Android Application Development For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Navigating the Android SDK

Whoa — you find a lot of folders in the SDK! Don’t worry: The folder structure of the Android SDK is easy to understand when you get the hang of it. You need to understand the structure of the SDK to be able to master it. Table 2-1 outlines the content of each folder.

Table 2-1 Folders in the Android SDK

SDK Folder	What It Contains
usb_driver	Drivers for Android devices. If you connect your Android device to the computer, install this driver so that you can view, debug, and push applications to your phone via the ADT. The usb_driver folder isn’t visible until you install the USB driver.
tools and platform-tools	Various tools that are available for use during development — such as for debugging, view management, and building.
temp	A temporary swapping location for the SDK when it needs a temporary space to perform work.
samples	Sample projects for you to play with. Full source code is included.
platforms	The platforms you target when you build Android applications, such as folders named android-16 (which is Android 4.1) and android-8 (which is Android 2.2).
docs	A local copy of the Android SDK documentation.
add-ons	Additional APIs that provide extra functionality. The Google APIs in this folder include mapping functionality. This folder remains empty until you install any of the Google Maps APIs.