Steps to Create an Android App for the Beginners

by Rob Stephen getaprogrammer

If you are a beginner and if this is the first time you are going to create an Android App, then here is the ultimate guide for you that can help you create an innovative and striking application efficiently and effortlessly.

For the last couple of years, people, right from teens to adults have been using smart devices like mobiles and tablets. And the most popular Operating Systems that have been in use are Android, and iOS, with Android holding the maximum market share. It’s because Android has proved to be more user-friendly as well as affordable as compared to the iOS platform. Also, with this immense use of these mobile devices, the use of apps has also increased and now people use apps for almost everything right from ordering food to buying their daily grocery items, garments, booking tickets, playing games, browsing social media, planning trips, and for everything they need to live their life. And it’s because of the ease and convenience of using applications.

However, when it comes to using mobile apps, most businesses go for Android app development because of the wider user base around the world, its user-friendly interface, its powerful features, high security, and its cost-effectiveness. And because of these reasons, there are nearly 2.9 billion apps in the Android Play Stores today.

With this increasing number of Android apps and with more businesses going for it, the demand for Android app developers also increased and now more and more developers are showing a keen interest in building applications for Android devices. And if you are one of those newbies in the field and are going to build an Android project for the first time, then here’s the guide for you.

But before you get started with the development process, you must know that Android application development needs a solid knowledge of Java. Also, you will have to get an Android SDK that is Software Development Kit like Eclipse or Android Studio and a JDK that is Java Development Kit. The in-built features of Android SDK give the base required to create Android apps and offer a great opportunity to the developers.

If you have got these prerequisites then you are all ready to get started with the development process.

Your step-by-step guide to creating an Android app:

Start with the Android Studio:

Android Studio is the most commonly used Android SDK that comes directly from google. The most amazing thing about this development tool is that it is specially designed for building applications for Android Operating System.

Installation of JDK or Java Development Kit:

Once you have installed the Android Studio, it’s time to install the JDK or the Java Development Kit on your machine to use your Android Studio. This JDK will help you in interpreting and compiling your code for app development.

Start your project development now:

Choose the ‘start a new Android Studio’ option, then enter your project or application name and your company domain to get started with the development process. All these components are used for creating the package name in the format like - com.companyname.appname

This is also the APK or Android Package File that you are going to upload in the end to the Google Play Store.

Choose the activities as per your project requirements:

Also, you will be given the choice of making the app look like you want. This will be the look of the main page or the main activity module of the app. There are many fields that you can choose from as per your app requirements like title suggestions, templates, full-screen activity, access to Google, and more. But no matter what you are choosing, just try to keep the app look and feel simple and easy to access.

Choose the layout:

Choose the layout of your app now. This includes choosing the theme, fonts, images, and menu style of your app. Choose the name of the menu and your app’s title as well here.

Edit the welcome message:

Go to the ‘activity_main.xml tab, click and drag the ‘Hello World’ message from the top left corner to the centre, then go to the ‘values’ folder and then double click the ‘strings.xml’ file. Find the ‘Hello World’, message here and then change it to ‘Welcome to my app’ or something relevant as you want.

Add buttons to your activities:

In the menu to the left side of the display, find buttons. Click and then drag the button beneath the welcome message. Later on, go to the properties to find the field for changing the button name or button text as per your preference.

Now, go back to the content_main.xml and then click on the button. Also, in the right corner, you will find an option called ‘OnClick’. Just click on this to select it. By doing this, you can tell your Android Studio that you would like to associate your codes with the button you had created.

Test, Test and Test:

Test your app now as many times as possible on as many versions of Android and as many Android devices and screens as possible to make sure the app looks and feels the same no matter which devices or which version of the OS the user is using.

Hope, these steps will help you to a great extent now while building your Android App.

Rob Stephen is a skilled and well-versed Android app developer associated with a leading Android app development company in Australia, GetAProgrammer. The author has written this article to help out the newbies in this field to create an Android app effortlessly, efficiently, and quickly for Android devices.