Developing on Android - Getting Started Guide
On 12 November, 2007 the Open Handset Alliance released a preview of the Android software development kit which includes development and debugging tools, a set of libraries, a device emulator, documentation, sample projects, tutorials, FAQs, and more. Developers are required to download the Android SDK to an x86-based computer running Windows XP or Vista, Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later, or Ubuntu Linux (Dapper Drake) or later. Other modern distributions of Linux will also likely work but are not directly supported. Requirements also include Eclipse 3.2 or later, with Java Development Tools and the Android SDK’s plugin, or Java and Javac 1.5 or 1.6, Apache Ant, and Python 2.2 or later.
If you haven’t already heard, Google is set aside $10 million dollars to encourage Android Development.
Build Your Favorite Mobile Application - For Your Share of the $10 Million
Google is looking to reward innovative, useful apps that make use of Android’s capabilities to deliver a better mobile experience. Here are some suggested areas of focus that Google thinks will get you started:
- Social networking
- Media consumption, management, editing, or sharing, e.g., photos
- Productivity and collaboration such as email, IM, calendar, etc.
- Gaming
- News and information
- Rethinking of traditional user interfaces
- Use of mash-up functionality
- Use of location-based services
- Humanitarian benefits
- Applications in service of global economic development
- Whatever you’re excited about!
Software Requirements
The Android home at Google is where you can download the Android SDK
Android uses the Eclipse IDE for software development. The latest version of Eclipse, Europa is officially supported.
Sun’s Java Development Kit (JDK 5 or JDK6) is required.
Apache Ant 1.6.5 or later for Linux and Mac, 1.7 or later for Windows
More instructions on how to install the required software packages and configuration can be found here, Installing the SDK.
Google provides a number of sample Android Applications to get started with as well as a page of Android FAQ’s
To spur community involvement, Google has also started an Official Android Blog and Android Discussion Group.