How to Create Android Applications

Android hones have become very popular in the last few years. With the popularity of Android based phones soaring sky high, the need for Android based applications has also increased. Here is a short guide on how to go about Android application development.

Who can do it?

You can. If you have the basic knowledge of programming you can learn to create Android apps for mobile phones. You can start out with simple applications and move on to ones with more and more features. There is a lot of material and detailed tutorials available on the Internet that can help you learn how to create Android applications successfully.

Create the Environment:

The first thing you need to do is create the right environment on your system for development of android apps. Creating the right environment means getting all the tools that you need running on your system. The ideal environment to use is Eclipse or  EIDE (Eclipse Integrated Development Environment). Other than this, you will need a Java Development Kit or JDK, as it is commonly called. Go to the official Android developers guide website and search for Android SDK. You can download it from Android SDK download page and then install it using simple guided steps.

Also, open Eclipse and add the plugin for Android development through the Install new software option. Use the following location for Adding the repository  – https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

Like every other SDK, Eclipse will also take some time and effort to learn. You create a new project for every application you build. For creating the app, you will need some knowledge of languages like Java and XML and some knowledge of SQL will also be useful. Eclipse comes with a virtual device manager that lets you run and check your applications thoroughly.

Before you are ready to launch your application in the market, use the Keytool utility available in eclipse to sign the application digitally. Create a developer account on android market website and upload the application. There is a user friendly developer console available for this.