android for App Development Format
Why go for Android, you ask? First off, it's
open-source and very extendable. Given the market stranglehold that Android
currently enjoys, you also have a massive user-base with untapped potential for
your apps. The flourishing and encouraging development group will help you to
get the View materials/items quicker.
One of the most important part: Environment Setup Prerequisites
Skills and Knowledge Required
What you need before starting : Be familiar with
some basic programming. If you are already familiar with Java or Kotlin - the
two main languages for Android development, this is a benefit. No need to worry
if you are new in programming. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to
help you get familiar with it.
Necessary Software Materials
Here is some essential software to begin with:
- Java Development Kit (JDK)
- Android Studio
- Android SDK
- A software such as Android Studio or an IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
Install Java Development Kit (JDK)
What is JDK?
The Java Development Kit (JDK) is a software
development kit used for developing Java Applications. Java Play A similarly
critical first step is to install the JDK since Android development leans so
heavily on Java.
Steps to Install JDK
- Oracle JDK download page.
- Select your operating system version.
- Download and install the JDK.
- You can configure the JAVA_HOME environment variable to point to JDK installation directory.
Setting Up Android Studio
Introduction to android studio
Android Studio is the official IDE for Android app
development, and it has been designed from scratch to take advantage of modern
architectural approaches. Other great features are its powerful code editor,
built-in emulators and lots of templates that make developing Android apps easier.
Download and Installation of Android Studio
- Go to the Android Studio download page.
- Get an installer for your operating system
- Execute the installation application, and simply follow what is displayed on your screen.
- Open Android Studio & Launch the Wizard
Setting Up Android Studio
Setting Up SDK Manager
In Android Studio, the SDK Manager installation of
different versions and tools are available.
- Open Android Studio.
- Go to Configure-> SDK Manager.
- Do this based on the SDK platforms and tools you need to install.
Installing Required SDK Packages
Ensure you install the SDK packages for target API
level of Android. This comprises System images, Platform tools and Build tools.
Setting up Virtual Device (Emulator)
You can prepare an emulator to test the apps in your
virtual mobiles
- Open the "AVD Manager" in Android Studio.
- Create a new virtual device.
- Choose a device model & the System Image
- Adjust hardware settings to complete_mount.
Working with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
Introduction to IDEs
IDE combines different development tools in one
place, so as to write, debug and manage code easily.
Using Eclipse with Android Development
Since Android Studio is the official IDE, a lot of
developers also use Eclipse and with ADT (Android Developer Tools) plugin.
- Download and install Eclipse.
- Install the ADT plugin.
- Set up the Android SDK in Eclipse.
Eclipse Vs. Android Studio - IDE Comparison
The strength of both IDEs is also their weakness.
This is because Eclipse was never such a fantastic experience, and Android
Studio provides significantly better support for Android development anyway but
you could argue that Eclipse can be more flexible when it comes to
multi-platform projects.
Version Control Systems
Significance of Version Control
Version control is a way to track changes: they will
be recorded and stored so you can keep note of what was changed, when it
happened, who made the change and even why these alterations were done.
Setup Git for android development
- Install Git on your system.
- Create a GitHub account.
- Create A Git Repository in Your Project Directory.
- Commit and push your changes in your remote repository using git commands.
Installing an Emulator or Hardware Device
Emulator for Testing
Emulators are virtual devices, simulate the
behaviour of physical devices and let you test your app in a controlled
environment.
- In Android Studio, open AVD Manager.
- Creating and Setting up the Emulator:
- That's it, now you should spin up the emulator and run your app in there.
Connect and configure a real device
Physical device testing provide you more accurate
output.
- Enable Developer Options For Your Android Device.
- Turn on USB debugging.
- How to connect: Via USB > Connect the deviceAuthGuard
- When you do run your app, make sure to select your device in Android Studio.
Configuring Build Tools
Introduction to Gradle
In Android Studio, Gradle is the build system that
provides similar automation capabilities as a makefile for compiling code and
managing dependancies.
Configuring Hue for Your Project via Gradle
- Open the build. gradle file in your project.
- For others you want to depend, use plugins etc; do so as required.
- Synchronize the project for changes to take effect.
Your First Android Project
Starting a New Project
- Open Android Studio.
- Create a new Android Studio Project Start New Android App in IDE 2.
- Next, the setup wizard will help you set up your project.
Knowing the Layout of Project
Following are some parts of your Android project
- src/main/java : All your Java or Kotlin code here
- src/main/res: resources (layouts, strings and images)
- AndroidManifest. xmlIt contains very important details about your app.
Basic Project Configuration
Configuring Project Dependencies
External libraries that are required by your
project.
- Open the build.gradle file.
- dependencies in the dependencies block
- Sync your project.
Project Settings Configuration
- open File > Project Structure.
- Set up Project SDK, Language Level and etc.
- Modify the build configurations as desired
Running and Debugging Your App
Test Your Application on an Emulator
- From In Android Studio,open your project
- In the toolbar, click on Run.
- From the list, select the emulator you configured earlier.
- Then your app will compile from Node and launch on the emulator.
Debugging Techniques
- The other option is to - you can use breakpoints in order to stop the execution and view various variables which are had scoping issues.
- The Logcat Window is used to see all the system level messages and logs.
- Try steps by using step-by-step execution of tracing your code.
Common Problems and Solutions
Installation Issues
During the installation process, there are times
when things do not go quite as we intended them to. Common issues include:
- SDK Not Found: Please make sure that the SDK path is correct in Android Studio.
- JDK Errors: Make sure that the JAVA_HOME environment variable is correctly set and followed by correct JDK version.
Debugging Common Errors
- Failed to sync Gradle: Check for missing or incompatible dependencies
- If your emulator is not starting: add more ram and update the HAXM (Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager)forest.