Android Tools for Developers

The Android SDK comes with a robust set of tools to help developers design, develop, test, and publish quality Android applications. In this article, we discuss 10 of the most common tools.

Android Tool 1: Eclipse ADT

Although Eclipse is not the only Java development environment that can be used to develop Android applications, it is by far the most popular. This is partially due to its cost (free!) but mostly due the strong integration of the Android tools with Eclipse. This integration is achieved with the Android Development Tools (ADT) plug-in for Eclipse, which can be downloaded from the Android website.

Android Tool 2: The SDK and AVD Manager

This tool serves a number of important functions. It manages the different versions of the Android SDKs (build targets) that you can develop for, as well as third-party add-ons, tools, devices drivers, and documentation. Its second function is to manage the Android Virtual Device configurations (AVDs) you use to configure emulator instances.

Android Tool 3: Android Debug Bridge(ADB)

The Android Debug Bridge (adb) connects other tools with the emulator and devices. Besides being critical for the other tools (most especially the Eclipse ADT plug-in) to function, you can use it yourself from the command line to upload and download files, install and uninstall packages, and access many other features via the shell on the device or emulator.

Android Tool 4: Dalvik Debug Monitor Server(DDMS)

The Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS), whether it's accessed through the standalone application or the Eclipse perspective with the same name, provides handy features for inspecting, debugging, and interacting with emulator and device instances. You can use DDMS to inspect running processes and threads, explore the file system, gather heap and other memory information, attach debuggers, and even take screenshots. For emulators, you can also simulate mock location data, send SMS messages, and initiate incoming phone calls.

Android Tool 5: The Android Emulator and Real Devices

Once you have begun to develop an app, it's important to test it on the appropriate device targets. The emulator can be used in conjunction with AVDs to simulate device targets. That said, testing on real physical devices is essential for complete test coverage. The emulator, while powerful, cannot emulate the idiosyncrasies of individual devices. Therefore, a solid test plan must incorporate both emulators and real devices. After all, your users won't be running your app on an emulator, will they?

Android Tool 6: LogCat

LogCat is the name of the Android logging system. LogCat data is accessible from within Eclipse, as well as through adb, and provides helpful diagnostic information about events on the system. As a developer, you can enable your applications to log debugging and diagnostic information to LogCat as well. Logging from within an application is about as easy as a printf() statement.

Android Tool 7: The Hierarchy Viewer

The Hierarchy Viewer, whether it's access through the standalone application or the relatively new Eclipse perspective, is used to see how your layouts and screens resolve at runtime. It provides a graphical representation of the layout and view hierarchy of your application and can be used to diagnose layout problems.

Android Tool 8: Draw 9-Patch

When it comes to graphics design, the Draw 9-patch tool comes in handy. This tool allows you to convert traditional PNG graphic files into stretchable graphics that are more flexible and efficient for mobile development use. The tool simplifies the creation of NinePatch files in an environment that instantly displays the results.

Android Tool 9: The Monkey Test Tools

The Monkey Test Tools, including the Monkey exerciser tool and the monkeyrunner tool, are a pair of applications that can be used to automate application testing. The Monkey exerciser randomly sends events to your application for stress testing purposes. The monkeyrunner tool is a scripting library that can be used for automated testing and checking of the results via screenshots using Python scripts.

Android Tool 10: ProGuard

ProGuard, which is now part of the typical Android build process, provides developers with a straightforward way to increase protection of their intellectual property after publication. The ProGuard toolcan be configured to obfuscate the resulting binaries to make them difficult to reverse engineer. The ProGuard tool can also be used to optimize the size of the resulting binary, reducing the overall package size and speeding delivery to your users.