Android Studio isn’t entirely a new launch from Google, but is developed on its earlier products. It still comes with very useful features for mobile app developers.
Android Studio is used to develop Android applications using Java. This product is collaboration between Google and JetBrains, and is based on JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA Community. Therefore, users who have tried the popular IntelliJ version will feel right at home with this product, the difference being a few added features in Android Studio.
Android Studio
Installation is done through an installer that can be downloaded online. The installer is Java based and you should ensure that your system has full Java JDK installed. The runtime edition JRE should be upgraded to the development kit, JDK.
As you launch the software, you are given the choice of working on a new project or continue from an old one. The software wizard will guide you through the process of project creation. For target Android versions, you will need to specify the target and the earliest version of Android that your system can run. This is necessary as the application won’t be able to announce if the version is too old without this. There are various theme options for the software interface including Holo Light, Holo Dark, Holo Light with Action Bar, and None. The Holo Dark is the typical Android theme, while Holo Light is newer theme based on dark letters and grey background.
The next part of the installation wizard allows you to choose an icon for the application, or leave the default one visible. You can even select some text to be the icon for the application, in case you prefer them over graphics. You will however need to limit the text to a couple of words or else it will become too small to be legible.
Next, you are taken to a window for activity settings. You have to choose among options including settings activity, master/detail flow, login activity, full screen activity, and blank activity. You have to enter a login address and password just before running the application. For instance, when using the master/detail flow, you will need a minimum of Honeycomb 3.0 version of Android. With this setting you can browse around a collection object, as well as view details on them.
Once you select master/detail flow, you are asked to enter the object’s type name that will be used in the application, as both singular and plural noun. When choosing any other settings option, you will be transported to a page asking for layout name, and activity name, apart from the navigation type. The navigation options include dropdown, scrollable tabs plus swipe, or fixed tab plus swipe.
Once you complete these steps, you can see the newly created project. This project is a beginning point for the applications. The project includes build files running on Gradle system. If Gradle isn’t installed in your system, Android Studio will automatically do so when creating your first project.
The product’s initial source code includes the skeleton code which you configured while using the wizard, with the structure of the directory matching the names of packages – a standard procedure for Java development. You can access the WYSIWYG designer by opening the XML file describing the project’s layout.
Designer and code editor
This designer can seem a bit intimidating on first look. There are lots of things on the screen. But if you look closely at it, you can find the whole list of controls and widgets on the left pane. The actual designer is located in the middle of the screen, and the look resembles that of any Android device. You may change the properties of the designer components like an IDE designer.
The code editor included with this product contains full syntax highlighting that is based on a language specified in the extension of the filename. It also contains an auto complete popup that shows object members.
Although it is not a wholly new product, Android Studio is what you can expect from a new and powerful IDE designer. This product is at par with the best in the industry such as Eclipse. Add the easy to use Android features to the mix, and you have a great designer at your hands. This is all a preview of the product, and more advances can be expected in the full product. Android Studio is a complete package for any developer and can make your development and designing experience more dynamic with various new and great features.
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