For
every enterprise it is important to reach out to the vast contingent
of mobile users and remain within the reach of the target users –
before or alongside the competitor – in order to remain relevant
and continue to occupy the memory. For this, the continued interest
of the businesses and brands across the globe in developing various
applications, especially targeting Android, the most popular
operating system for mobile devices – has been an evident
phenomenon. Here, the article elaborates, some of the essential
factors that regulate a successful application development with a
special insight on Eclipse as a language for Android application
development.
Tools
for Application Development
Since
for business promotion reaching out to the mobile users is important,
various applications are developed by companies to ensure this. A
good majority of these applications are aimed at reaching out to
users of Android; the most popular operating system for mobile
devices.
Multiple
tools are used for Android
application development by the developer companies and
solo developers. One of the most popular tools extensively used by
developers across the globe is Eclipse. Preliminary task for them is
installing Eclipse and setting it up for application development for
Android.
Understanding
Eclipse
Eclipse
is open source and very powerful IDE helping out in creation of
applications for all types of devices including mobile ones. It is
usually favored by the developers because of its versatility and
adoptability. It contains plug ins for various scripting languages
like Java, PHP, Ruby, COBOL, and C++ among others. Eclipse also has
cross platform capabilities and can be used not only for Android but
for other operating systems as well.
Features
of Android
Android
is an operating system for mobiles and ideal for smart phones and
tablets. It can access diverse hardware as well as the resources
necessary to make the smart phone unique. Provided by Google it is
open source and consistently updated and improved. The use of Android
is huge; largest among all the operating systems for mobile and
therefore Android application development offers a big
challenge for the developers and developing agencies. Eclipse can
help enhance the development of applications for the operating system
substantially.
Building
up Environment
Eclipse
normally uses the concept of workspace so as to organize the objects
and can be used to develop multiple types of applications. This
workspace is nothing but the folder or drive in the client computer
and contains the code and resources of the application developed
using Eclipse. It also contains the libraries and resources used in
developing the application.
Developing
the First Application
It is
always developing the first application that is difficult and after
that it becomes easier for the developer. Like most others the
starting application would be generating the Hello World message.
Figure
1. First Android project with Eclipse
In
Eclipse the apps developed for Android are created within a project.
It has to be shaped using a series of windows and thereafter
configuring the application. When the File>New>Android
Application Project is chosen in Eclipse menu the following figure
would appear.
Figure
2. First Android Application Project with Eclipse
When
the screen is filled out with information, the application name would
be displayed on the screen. This completes the project and package
name. After that the user can develop the application created using
minimum required SDK drop downs.
Why
use SDK?
Use
of SDK is necessary for application development for Android with
Eclipse because each of the releases of the Android operating system
is associated with a different SDK. This is done to enable the
programmers to write code for such platform. Thus the specific SDK
use is essential for running the application developed for the
Android OS.
Minimum
SDK requirement also determines what devices would be able to use the
new app developed.
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