Android Developer Tools Essentials

Preface

If you are reading this book, it’s likely that you already know a little about Android development and how challenging it can be. Learning to effectively use the standard Android Developer Tools (ADT) can make the development process easier and improve the quality of your code, thereby producing a more refined and robust end product.

Requirements for Android Developer Tools

Android is very different from other mobile platforms currently available. It is not managed by a single organization, but by a group of companies named the “Open Handset Alliance,” which is committed to providing a mobile OS that is free, complete, and open source. While this approach ensures decentralized control of the platform, it does create some complexities. These include:

Multiple screen sizes

Android devices come in a multitude of different screen sizes. Success of your app can hinge upon how your app looks across devices.

Fragmentation

It is up to the carrier and manufacturer to update their devices when a new version of the OS and runtime are released, which doesn’t always happen in a timely manner. It is therefore necessary to support older versions of the OS and runtime.

Different hardware capabilities

Android phones come in all shapes, sizes, and capabilities. It is necessary to ensure that you degrade unsupported features gracefully when the hardware is limited. Another important consideration is the particular hardware components on which you can or cannot rely (for instance, some devices don’t have cameras, GPS sensors, or keyboards).

Resource limitations

Developing applications targeted to the mobile environment is different from developing for the desktop. CPU speed and memory are limited compared to desktops or servers. Mobile device users don’t put up with apps that tie up their devices (blocking the UI), consume too many resources, or crash their devices.

Development Process for Android Developer Tools

Google manages ADT development, as well as the standard Android platform. However, the two products are managed very differently, particularly in regards to the open-source nature of the products. The ADT project is developed by a different group from the one that manages the main platform. The tools are released separately from the standard SDK and follow their own release cycle, which is frequently (but not always) tied to the platform release.

The standard OS is developed behind closed doors—contributions are not accepted to the current code base. The source code is released to the public at some point after the group releases it to manufacturers and other insiders.

The first line on the ADT website makes it clear that this project is different. It reads: “The Developer Tools for Android are being developed entirely in the open and [the project] is accepting contributions.” ADT is developed as a series of open source projects with publicly accessible Git repositories and a public bug tracker. The management group solicits contributions from the community and considers them for implementation in current releases. You can find information on how to contribute on their website.

Development on a Variety of OS Platforms

Just as Android is designed to run on many different devices, it is also possible to use many different computer configurations when developing Android applications. This book provides examples based on the Windows 7 64-bit OS and Mac OS X, using the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE). One chapter introduces the new Gradle-based Android Studio. But you should be able to follow along with any OS and IDE, as the tools have been ported to work on a large variety of platforms. It is also worth noting that it is possible to develop for the Android platform without using an IDE at all, as most of the tools can be run directly from the command line.

Conventions Used in This Book

The following typographical conventions are used in this book:

Italic

Indicates new terms, URLs, email addresses, filenames, and file extensions.

Constant width

Used for program listings, as well as within paragraphs to refer to program elements such as variable or function names, data types, and XML keywords.

Constant width bold

Shows commands or other text that should be typed literally by the user.

Constant width italic

Shows text that should be replaced with user-supplied values or by values determined by context.

Tip

This icon signifies a tip, suggestion, or general note.

Warning

This icon indicates a warning or caution.

Using Code Examples

This book is here to help you get your job done. In general, if this book includes code examples, you may use the code in your programs and documentation. You do not need to contact us for permission unless you’re reproducing a significant portion of the code. For example, writing a program that uses several chunks of code from this book does not require permission. Selling or distributing a CD-ROM of examples from O’Reilly books does require permission. Answering a question by citing this book and quoting example code does not require permission. Incorporating a significant amount of example code from this book into your product’s documentation does require permission.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to my wife Dana. Without your support and encouragement, this book (and many other things in my life) wouldn’t be possible. I love you and appreciate everything you do for me.

Thanks to the tech reviewers who stuck with me and provided great feedback throughout the long writing process: Jason Douglas, Maija Mednieks, Charlie Meyersohn, and especially Peter Van Der Linden, whose thorough review and excellent comments improved the quality of the book and made my job much easier. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Thanks to Donn Felker for your last-minute help on Android Studio. Your content really improves the quality of this book. Looking forward to shipping more products together!

Shout-out to Heatsync Labs in Mesa, AZ and CO+HOOTS in Phoenix, AZ for providing spaces that foster creativity.