Developing Android applications in Windows
Below you will find information about the components needed for developing Android applications and other (optional) software needed to connect to the institution’s resources.Step 1
Install the JDK7
If you don’t have the Java Development Kit (JDK), you will need to install it. 1. Go to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads and
download the current version (7u45)
2. Accept the License Agreement and choose your platform to Continue (Please make sure you are downloading JDK and not JRE and check if your OS is x86 or x64)
3. Follow the instructions for a default installation Registration optional!
Method A: Fresh Installation of Android SDK (recommended)
Step 2A
Download and Install the Android SDK ADT Bundle
1. Go to http://developer.android.com/sdk and download the Android ADT Bundle, it includes Eclipse with built-in Android development tools and Android SDK components.
2. Accept the License Agreement and choose the same
platform/architecture you chose when installing the Java JDK (32-bit
or 64-bit).
3. If you are not sure which Java JDK version is installed, run a command prompt and run the following command:
>> java –d64 –version
If your Java JDK is 64-bit you will see the following message:
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_45-b18) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.45-b08, mixed mode)
Error: This Java instance does not support a 64-bit JVM.
To confirm you have the 32-bit version of JDK you can type the following from command prompt
>> java –d32 –version
4. Follow up by downloading and extracting the current SDK ADT Bundle to your local drive (c:\ adt-bundle-windows)
5. Go to c:\adt-bundle-windows\eclipse and start “eclipse.exe”.
6. That’s it, you can start developing Android applications . The ADT Bundle already comes with the necessary Platforms and Packages to start developing Android Apps.
7. If your intention is to use your private device, you can continue from Step 4B of this guide to add packages and platforms using the Android SDK Manager. Otherwise, continue from Step 5.
Method B: Installation over an existing IDE (Eclipse)
If you already have an Eclipse installation that you prefer to use. You can download and install the Android SDK separately with the following steps. Otherwise is recommended that you make a fresh installation of the Android SDK using the ADT Bundle (Step 2a).
Step 2B
Download and install Android SDK
1. Download and install the Android SDK Tools installer from:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html#ExistingIDE
2. Make note of the name and location in which the SDK is saved on your system. You will need this location when setting up the ADT plugin. 3. When the installation completes the installer offerst to start the Android
SDK Manager. Do not start it! Instead move on to Installing the Eclipse Plugin
Step 3B
Installing the Eclipse Plugin
1. Start Eclipse and go tothe instructions
2. You will need at least the “Android Development Tools” although we
recommend selecting all available tools in the repository
3. Restart Eclipse and go to Window -> preferences and select Android. 4. Browse to the SDK location and click OK
5. There is also a video on how to achieve this at
http://www.xtensivearts.com/2009/07/03/episode-1-getting-started
Step 4B
Adding Platforms and Packages
1. Open the Android SDK Manager from inside Eclipse. Make sure that the desired Android version is selected. You need at least ONE platform.
We recommend that you choose version 4.0.3 (API 15) for the. The
versions installed in the devices from the department can vary. If your intention is to use your private device, please make sure you install a supported version for your device.
i. Select the latest SDK Platform-tools
ii. Select the USB Driver for Windows which will be needed to connect the mobile phone to the developer’s computer
iii. (Optional)
There are some samples available for the different versions. Select a suitable one that you can use to learn about Android and for further reference
iv. (Optional)
If you would like to use Google Maps, then you will need to install the Google API.
2. Install to continue
Note: The Android 4.3 is the latest release and is selected every time the SDK is
Step 5
The Hello World App and Create an AVD
When the dev environment is completed, follow the steps in the “Hello World” tutorial which also guides you to set up the Android emulator.
1. Go to http://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/creating-project.html and follow the instructions.
2. Run the application and make sure it runs (at least) on the Android 4.0.3
http://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/running-app.html#Emulator The AVD Manager is located in the same directory as your SDK Manager.
There are other tools that might be of interest in the android-sdk-windows\tools such as the DDMS. Run in and find out more.
Step 6
Connect your mobile
The “Hello World” runs fine on an emulator and with this step you’ll be ready to use a regular device to upload and run applications on it.
1. Go to http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html and follow instructions
2. Upload your “Hello World” application and see if you can find out anything else about the Activity you are running
Step 7
Subversive (SVN) plugin for Eclipse
A simple way to share code between other project members is by using a
collaboration tool which supports revision control. Eclipse comes with a default Git client, which is not supported in our department. But you can use free GitHub if you prefer. The following steps are for using the SVN server at the department.
More about Subversion (SVN):
http://subversion.tigris.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Subversion
Subversive consists of two parts: Subversive Plug-in and Subversive SVN Connector.
1. Go to Help -> Install New Software
2. Choose --All Available Sites-- and type svn or subversive
3. Choose “Subversive SVN Team Provider” and follow the installation instructions.
4. Restart eclipse.
After restart, you will need to install the Connector
Step 8
Share Project
In order to let the other project members to update and commit changes to a project, we need to share it.
1. Highlight your Hello World Project and right click. Select Team -> Share
2. Select SVN and Next
3. At the URL for repository location information, type in http://certec-svn.design.lth.se/svn/demo and type in User: demo
Password: aid2011
Note: Next time you want to share a project, the credentials for the “demo”
login will be stored automatically. For the real project, you need to use the login and password that will be attributed to your group.
To force subversive to forget the stored credentials first close Eclipse. You can then erase the “secure_storage” file that has just been stored under your home folder : HOME\.eclipse\org.eclipse.equinox.security\ Finally, open Eclipse again.
5. Click on Next and answer YES to the question about normalizing the URL
7. Add some comments to your project sharing and select Finish.
9. Click on OK and your code will be submitted to the svn server.
Note: If HelloWorld already exists, change the project name before sharing
Step 9
Check out a (SVN) project
Now we should be able to check out a project and begin experimenting. For the demo, you can use the same username and password given above. The username and passwords for your particular groups which will be given first after you put together your project teams.
ote: The login and password might be remembered automatically and thus be set
to “demo” or another group login on a shared computer, remember to use the procedure described in the previous step to force subversive to forget the credentials.
2. The URL for the project is http://certec-svn.design.lth.se/svn/demo
Enter your username and password
3. Click on Browse and select the Hello World demo in the trunk resource directory that you committed before.
Note: Since the project you are trying to check out is the same located in
your local computer, delete or move the one in your local workspace before you continue. Be aware that ONLY the last committed changes will be available on the svn server.
5. The Check Out As dialog gives different ways on how to check out the project. Just leave the default values and click Finish
Be aware that the projects there are for demo purposes and files might disappear or be changed without warnings.
In order to commit your changes to the repository, right click on the project, select Team -> Commit
Note: You will find additional tools that might be helpful for your project and
also ways to revert previous code.
Seeking Help
After these steps you should now be ready to start experimenting. If you feel you need to, use the tutorials to help you on the way, making gradual
changes in the applications, trying to play sounds and starting the vibrator, for example. If you get stuck, these are the steps to follow:
a. Search for solutions online (there might be someone else who already has run into your problem).
d. Ask Hector for help: [email protected], room 522
available times : wednesdays 13.00-15.00 and thursdays 15.00-17.00 REMEMBER: Google is your friend ;o)
/ Kirre 091028
