docs/html/tools/workflow.jd - platform/frameworks/base - Git at Google


            
            page.title=Introduction

            
            @jd:body


            <p>Developing applications for Android devices is facilitated by a group of tools that are

            
              provided with the SDK. You can access these tools through an Eclipse plugin called ADT (Android

            
              Development Tools) or from the command line. Developing with Eclipse is the preferred method because

            
              it can directly invoke the tools that you need while developing applications.</p>


              <p>However, you may choose to develop with another IDE or a simple text editor and invoke the

            
              tools on the command line or with scripts. This is a less streamlined way to develop because you

            
              will sometimes have to call command line tools manually, but you will have access to the same

            
              number of features that you would have in Eclipse.</p>


            <div class="figure" style="width:461px">

            
              <img src="{@docRoot}images/developing/developing_overview.png"

            
                   alt="Development process for Android applications"

            
                   height="738" />

            
              <p class="img-caption">

            
                <strong>Figure 1.</strong> The development process for Android applications.

            
              </p>

            
            </div>


            <p>The basic steps for developing applications (with or without Eclipse) are shown in figure 1. The

            
            development steps encompass four development phases, which include:</p>


            <ul>

            
              <li><strong>Setup</strong>

            
                <p>During this phase you install and set up your development environment. You also create

            
                  Android Virtual Devices (AVDs) and connect hardware devices on which you can install your

            
                  applications.</p>

            
                <p>See <a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/index.html">Managing Virtual Devices</a>

            
                  and <a href="{@docRoot}tools/device.html">Using Hardware Devices</a> for more

            
                  information.

            
              </li>

            
              <li><strong>Development</strong>

            
                <p>During this phase you set up and develop your Android project, which contains all of the

            
                source code and resource files for your application. For more informations, see

            
                <a href="{@docRoot}tools/projects/index.html">Create an Android project</a>.</p>

            
              </li>

            
              <li><strong>Debugging and Testing</strong>

            
                <p>During this phase you build your project into a debuggable <code>.apk</code> package that you

            
                can install and run on the emulator or an Android-powered device. If you are using Eclipse,

            
                builds are generated each time you project is saved. If you're using another IDE,

            
                you can build your project using Ant and install it on a device using

            
                <a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/adb.html">adb</a>. For more information, see

            
                <a href="{@docRoot}tools/building/index.html">Build and run your application</a>.</p>

            
                <p>Next, you debug your application using a JDWP-compliant debugger along with the debugging

            
                and logging tools that are provided with the Android SDK. Eclipse already comes packaged with

            
                a compatible debugger. For more information see,

            
                <a href="{@docRoot}tools/debugging/index.html">Debug your application with the

            
                  SDK debugging and logging tools</a>.</p>

            
                <p>Last, you test your application using various Android SDK testing tools. For more

            
                information, see <a href="{@docRoot}tools/testing/index.html">Test your application

            
                with the Testing and Instrumentation framework</a>.</p>

            
              </li>

            
              <li><strong>Publishing</strong>

            
                <p>During this phase you configure and build your application for release and distribute your

            
                  application to users. For more information, see

            
                  <a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/publishing_overview.html">Publishing Overview</a>.</p>

            
              </li>

            
            </ul>


            <h2 id="EssentialTools">Essential command line tools</h2>


              <p>When developing in IDEs or editors other than Eclipse, be familiar with

            
              all of the tools below, because you will have to run them from the command line.</p>


              <dl>

            
                <dt><a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/android.html">android</a></dt>


                <dd>Create and update Android projects and create, move, and delete AVDs.</dd>


                <dt><a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/emulator.html">Android Emulator</a></dt>


                <dd>Run your Android applications on an emulated Android platform.</dd>


                <dt><a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/adb.html">Android Debug Bridge</a></dt>


                <dd>Interface with your emulator or connected device (install apps, shell the device, issue

            
                commands, etc.).</dd>

            
              </dl>


              <p>In addition to the above tools that are included with the SDK, you need the following open

            
              source and third-party tools:</p>


              <dl>

            
                <dt>Ant</dt>


                <dd>To compile and build your Android project into an installable .apk file.</dd>


                <dt>Keytool</dt>


                <dd>To generate a keystore and private key, used to sign your .apk file. Keytool is part of the

            
                JDK.</dd>


                <dt>Jarsigner (or similar signing tool)</dt>


                <dd>To sign your .apk file with a private key generated by Keytool. Jarsigner is part of the

            
                JDK.</dd>

            
              </dl>


              <p>If you are using Eclipse and ADT, tools such as <code>adb</code> and <code>android</code>

            
              are automatically called by Eclipse and ADT so you don't have to manually invoke these tools.

            
              You need to be familiar with <code>adb</code>, however, because certain functions are not

            
            accessible from

            
              Eclipse, such as the <code>adb</code> shell commands. You might also need to call Keytool and

            
            Jarsigner to

            
              sign your applications, but you can set up Eclipse to do this automatically as well.</p>


            <p>For more information on the tools provided with the Android SDK, see the

            
              <a href="{@docRoot}tools/index.html">Tools</a> section of the documentation.</p>


            <h2 id="ThirdParty">Other Third-Party Development Tools</h2>

            
            <p>

            
            	The tools described in this section are not developed by the Android SDK team. The Android Dev Guide

            
            	    does not provide documentation for these tools. Please refer to the linked documents in each

            
            	    section for documentation.

            
            </p>

            
            <h3 id="IntelliJ">Developing in IntelliJ IDEA</h3>

            
            <div style="float: right">

            
            <img alt="The IntelliJ graphical user interface" height="500px"

            
            src="{@docRoot}images/developing/intellijidea_android_ide.png"/>

            
            </div>

            
            <p>

            
            	IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful Java IDE from JetBrains that provides

            
            	full-cycle Android development support in both the free Community

            
            	Edition and the Ultimate edition.

            
            </p>

            
            <p>

            
            	The IDE ensures compatibility with the latest Android SDK and offers a

            
            	smart code editor with completion, quick navigation between code and

            
            	resources, a graphical debugger, unit testing support using Android

            
            	Testing Framework, and the ability to run applications in either the

            
            	emulator or a USB-connected device.

            
            </p>

            
            <p>

            
            	<strong>Links:</strong>

            
            </p>

            
            <ul>

            
            	<li>

            
                	<a href="http://www.jetbrains.com/idea">IntelliJ IDEA official website</a>

            
            </li>

            
            	<li>

            
                	<a href="http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/features/google_android.html">Android support in IntelliJ IDEA</a>

            
            </li>

            
            	<li>

            
                	<a href="http://wiki.jetbrains.net/intellij/Android">IntelliJ IDEA Android Tutorials</a>

            
            	</li>

            
            </ul>
	page.title=Introduction
	@jd:body

	<p>Developing applications for Android devices is facilitated by a group of tools that are
	provided with the SDK. You can access these tools through an Eclipse plugin called ADT (Android
	Development Tools) or from the command line. Developing with Eclipse is the preferred method because
	it can directly invoke the tools that you need while developing applications.</p>

	<p>However, you may choose to develop with another IDE or a simple text editor and invoke the
	tools on the command line or with scripts. This is a less streamlined way to develop because you
	will sometimes have to call command line tools manually, but you will have access to the same
	number of features that you would have in Eclipse.</p>

	<div class="figure" style="width:461px">
	<img src="{@docRoot}images/developing/developing_overview.png"
	alt="Development process for Android applications"
	height="738" />
	<p class="img-caption">
	<strong>Figure 1.</strong> The development process for Android applications.
	</p>
	</div>

	<p>The basic steps for developing applications (with or without Eclipse) are shown in figure 1. The
	development steps encompass four development phases, which include:</p>

	<ul>
	<li><strong>Setup</strong>
	<p>During this phase you install and set up your development environment. You also create
	Android Virtual Devices (AVDs) and connect hardware devices on which you can install your
	applications.</p>
	<p>See <a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/index.html">Managing Virtual Devices</a>
	and <a href="{@docRoot}tools/device.html">Using Hardware Devices</a> for more
	information.
	</li>
	<li><strong>Development</strong>
	<p>During this phase you set up and develop your Android project, which contains all of the
	source code and resource files for your application. For more informations, see
	<a href="{@docRoot}tools/projects/index.html">Create an Android project</a>.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Debugging and Testing</strong>
	<p>During this phase you build your project into a debuggable <code>.apk</code> package that you
	can install and run on the emulator or an Android-powered device. If you are using Eclipse,
	builds are generated each time you project is saved. If you're using another IDE,
	you can build your project using Ant and install it on a device using
	<a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/adb.html">adb</a>. For more information, see
	<a href="{@docRoot}tools/building/index.html">Build and run your application</a>.</p>
	<p>Next, you debug your application using a JDWP-compliant debugger along with the debugging
	and logging tools that are provided with the Android SDK. Eclipse already comes packaged with
	a compatible debugger. For more information see,
	<a href="{@docRoot}tools/debugging/index.html">Debug your application with the
	SDK debugging and logging tools</a>.</p>
	<p>Last, you test your application using various Android SDK testing tools. For more
	information, see <a href="{@docRoot}tools/testing/index.html">Test your application
	with the Testing and Instrumentation framework</a>.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Publishing</strong>
	<p>During this phase you configure and build your application for release and distribute your
	application to users. For more information, see
	<a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/publishing_overview.html">Publishing Overview</a>.</p>
	</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="EssentialTools">Essential command line tools</h2>

	<p>When developing in IDEs or editors other than Eclipse, be familiar with
	all of the tools below, because you will have to run them from the command line.</p>

	<dl>
	<dt><a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/android.html">android</a></dt>

	<dd>Create and update Android projects and create, move, and delete AVDs.</dd>

	<dt><a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/emulator.html">Android Emulator</a></dt>

	<dd>Run your Android applications on an emulated Android platform.</dd>

	<dt><a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/adb.html">Android Debug Bridge</a></dt>

	<dd>Interface with your emulator or connected device (install apps, shell the device, issue
	commands, etc.).</dd>
	</dl>

	<p>In addition to the above tools that are included with the SDK, you need the following open
	source and third-party tools:</p>

	<dl>
	<dt>Ant</dt>

	<dd>To compile and build your Android project into an installable .apk file.</dd>

	<dt>Keytool</dt>

	<dd>To generate a keystore and private key, used to sign your .apk file. Keytool is part of the
	JDK.</dd>

	<dt>Jarsigner (or similar signing tool)</dt>

	<dd>To sign your .apk file with a private key generated by Keytool. Jarsigner is part of the
	JDK.</dd>
	</dl>

	<p>If you are using Eclipse and ADT, tools such as <code>adb</code> and <code>android</code>
	are automatically called by Eclipse and ADT so you don't have to manually invoke these tools.
	You need to be familiar with <code>adb</code>, however, because certain functions are not
	accessible from
	Eclipse, such as the <code>adb</code> shell commands. You might also need to call Keytool and
	Jarsigner to
	sign your applications, but you can set up Eclipse to do this automatically as well.</p>

	<p>For more information on the tools provided with the Android SDK, see the
	<a href="{@docRoot}tools/index.html">Tools</a> section of the documentation.</p>

	<h2 id="ThirdParty">Other Third-Party Development Tools</h2>
	<p>
	The tools described in this section are not developed by the Android SDK team. The Android Dev Guide
	does not provide documentation for these tools. Please refer to the linked documents in each
	section for documentation.
	</p>
	<h3 id="IntelliJ">Developing in IntelliJ IDEA</h3>
	<div style="float: right">
	<img alt="The IntelliJ graphical user interface" height="500px"
	src="{@docRoot}images/developing/intellijidea_android_ide.png"/>
	</div>
	<p>
	IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful Java IDE from JetBrains that provides
	full-cycle Android development support in both the free Community
	Edition and the Ultimate edition.
	</p>
	<p>
	The IDE ensures compatibility with the latest Android SDK and offers a
	smart code editor with completion, quick navigation between code and
	resources, a graphical debugger, unit testing support using Android
	Testing Framework, and the ability to run applications in either the
	emulator or a USB-connected device.
	</p>
	<p>
	<strong>Links:</strong>
	</p>
	<ul>
	<li>
	<a href="http://www.jetbrains.com/idea">IntelliJ IDEA official website</a>
	</li>
	<li>
	<a href="http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/features/google_android.html">Android support in IntelliJ IDEA</a>
	</li>
	<li>
	<a href="http://wiki.jetbrains.net/intellij/Android">IntelliJ IDEA Android Tutorials</a>
	</li>
	</ul>