Writing apps for Android is more than just learning code syntax. If you’ve never learned to code, you can check out plenty of resources here. However, there is still a whole host of tools and resources you might not be familiar with that you may need to make Android apps.
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The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) is actually a collection of tools that will help you make Android apps. There’s more outside the SDK that we’ll discuss, but here are some of the most helpful tools in the SDK:
There are two primary integrated development environments (IDE) for Android. An IDE is the main program where you’ll write code and put your app together. It can help you organize and edit the various files in your app, manage the packages and supporting libraries your app will need, and test it out on real devices or emulators.
The default IDE for Android is Eclipse. Eclipse allows you to modify Java and XML files and organize the various pieces of your application, among many other tasks. The version you get from Google also includes a package manager that allows you to update to the latest version of Android tools as soon as Google releases them.
The main alternative is Android Studio, which is currently being made directly by Google. Like many Google projects, Android Studio is part of a prolonged beta. The long-term intention is for Android Studio to replace Eclipse as the primary IDE for Android development. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for everyone. For example, if you need to make use of the Native Development Kit for apps like games (hint: if you need it, you probably already know you need it), Eclipse is mandatory. However, Android Studio is a good option if you want to get a jump start on the future, and you’re willing to tolerate some possible bugs.
No matter which IDE you choose, using it is a bit like Photoshop: it can do a ton of cool things, but you’ll probably only learn the individual tools as you need them. However, this is also a good place to get started on some of the basics of Android development. Here are some great tutorials and resources to get you started:
We’ve talked about ADB before from a regular user perspective, but the tool’s primary purpose is actually to aid in development. As such, it’s included in the Android SDK. You can use this to load software or make changes to your devices when it’s plugged into your computer. Here are some of the basic tools you can use with ADB, but if you want to learn more as a developer, check these out:
We’ve already linked to a couple of resources from the official Android Developer Guidelines so far, which only proves how useful they are. Google maintains a vast, extensive collection of documentation and resources for how to program your apps that you can reference or search through.
If you’re brand new to Android development, it can’t hurt to browse through some of the tutorials and guides here. They’re laid out in such a way that one lends into another (see the Android Developer Training above). Here are some sections that are worth brushing up on if you’re getting started:
The counterpart to the developer guidelines is the Design Guidelines. Google is focusing increasingly on teaching its developers how to make apps that not only work well but look good. As such, that means a lot of the work has been done for you to cover the basics like buttons, simple animations, and whatnot.
The place to go to get more info on this is the Android Design Guidelines, which are a second major subsection of Google’s official documentation. Keep in mind that these are here for people who may not have a great grasp on visual design as it relates to creating application interfaces. In other words, if you already know what your app is going to look like, you might not need this. If you already know what you’re app looks like but you’re not good at making apps look good, check this out.
Here are a list of some the helpful areas to start:
While you’re developing an app, there are a lot of files to manage and you’ll need a way to track changes. Git is one of the most commonly used protocols to manage new versions or changes to existing software. Necessarily, it’s a little more complicated than a basic backup tool. It’s flexible enough to allow you to manage multiple different branches of your app as well as pull from older versions if something goes wrong.
Two of the most common services for managing projects with Git are Github and Bitbucket. Both use the same underlying protocol and can be integrated directly into either Eclipse or Android Studio. BitBucket allows you to have some private repositories (read: storage for projects) without paying money, while GitHub’s free offerings require them to be publicly listed unless you pay a little extra. Here are some resources that can help you get started with Git:
Developing for Android is far more than just putting Java in a text editor. If you have a little bit of experience with writing code but haven’t dived head first into actual app development yet, there’s a lot you may not be aware you need to know just yet. The good news is, you’re not the first person to go down this road. These are just some of the tools you need and hopefully, these guides will put you on the right path.
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