Android App

Background

Android apps are programmed in Java. If you’re new to Java, here are a few tutorials to help you get started!

  • If you’re new to programming in Java, or you want an in-depth, involved tutorial that takes you through Java from the ground up, we recommend Codecademy.
  • If you’re an expert in several programming languages already, or you used to know Java and you just need a refresher on the syntax, check out Learn X in Y Minutes.
  • If you have some experience in Python, you can check out Java for Python Programmers.
  • If you want a comprehensive tutorial of all things Java, check out W3Schools.

Now you’re one step closer to making your own Android app!

Installation

Before you get started, you should make sure that you have JDK 6 or higher. You can check this by opening up a terminal and running javac -version. If successful, the output should look something like javac 1.7.0_45. Anything greater than 1.6 is fine. Otherewise, you can get JDK here.

You can install Android Studio by following these steps:

  1. Start by downloading Android Studio from the official site.
  2. Open the .dmg disk image (Mac) or .exe installer (Windows).
  3. Drag and drop the “Android Studio” icon onto the Applications folder.
  4. Go to the Applications folder and open Android Studio.
  5. Follow the setup wizard to configure Android Studio.
    1. Choose “Custom” when choosing the type of setup.
    2. Select everything when selecting what components to install.
    3. Use the recommended amount of RAM for HAXM (if applicable).
    4. Agree to all the licenses and click “Finish” to complete configuration.
    5. Wait until all components are downloaded and installed. You may need your administrator password to install HAXM.

Tutorials

You’re all set to start coding! Here are tutorials to get familiar with Android Studio on how to create an app and run/test it 🙂

Projects

Looking for more fun? Take a look at some projects that you can make with Android Studio.