Android Studio 2 Essentials - Second Edition

A fast-paced guide to get you up and running with Android application development using Android Studio 2

About This Book

• Configure, build, and run Android projects with Android Studio 2
• Test your apps using the Android emulator and learn how to manage virtual devices
• Explore how Android Studio 2 can be made a part of your workflow to reduce the overall development time

Who This Book Is For

If you are an Android developer looking to quickly take advantage of Android Studio 2 and add it to your workflow, then this book is for you. It is assumed that you are familiar with the OOP paradigm and Java. You are recommended to have prior knowledge of the main characteristics of the Android mobile system to get the most out of this book.

What You Will Learn

• Install Android Studio on your system and configure the Android Software Development Kit
• Create your first project and explore its structure
• Manage a project in Android Studio 2 with Gradle
• Improve your productivity while programming by getting the best of the code editor
• Design the user interface using layouts and see how to handle various user events
• Integrate Google Play services into your project efficiently
• Monitor your app while it's running and constantly improve its performance

In Detail

Android Studio 2, the official IDE for Android application development, dramatically improves your workflow by letting you quickly see changes running on your device or emulator. It gives developers a unique platform by making app builds and deployment faster.

This book will get you up and running with all the essential features of Android Studio 2 to optimize your development workflow.

Starting off with the basic installation and configuration of Android Studio 2, this book will help you build a new project by showing you how to create a custom launcher icon and guiding you to choose your project.

You will then gain an insight into the additional tools provided in Android Studio, namely the Software Development Kit (SDK) Manager, Android Virtual Device (AVD) Manager, and Javadoc. You'll also see how to integrate Google Play Services in an Android project.

Finally, you'll become familiar with the Help section in Android Studio, which will enable you to search for support you might require in different scenarios.

Style and approach

A comprehensive and practical guide that will give you the essential skills required to develop Android applications quickly using Android Studio. With the help of a real-world project, this book will show how to make Android Studio a part of your development process and optimize it.