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Android Studio – The New IDE for Android App Development
Mobile Technology

Android Studio – The New IDE for Android App Development

By Mainak Biswas October 06, 2014 - 2,044 views

Android Studio was announced last May by Google’s Product Manager, Ellie Powers and since then, it has grown to be a popular integrated development environment (IDE) for developers. The studio is specifically designed to accommodate Android development and can be downloaded on either Mac or Windows.

Android Studio addresses a number of issues that developers have been facing. Not only that, it has emerged to be the most popular IDE for those who are into development. With features such as developer console, template-based wizards and a rich layout editor, Android Studio has quickly become popular among developers.

How to learn more about Android Studio?

Many developers have often looked for resources that would help them to develop apps without a hitch. Online resources are always great but there is always the need for that special guide which becomes a sort of go-to-resource for budding app developers. Belen Cruz Zapata’s Android Studio Application Development is a great guide which helps developers to create visually appealing apps using the new Android Studio.

To be specific, this guide helps developers to use the new IntelliJ IDE Android Studio to create great applications that come with attractive interfaces. In this article, let us take a look at how Android Studio will help developers to start building great Android apps.

What does an Android Studio do?

The purpose of Android Studio has been to make sure that developers have access to a centralized and open-source kit to work with and create applications. From the outset, Android has competed with iOS in terms of interface, design and functionality. iOS has a more centralized development environment and Android has lacked that cohesion, until now.

The latest Android Studio makes sure that developers can now enjoy centralization that was previously only associated with iOS developers. All said and done, the new Android Studio is a great tool which helps developers to create and build Android applications without having to work too hard or too much. It helps developers to work fast without wasting time and increases productivity as well.

By making sure how to use the Android Studio, one can ensure that the resulting applications are up to the mark. Now that more companies and clients have begun to see applications as part of the content mix, app development will only increase in its importance. Thus, it is crucial to learn more about how to use the Android Studio and how best to create applications that are visually appealing.

In order to understand what Android Studio is all about and how it can help you, you might want to go step by step.

  • Installing and configuring Android Studio

You must first learn how to install your Android Studio and configure it, according to your needs. You will first need to prepare for the installation and then download the Android Studio. After downloading, you need to install it without having to worry about things going wrong. Finally, you need to run the Android Studio for the first time to see if it is working well. The next step is to configure your Android SDK to meet your professional demands.

  • Starting a project

The moment you install and configure your Android Studio, you are ready to start a new project. You need to know how to create a new project and create a custom launcher icon as well. The next step is to learn how to choose your type of activity.

  • Navigating a project

The next step is to learn how to navigate through a project. It is simply not enough to start a project and assume things will go according to the plans. You need to know how to navigate through a certain project. This includes understanding the project navigation panel within the Android Studio and also the project structure and settings.

  • Using the code editor

After you learn how to navigate through a project, you will need to know how to use the code editor. This helps you to understand the settings and engage in code generation and completion. All along, you will need to understand what navigating codes you must use and which actions shall be useful to you.

  • Creating user interfaces

A user interface that is clean and clutter-free helps you to create better Android applications. With that in mind, you need to understand the concept behind graphical editors, text-based editors and how best you can create a layout that will ultimately help you. The next step is to understand how to add components and how you can support multiple screens. By learning how to change the UI theme, you will be able to better create applications that are visually appealing. Finally, you must also learn how to handle events.

  • Google Play Services

Android Studio is inextricably linked to Google Play Services. You need to understand how Google Play Services work and what services are actually available. The next step is to add Google Play Services to your Android Studio. You need to understand how Google Maps Android API v2 works and how Google+ Platform for Android works. Finally, you need to understand the concepts behind Google Play In-app Billing v3 and Google Cloud Messaging. All these concepts help you to create an application that is well prepared for the audience today.

  • Tools

Once you learn how to use Google Play Services, you need to learn how to use the tools as well. This includes learning how to handle the software development kit manager and the Android Virtual Device Manager. Next, you need to understand the concept behind generating Javadoc, which is a prominent technique that is applied while creating applications. Finally, you need to learn how to use the version control system.

  • Debugging

After getting familiarized with the tools, you need to understand how to debug issues. This includes understanding running and debugging, LogCat and DDMS. Under DDMS, you need to know the concepts behind threads, method profiling, heap, allocation tracker, system information, emulator control, network statistics and file exporter.

  • Preparing for release

Once you understand how to debug an application and how you can use the number of features within Android Studio, the next step is to actually prepare for a release. The APK file and the science behind it are important to understand and so are certain steps that you need to undertake beforehand. Finally, you need to learn how to generate a signed APK before you launch the application.

  • Getting help

When you are done with releasing and creating the help, you also need to know how to seek help. For this, you need to know how to get help from Android Studio and how to document your tasks online. Last but not the least, you need to learn how to launch updates so that nothing goes wrong while using the application.

Belen Cruz Zapata’s Android Studio Application Development addresses all these issues and teaches you step by step how best you can utilize the Android Studio. Being a PhD student herself, it is clear that she has put in a lot of effort into her book. One of the most important aspects of books written by PhD holders is that they are meticulous about the details they put in their books. When you pick up this guide to help you design applications, you can rest assured that you are in safe hands.

Importance of Android Studio highlighted

As times change and as people begin to sue more applications than websites, there will be a tremendous demand for applications from a variety of sectors. Whether you like it or not, it is important to master how to use the Android Studio as it is already the new IDE for developing Android apps.

The fact that more people are ready to design apps leads to a situation wherein there is a lot of competition. It is increasingly important for people who design great applications to stay ahead of the crowd. In order to do so, access to technology and knowledge is very important.

By learning how to use Android Studio and by seeking help from peers, you can always design great apps that will be used and cherished by hundreds of thousands of users. Just make sure that you are not ignoring the aesthetic part of your design, as that is very important as well.

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