29-06-2012, 04:17 PM
Android Application Development
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3.1.Development Tools
The feedback on developing applications for the Android platform has been mixed. Issues cited include bugs, lack of documentation, inadequate QA .The first publicly available application was the Snake game.
3.1.1.Software Development kit
It includes development and debugging tools, a set of libraries, a device emulator, documentation, sample projects, tutorials, and FAQs. Requirements also include Java Development Kit, Apache Ant, and Python 2.2 or later. The only officially supported integrated development environment (IDE) is Eclipse 3.2 or later, through the Android Development Tools Plugin, but programmers can use command line tools to create, build and debug Android applications
Android Emulator
A virtual mobile device that runs on computer use the emulator to design, debug, and test r applications in an actual Android run-time environment.
Android Development Tools Plugin for the Eclipse IDE
The ADT plugin adds powerful extensions to the Eclipse integrated environment, making creating and debugging r Android applications easier and faster. If use Eclipse, the ADT plugin gives an incredible boost in developing Android applications:
It gives access to other Android development tools from inside the Eclipse IDE. For example, ADT lets access the many capabilities of the DDMS tool taking screenshots, managing port-forwarding, setting breakpoints, and viewing thread and process information directly from Eclipse.
It provides a New Project Wizard, which helps quickly create and set up all of the basic files’ll need for a new Android application.
It automates and simplifies the process of building r Android application.It provides an Android code editor that helps write valid XML for r Android manifest and resource files.
Dalvik Debug Monitor Service (ddms)
Integrated with Dalvik, the Android platform's custom VM, this tool lets manage processes on an emulator or device and assists in debugging. can use it to kill processes, select a specific process to debug, generate trace data, view heap and thread information, take screenshots of the emulator or device, and more.
Android Debug Bridge (adb)
The adb tool lets install application's .apk files on an emulator or device and access the emulator or device from a command line. can also use it to link a standard debugger to application code running on an Android emulator or device.
Android Asset Packaging Tool (aapt)
The aapt tool lets create .apk files containing the binaries and resources of Android applications.
Android Interface Description Language (aidl)
Aidl Lets generate code for an interprocess interface, such as what a service might use.
sqlite3
Included as a convenience, this tool lets access the SQLite data files created and used by Android applications.
Trace view
This tool produces graphical analysis views of trace log data that can generate from r Android application.
mksdcard
Helps create a disk image that can use with the emulator, to simulate the presence of an external storage card (such as an SD card).
dx
The dx tool rewrites .class bytecode into Android bytecode (stored in .dex files.)
activityCreator
A script that generates Ant build files that can use to compile r Android applications. If are developing on Eclipse with the ADT plugin, won't need to use this script.
JDK 1.5 & 1.6
3.1.2.The Dalvik Virtual Machine
The Dalvik virtual machine is an interpreter only machine optimized for use on low powered, low memory devices like phones. Notably, Dalvik does not make use of just in time (JIT) Compilation to improve the performance of an application at runtime. Furthermore, Dalvik is not a Java virtual machine. This is because Dalvik is unable to read Java bytecode34, instead it uses its own bytecode format called “dex”. Google claims this format allows battery power to be better-conserved at all different stages of execution of an application. This means that standard Java SE applications and libraries cannot be used directly on the Android Dalvik virtual machine.
Dalvik however stands at the center of the Android value proposition. Its low electrical power consumption, rich libraries, and unified, non-fragmented application programming interfaces make it stand out, or so Google hopes, over the fragmented ecosystem that is Java ME35 today.
Furthermore, since Dalvik uses the Java programming language but not the Java execution environment (JVM), Google is free to develop Android without the need to license or obtain certification from Sun Microsystems Inc, the legal owner of the Java trademark and brands.