How To Create A Simple App Using Android Studio
1.1: Your first Android app
Contents:
- The development process
- Using Android Studio
- Exploring a project
- Understanding the Android manifest
- Understanding the build process
- Running the app on an emulator or a device
- Using the log
- Related practical
- Learn more
This chapter describes how to develop applications using Android Studio, which is an integrated development environment (IDE) for Android.
The development process
An Android app project begins with an idea and a definition of the requirements necessary to realize that idea. You may want to sketch user interfaces (UIs) for the various app functions. To show what a UI would look like and how it would work, use drawings, mockups, and prototypes.
When you are ready to start coding, you use Android Studio to go through the following steps:                  
- Create the project in Android Studio and choose an appropriate template.
- Define a layout for each screen that has UI elements. You can place UI elements on the screen using the layout editor, or you can write code directly in the Extensible Markup Language (XML).
- Write code using the Java programming language. Create source code for all of the app's components.
- Build and run the app on real and virtual devices. Use the default build configuration or create custom builds for different versions of your app.©
- Test and debug the app's logic and UI.
- Publish the app by assembling the final APK (package file) and distributing it through channels such as Google Play.
Using Android Studio
Android Studio provides a unified development environment for creating apps for all Android-powered devices. Android Studio includes code templates with sample code for common app features, extensive testing tools and frameworks, and a flexible build system.
Starting an Android Studio project
After you have successfully installed the Android Studio IDE, double-click the Android Studio application icon to start it. Click          Start a new Android Studio project          in the Welcome window, and name the project the same name that you want to use for the app.           
        
When choosing a unique Company domain, keep in mind that apps published to Google Play must have a unique package name. Because domains are unique, prepending the app's name with your name, or your company's domain name, should provide an adequately unique package name. If you don't plan to publish the app, you can accept the default example domain. Be aware that changing the package name later is extra work.
Choosing target devices and the minimum SDK
When choosing Target Android Devices,          Phone and Tablet          are selected by default, as shown in the figure below. The choice shown in the figure for the Minimum SDK—API 15: Android 4.0.3 (IceCreamSandwich)—makes your app compatible with 97% of Android-powered devices active on the Google Play Store.           
        
Different devices run different versions of the Android system, such as Android 4.0.3 or Android 4.4. Each successive version often adds new APIs not available in the previous version. To indicate which set of APIs are available, each version specifies an API level. For instance, Android 1.0 is API level 1 and Android 4.0.3 is API level 15.
The Minimum SDK declares the minimum Android version for your app. Each successive version of Android provides compatibility for apps that were built using the APIs from previous versions. That means your app should always be compatible with future versions of Android, if you use the documented Android APIs.
Choosing an Activity template
An          Activity          is a single, focused thing that the user can do. It is a crucial component of any Android app. An          Activity          typically has a layout associated with it that defines how UI elements appear on a screen.        
Android Studio pre-populates your project with minimal code for an          Activity          and layout based on a          template. Available          Activity          templates range from a virtually blank template (Add No Activity) to an          Activity          that includes navigation and an options menu.           
        
You can customize the          Activity          after you select your template. For example, the          Empty Activity          choice provides a single          Activity          with a single layout resource for the screen. The          Configure Activity          screen appears after you click          Next. On the          Configure Activity          screen you can accept the commonly used name for the          Activity          (such as          MainActivity), or you can change the name.
          Tip: This course covers the          Activity          class in more detail in another practical. You can also read Introduction to Activities for a comprehensive introduction.           
        
The Configure Activity screen differs depending on which template you chose. In most cases you can select the following options, if they are not already selected:
-             Generate Layout file: Leave this checkbox selected to create the layout resource connected to this            Activity, which is usually namedactivity_main. The layout defines the UI for theActivity.
-             Backwards Compatibility (AppCompat):            Leave this checkbox selected to include the            AppCompatlibrary. Use theAppCompatlibrary to make sure that the app is compatible with previous versions of Android, even if the app uses features found only in newer Android versions.
Android Studio creates a folder for your projects, and builds the project with Gradle.
Tip: See the Configure your build developer page for detailed information.
Exploring a project
An Android Studio project contains all of the source code and all resources for an app. The resources include layouts, strings, colors, dimensions, and images. The Android Studio main window is made up of several logical areas, or          panes, as shown in the figure below.           
        
In the figure above:
- Toolbar: Provides a wide range of actions, including running the Android app and launching Android tools.
- Navigation bar: Navigate through the project and open files for editing.
- Project pane: Displays project files in a hierarchy. The selected hierarchy in the figure above is Android.
- Editor: The contents of a selected file in the project. For example, after you select a layout (as shown in the figure above), the editor pane shows the layout editor with tools to edit the layout. After you select a Java code file, the editor pane shows the Java code with tools for editing the code.
- Tabs along the left, right, and bottom of the window: You can click tabs to open other panes, such as Logcat to open the Logcat pane with log messages, or TODO to manage tasks.
The status bar at the bottom of the Android Studio window displays the status of the project and Android Studio itself, as well as any warnings or messages. You can watch the build progress in the status bar.
Tip: You can organize the main window to give yourself more screen space by hiding or moving panes. You can also use keyboard shortcuts to access most features. See Keyboard Shortcuts for a complete list.
Using the Project pane
You can view the project organization in several ways in the Project pane. If it is not already selected, click the Project tab. (The Project tab is in the vertical tab column on the left side of the Android Studio window.)
The Project pane appears. To view the project in the standard Android project hierarchy, select          Android          from the Down arrow at the top of the          Project          pane.           
        
Note: This chapter and other chapters refer to the Project pane, when set to Android, as the Project > Android pane.
Gradle files
When you first create an app project, the          Project > Android          pane appears with the          Gradle Scripts          folder expanded as shown below. If the          Gradle Scripts          folder is not expanded, click the triangle to expand it. This folder contains all the files needed by the build system.           
        
The          build.gradle(Module:app)          file specifies additional libraries and the module's build configuration. The          Activity          template that you select creates this file. The file includes the          minSdkVersion          attribute that declares the minimum version for the app, and the          targetSdkVersion          attribute that declares the highest (newest) version for which the app has been optimized.        
This file also includes a list of          dependencies, which are libraries required by the code—such as the          AppCompat          library for supporting a wide range of Android versions.
App code
To view and edit the Java code, expand the          app          folder, the          java          folder, and the          com.example.android.helloworld          folder. Double-click the          MainActivity          java          file to open it in the code editor.           
        
The          java          folder includes Java class files. Each          Activity,          Service, or other component (such as a          Fragment) is defined as a Java class, usually in its own file. Tests and other Java class files are also located here.        
The          java          folder contains three subfolders:
-             com.example.hello.helloworld(or the domain name you have specified): All the files for a package are in a folder named after the package. For your Hello World app, there is one package, and it contains onlyMainActivity.java. The firstActivity(screen) that the user sees, which also initializes app-wide resources, is customarily calledMainActivity. (The file extension is omitted in the Project > Android pane.)
-             com.example.hello.helloworld(androidTest): This folder is for your instrumented tests, and starts out with a skeleton test file.
-             com.example.hello.helloworld(test): This folder is for your unit tests and starts out with an automatically created skeleton unit test file.
Layout files
To view and edit a layout file, expand the          res          folder and the          layout          folder to see the layout file. In the figure below, the layout file is called          activity_main.xml.
Double-click the file to open it in the layout editor. Layout files are written in XML.           
        
Resource files
The          res          folder holds resources, such as layouts, strings, and images. An          Activity          is usually associated with a layout of UI views that are defined as an XML file. This XML file is usually named after its          Activity. The          res          folder includes these subfolders:
-             drawable: Store all your app's images in this folder.
-             layout: EveryActivityhas at least one XML layout file that describes the UI. For Hello World, this folder containsactivity_main.xml.
-             mipmap: The launcher icons are stored in this folder. There is a subfolder for each supported screen density. Android uses the screen density (the number of pixels per inch) to determine the required image resolution. Android groups all actual screen densities into generalized densities, such as medium (mdpi), high (hdpi), or extra-extra-extra-high (xxxhdpi). Theic_launcher.pngfolder contains the default launcher icons for all the densities supported by your app.
-             values: Instead of hardcoding values like strings, dimensions, and colors in your XML and Java files, it is best practice to define them in their respectivevaluesfiles. This practice makes it easier to change the values and keep the values consistent across your app.
The          values          subfolder includes these subfolders:
-             colors.xml: Shows the default colors for your chosen theme. You can add your own colors or change the colors based on your app's requirements.
-             dimens.xml: Store the sizes of views and objects for different resolutions.
-             strings.xml: Create resources for all your strings. Doing this makes it easy to translate the strings to other languages.
-             styles.xml: All the styles for your app and theme go here. Styles help give your app a consistent look for all UI elements.
Using the editor pane
If you select a file, the editor pane appears. A tab appears for the file so that you can open multiple files and switch between them. For example, if you double-click the          activity_main.xml          layout file in the          Project > Android          pane, the layout editor appears as shown below.           
        
If you double-click the          MainActivity          file in the          Project > Android          pane, the editor changes to the code editor as shown below, with a tab for          MainActivity.java:           
        
At the top of the          MainActivity.java          file is a          package          statement that defines the app package. This package statement is followed by an          import          block condensed with          ..., as shown in the figure above. Click the dots to expand the block to view it. The          import          statements import libraries needed for the app. For example, the following statement imports the          AppCompatActivity          library:
          import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;                          Each          Activity          in an app is implemented as a Java class. The following class declaration extends the          AppCompatActivity          class to implement features in a way that is backward-compatible with previous versions of Android:
          public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {     // ... Rest of the code for the class. }                          Understanding the Android manifest
Before the Android system can start an app component such as an          Activity, the system must know that the          Activity          exists. It does so by reading the app's          AndroidManifest.xml          file, which describes all of the components of your Android app. Each          Activity          must be listed in this XML file, along with all components for the app.
To view and edit the          AndroidManifest.xml          file, expand the          manifests          folder in the          Project > Android          pane, and double-click          AndroidManifest.xml. Its contents appear in the editing pane:
          <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"     package="com.example.android.helloworld">      <application         android:allowBackup="true"         android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"         android:label="@string/app_name"         android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"         android:supportsRtl="true"         android:theme="@style/AppTheme">         <activity android:name=".MainActivity">             <intent-filter>                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />             </intent-filter>         </activity>     </application>  </manifest>                          Android namespace and application tag
The Android Manifest is coded in XML and always uses the Android namespace:
          xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"    package="com.example.android.helloworld">                          The          package          expression shows the unique package name of the new app. Do not change the package expression after the app is published.
The          <application>          tag, with its closing          </application>          tag, defines the manifest settings for the entire app.        
Automatic backup
The          android:allowBackup          attribute enables automatic app data backup:
          android:allowBackup="true"                          Setting the          android:allowBackup          attribute to          true          enables the app to be backed up automatically and restored as needed. Users invest time and effort to configure apps. Switching to a new device can cancel out all that careful configuration. The system performs this automatic backup for nearly all app data by default, and does so without the developer having to write any additional app code.
For apps whose target SDK version is Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher, devices running Android 6.0 and higher automatically create backups of app data to the cloud because the          android:allowBackup          attribute defaults to          true          if omitted. For apps < API level 22 you have to explicitly add the          android:allowBackup          attribute and set it to          true.
Tip: To learn more about the automatic backup for apps, see Configuring Auto Backup for Apps.
The app icon
The          android:icon          attribute sets the icon for the app:
          android:allowBackup="true" android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"                          The          android:icon          attribute assigns to the app an icon in the          mipmap          folder (inside the          res          folder in the          Project > Android          pane). The icon appears on the home screen or in the Search Apps screen for launching the app. The icon is also used as the default icon for app components.           
        
App label and string resources
The          android:label          attribute shows the string          "Hello World"          highlighted. If you click the string, it changes to show the string resource          @string/app_name:
          android:label="@string/app_name"                                    Tip: To see the context menu, ctrl-click or right-click          app_name          in the editor pane. Select          Go To > Declaration          to see where the string resource is declared: in the          strings.xml          file. When you select          Go To > Declaration          or open the file by double-clicking          strings.xml          inside the          values          folder in the          Project > Android          pane, the file's contents appear in the editor pane.
After opening the          strings.xml          file, you can see that the string name          app_name          is set to          Hello World. You can change the app name by changing the          Hello World          string to something else. String resources are described in a separate lesson.
App theme
The          android:theme          attribute sets the app's theme, which defines the appearance of UI elements such as text:
          android:theme="@style/AppTheme">                          The          theme          attribute is set to the standard theme          AppTheme. Themes are described in a separate lesson.
Declaring the Android version
Different devices may run different versions of the Android system, such as Android 4.0 or Android 4.4. Each successive version can add new APIs not available in the previous version. To indicate which set of APIs are available, each version specifies an API level. For instance, Android 1.0 is API level 1 and Android 4.4 is API level 19.
The API level allows a developer to declare the minimum version with which the app is compatible, using the          <uses-sdk>          manifest tag and its          minSdkVersion          attribute. For example, the Calendar Provider APIs were added in Android 4.0 (API level 14). If your app can't function without these APIs, declare API level 14 as the app's minimum supported version like this:
          <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"     package="com.example.android.helloworld">     <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="14" android:targetSdkVersion="19" />     // ... Rest of manifest information </manifest>                          The          minSdkVersion          attribute declares the minimum version for the app, and the          targetSdkVersion          attribute declares the highest (newest) version which has been optimized within the app. Each successive version of Android provides compatibility for apps that were built using the APIs from previous versions, so the app should          always          be compatible with future versions of Android while using the documented Android APIs.
The          targetSdkVersion          attribute does          not          prevent an app from being installed on Android versions that are higher (newer) than the specified value. Even so, the target attribute is important, because it indicates to the system whether the app should inherit behavior changes in newer versions.
If you don't update the          targetSdkVersion          to the latest version, the system assumes that your app requires backward-compatible behaviors when it runs on the latest version. For example, among the behavior changes in Android 4.4, alarms created with the          AlarmManager          APIs are now inexact by default so that the system can batch app alarms and preserve system power. If your target API level is lower than          "19", the system retains the previous API's behavior for your app.
Understanding the build process
The Android application package (APK) is the package file format for distributing and installing Android mobile apps. The build process involves tools and processes that automatically convert each project into an APK.
Android Studio uses Gradle as the foundation of the build system, with more Android-specific capabilities provided by the Android Plugin for Gradle. This build system runs as an integrated tool from the Android Studio menu.
Understanding build.gradle files
When you create a project, Android Studio automatically generates the necessary build files in the          Gradle Scripts          folder in the          Project > Android          pane. Android Studio build files are named          build.gradle          as shown below:           
        
build.gradle (Project: apptitle)
This file is the top-level build file for the entire project, located in the root project folder, which defines build configurations that apply to all modules in your project. This file, generated by Android Studio, should not be edited to include app dependencies.
If a dependency is something other than a local library or file tree, Gradle looks for the files in whichever online repositories are specified in the repositories block of this file. By default, new Android Studio projects declare JCenter and Google (which includes the Google Maven repository) as the repository locations:
          allprojects {     repositories {         google()         jcenter()     } }                          build.gradle (Module: app)
Android Studio creates separate          build.gradle (Module: app)          files for each module. You can edit the build settings to provide custom packaging options for each module, such as additional build types and product flavors, and to override settings in the manifest or top-level build.gradle file. This file is most often the file to edit when changing app-level configurations, such as declaring dependencies in the          dependencies          section. The following shows the contents of a project's          build.gradle (Module: app)          file:
          apply plugin: 'com.android.application'  android {     compileSdkVersion 26     defaultConfig {         applicationId "com.example.android.helloworld"         minSdkVersion 15         targetSdkVersion 26         versionCode 1         versionName "1.0"         testInstrumentationRunner                           "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"     }     buildTypes {         release {             minifyEnabled false             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'),                                                       'proguard-rules.pro'         }     } }  dependencies {     implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])     implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:26.1.0'     implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.0.2'     testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'     androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test:runner:1.0.1'     androidTestImplementation                      'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.0.1' }                          The          build.gradle          files use Gradle syntax. Gradle is a Domain Specific Language (DSL) for describing and manipulating the build logic using Groovy, which is a dynamic language for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). You don't need to learn Groovy to make changes, because the Android Plugin for Gradle introduces most of the DSL elements you need.
Tip: To learn more about the Android plugin DSL, read the DSL reference documentation.
Plugin and Android blocks
In the          build.gradle (Module: app)          file above, the first statement applies the Android-specific Gradle plug-in build tasks:
          apply plugin: 'com.android.application'  android {    compileSdkVersion 26    // ... Rest of android block. }                          The          android { }          block specifies the target SDK version for compiling the app code (          compileSdkVersion 26) and several blocks of information.
The defaultConfig block
Core settings and entries for the app are specified in the          defaultConfig { }          block within the          android { } block:        
          defaultConfig {     applicationId "com.example.android.helloworld"     minSdkVersion 15     targetSdkVersion 26     versionCode 1     versionName "1.0"     testInstrumentationRunner                  "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner" }                          The          minSdkVersion          and          targetSdkVersion          settings override any          AndroidManifest.xml          settings for the minimum SDK version and the target SDK version. See "Declaring the Android version" previously in this chapter for background information on these settings.
The          testInstrumentationRunner          statement adds the instrumentation support for testing the UI using Espresso and UIAutomator. These tools are described in a separate lesson.
Build types
Build types for the app are specified in a          buildTypes { }          block, which controls how the app is built and packaged.        
          buildTypes {     release {         minifyEnabled false         proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'),                                                         'proguard-rules.pro'     } }                          The build type specified is          release          for the app's release. Another common build type is          debug. Configuring build types is described in a separate lesson.        
Dependencies
Dependencies for the app are defined in the          dependencies { }          block, which is the part of the          build.gradle          file that is most likely to change as you start developing code that depends on other libraries. The block is part of the standard Gradle API and belongs          outside          the          android { }          block.
          dependencies {     implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])     implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:26.1.0'     implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.0.2'     testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'     androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test:runner:1.0.1'     androidTestImplementation                      'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.0.1' }                          In the snippet above, the statement          implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])          adds a dependency of all ".jar" files inside the          libs          folder.        
Syncing your project
When you make changes to the build configuration files in a project, Android Studio requires that you sync the project files. During the sync, Android Studio imports the build configuration changes and runs checks to make sure the configuration won't create build errors.
To sync the project files, click          Sync Now          in the notification bar that appears when making a change (as shown in the figure below), or click the          Sync Project with Gradle Files          button           in the menu bar.
          in the menu bar.           
        
If Android Studio notices any errors with the configuration — for example, if the source code uses API features that are only available in an API level higher than the          compileSdkVersion—the          Messages          window appears to describe the issue.
Running the app on an emulator or a device
With virtual device emulators, you can test an app on different devices such as tablets or smartphones—with different API levels for different Android versions—to make sure it looks good and works for most users. You don't have to depend on having a physical device available for app development.
The Android Virtual Device (AVD) manager creates a virtual device or emulator that simulates the configuration for a particular type of Android-powered device. Use the AVD Manager to define the hardware characteristics of a device and its API level, and to save it as a virtual device configuration. When you start the Android emulator, it reads a specified configuration and creates an emulated device on your computer that behaves exactly like a physical version of that device.
Creating a virtual device
To run an emulator on your computer, use the AVD Manager to create a configuration that describes the virtual device. Select          Tools > Android > AVD Manager, or click the          AVD Manager          icon           in the toolbar.
          in the toolbar.
The          Your Virtual Devices          screen appears showing all of the virtual devices created previously. Click the          +Create Virtual Device          button to create a new virtual device.           
        
You can select a device from a list of predefined hardware devices. For each device, the table provides a column for its diagonal display size (Size), screen resolution in pixels (Resolution), and pixel density (Density). For example, the pixel density of the Nexus 5 device is          xxhdpi, which means the app uses the icons in the          xxhdpi          folder of the          mipmap          folder. Likewise, the app uses layouts and drawables from folders defined for that density.           
        
After you click Next, the System Image screen appears for choosing the version of the Android system for the device. The Recommended tab shows the recommended systems for the device. More versions are available under the x86 Images and Other Images tabs. If a Download link is visible next to a system image version, it is not installed yet. Click the link to start the download, and click Finish when it's done.
Running the app on the virtual device
To run the app on the virtual device you created in the previous section, follow these steps:
-             In Android Studio, select Run > Run app or click the  Run icon              in the toolbar. Run icon              in the toolbar.
-             In the Select Deployment Target window, under Available Emulators, select the virtual device you created, and click OK. 
The emulator starts and boots just like a physical device. Depending on the speed of your computer, the startup process might take a while. The app builds, and once the emulator is ready, Android Studio uploads the app to the emulator and runs it.
You should see the app created from the Empty Activity template ("Hello World") as shown in the following figure, which also shows Android Studio's Run pane that displays the actions performed to run the app on the emulator.
          Tip: When testing on a virtual device, it is a good practice to start it up once, at the very beginning of your session. Do not close it until you are done testing your app, so that your app doesn't have to go through the device startup process again. To close the virtual device, select          Quit          from the menu or press          Control-Q          in Windows or          Command-Q          in macOS.           
        
The figure above shows the emulator and the run log:
- The Emulator running the app.
- The Run pane, which shows the actions taken to install and run the app.
- The Run tab, which you click to open or close the Run pane.
Running the app on a physical device
Always test your apps on a physical device. While emulators are useful, they can't show all possible device states, such as what happens if an incoming call occurs while the app is running. To run the app on a physical device, you need the following:
- An Android-powered device such as a phone or tablet.
- A data cable to connect your Android-powered device to your computer via the USB port.
- If you are using a Linux or Windows system, you may need to perform additional steps to run on a hardware device. Check the Using Hardware Devices documentation. You may also need to install the appropriate USB driver for your device. See OEM USB Drivers.
To let Android Studio communicate with your Android-powered device, you must turn on USB Debugging on the device. You enable USB Debugging in the device's Developer options settings. (Note that enabling USB Debugging is not the same as rooting your device.)
On Android 4.2 and higher, the Developer options screen is hidden by default. To show developer options and enable USB Debugging:
- On your device, open Settings > About phone and tap Build number seven times.
- Return to the previous screen (Settings). Developer options appears at the bottom of the list. Tap Developer options.
- Select USB Debugging.
- Connect the device and run the app from Android Studio.
Using the log
The log is a powerful debugging tool you can use to look at values, execution paths, and exceptions. After you add logging statements to an app, your log messages appear along with general log messages in the Logcat pane.
Viewing log messages
To see the          Logcat          pane, click the          Logcat          tab at the bottom of the Android Studio window as shown in the figure below.           
        
In the figure above:
- The            Logcat            tab for opening and closing the            Logcat            pane, which displays information about your app as it is running. If you add            Logstatements to your app,Logmessages appear here.
- The            Loglevel menu set to Verbose (the default), which shows allLogmessages. Other settings include Debug, Error, Info, and Warn.
Adding logging statements to your app
Logging statements add whatever messages you specify to the log. Adding logging statements at certain points in the code allows the developer to look at values, execution paths, and exceptions. For example, the following logging statement adds          "MainActivity"          and          "Hello World"          to the log:
          Log.d("MainActivity", "Hello World");        
The following are the elements of this statement:
-             Log: TheLogclass for sending log messages to the Logcat pane.
-             d: The DebugLoglevel setting to filter log message display in the Logcat pane. Other log levels areefor Error,wfor Warn, andifor Info. You assign a log level so that you can filter the log messages using the drop-down menu in the center of the Logcat pane.
-             "MainActivity": The first argument is a tag which can be used to filter messages in the Logcat pane. This tag is commonly the name of theActivityfrom which the message originates. However, you can name the tag anything that is useful to you for debugging.
-             "Hello world": The second argument is the actual message.
By convention, log tags are defined as constants for the          Activity:
          private static final String LOG_TAG = MainActivity.class.getSimpleName();                          Use the constant in the logging statements:
          Log.d(LOG_TAG, "Hello World");                          After you add the          Log.d          statement shown above, follow these steps to see the log message:
- If the Logcat pane is not already open, click the Logcat tab at the bottom of Android Studio to open it.
- Change the            Loglevel in the Logcat pane to Debug. (You can also leave theLoglevel as Verbose, because there are so few log messages.)
- Run your app on a virtual device.
The following message should appear in the Logcat pane:
          11-24 14:06:59.001 4696-4696/? D/MainActivity: Hello World                                  The related practical is 1.1 Android Studio and Hello World.
Learn more
Android Studio documentation:
- Android Studio download page
- Meet Android Studio
- Reading and writing logs
- Android Virtual Device (AVD) manager
- App Manifest
- Configure Your Build
-             Logclass
- Configure Build Variants
- Create and Manage Virtual Devices
- Sign Your App
- Shrink Your Code and Resources
Android API Guide, "Develop" section:
- Introduction to Android
- Platform Architecture
- UI Overview
- Platform versions
- Supporting Different Platform Versions
- Supporting Multiple Screens
Other:
- Wikipedia: Summary of Android version history
- Groovy syntax
- How do I install Java?
- Installing the JDK Software and Setting JAVA_HOME
- Gradle site
- Gradle Wikipedia page
How To Create A Simple App Using Android Studio
Source: https://google-developer-training.github.io/android-developer-fundamentals-course-concepts-v2/unit-1-get-started/lesson-1-build-your-first-app/1-1-c-your-first-android-app/1-1-c-your-first-android-app.html
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