Android Studio

On Google IO 2013, Google introduced Android Studio, based on IntelliJ IDEA, a new tool for Android developers. I liked it. Since it was a preview version, Google noted:

Caution: Android Studio is currently available as an early access preview. Several features are either incomplete or not yet implemented and you may encounter bugs. If you are not comfortable using an unfinished product, you may want to instead download (or continue to use) the ADT Bundle (Eclipse with the ADT Plugin).

As soon it posted on developer.android.com, I downloaded and installed on three platforms: Ubuntu 13.04, Mac OS/X Lion 10.7.5 and Windows Vista. On Ubuntu 13.04 with OpenJDK 1.7, I got this error message:

'tool.jar' is not in Android Studio class path. Please ensure JAVA_HOME points to JDK rather than JRE.

I have no problem using Eclipse Juno (4.2.2) for Android development on this machine. Ran android-studio/bin/studio.sh at a terminal, there was a warning:

WARNING: You are launching the IDE using OpenJDK Java runtime. ITS KNOWN TO HAVE PERFORMANCE AND GRAPHICS ISSUES! SWITCH TO THE ORACLE(SUN) JDK BEFORE REPORTING PROBLEMS!

Downloaded and switched to Oracle (Sun) JDK from OpenJDK on Ubuntu 13.04 according to Hendré's blog, problem solved.

On Mac OS/X with Java 1.6.0_45, I got Android Studio ran immediately without hicup. After I made a new simple project to test, I could not load any Android Virtual Device. To work around, I opened Android Virtual Device Manager from Eclipse Juno to load the Android Application launched from Android Studio.

On Windows Vista with JRE 7 installed only, Nothing running after executed Android Studio (c:\android-studio\studio,exe) application. Tried to replaced Oracle JRE 7 with Oracle JDK 7, no luck. Solution: Added environment variable JAVA_HOME with value "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_21) to system variables. Further reading:

• Getting Started with Android Studio. Need to read this page thoroughly to save time.
• IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio FAQ. This FAQ is good.

How to fix run-time error: Could not find class 'winterwell.jtwitter.Twitter'

If you follow the Marakana Android Bootcamp Series 2012 Video Tutorials, you may get this run-time error when practice the sample application Yamba-1.

06-03 10:48:43.695: E/dalvikvm(274): Could not find class 'winterwell.jtwitter.Twitter', referenced from method com.marakana.yamba1.StatusActivity.onCreate
06-03 10:48:43.695: W/dalvikvm(274): VFY: unable to resolve new-instance 42 (Lwinterwell/jtwitter/Twitter;) in Lcom/marakana/yamba1/StatusActivity;
06-03 10:48:43.695: D/dalvikvm(274): VFY: replacing opcode 0x22 at 0x0045
06-03 10:48:43.695: D/dalvikvm(274): VFY: dead code 0x0047-0057 in Lcom/marakana/yamba1/StatusActivity;.onCreate (Landroid/os/Bundle;)V
06-03 10:48:43.955: D/dalvikvm(274): GC_EXTERNAL_ALLOC freed 794 objects / 58272 bytes in 127ms
06-03 10:48:44.184: D/AndroidRuntime(274): Shutting down VM
06-03 10:48:44.184: W/dalvikvm(274): threadid=1: thread exiting with uncaught exception (group=0x4001d800)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274): java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: winterwell.jtwitter.Twitter
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at com.marakana.yamba1.StatusActivity.onCreate(StatusActivity.java:43)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1047)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2627)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2679)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2300(ActivityThread.java:125)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2033)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:123)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4627)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:521)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:868)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:626)
06-03 10:48:44.194: E/AndroidRuntime(274):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

Looked back into the Yamba-1 folder, jtwitter-yamba.jar was there.

Solution:
Make a new folder called libs under Yamba-1 and move this external libary inside sub-folder libs

Credit:
Sven Rau  http://marakana.com/forums/android/learning_android_book/689.html#p1790

Android Programming Tutorial Videos

I would like to share some great videos about Android development.

Androidology by Android Developers
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD7C64411AF40DEA5&feature=plcp

Marakana: Android Bootcamp Series 2012 Video Tutorials
http://marakana.com/s/android_bootcamp_series_2012_video_tutorial,1017/index.html

Android Bootcamp Training by Marakana TechTV
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE953C0B85B50AB62&feature=plcp

Episodes of xtensivearts: Android Video Tutorials & Training
http://blip.tv/xtensivearts

TheNewBoston - Android Application Development by ChangingTheUnknown
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL34F010EEF9D45FB8

200 Videos Android Application Development
http://thenewboston.org/list.php?cat=6

mybringback Series: Android Basics
http://www.mybringback.com/series/android-basics/

mybringback Series: Android Basics
http://www.mybringback.com/series/android-finishing-touches/

Upgrade to Eclipse Indigo (3.7) from Eclipse Helios (3.6) on Ubuntu 11.04

I'm using Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers to develop Android applications on Ubuntu Linux 11.04. The latest version Eclipse in Ubuntu Software Center is Galileo (3.5). To install or upgrade new version of Eclipse IDE:
1. Download 64-bit Linux package from Eclipse.org. Please select the approriate version for your machine: Mac OS, MS Windows, 32-bit, 64-bit.
2. Extract the downloaded zip file: eclipse-jee-indigo-linux-gtk-x86_64.tar.gz
3. Rename Eclipse folder in my home directory to Eclipse-Helios
4. Move the Eclipse folder from Downloads directory to home folder.
5. Re-install ADT Plugin for Eclipse Indigo (3.7)
6. After Eclipse restart, check, and enjoy new version Eclipse

Getting Start with Android

Repost from old blog (Nov. 5, 2009) with some updates.

On the eve of the launch of Motorola Droid by Verizon Wireless, I started working on Android. I picked Android because its huge potential market. Second, I can utilized my current tools to develop mobile apps without spending more money. With this current economy, I need to save for the rainning days. I can use my existing Windows system to develop an Android app. On the other hand, I need to spend thousand dollar more to purchase a MacBook for iPhone development.

System Requirements (http://developer.android.com/sdk/requirements.html) need to install in order
1. First thing first, download and install JavaTM Platform, Standard Edition Development Kit (JDKTM) if it's not exist in your system. For Ubuntu Linux, using Ubuntu Software Center to install and configure Sun Java(TM) Development Kit 6 sun-java6-jdk package.
2. Download and extract Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers to your root (C:\) in Microsoft Windows or your home folder in Linux. For Ubuntu Linux, the current version in Software Center is not up to date and you may forgot to install other required development plug-ins like eclipse-pde, eclipse-jdt in addition to Eclipse Integrated Development Environment, so just download the latest version from Eclipse.org site and extract to your home folder.
3. Download and extract Android SDK to your root (C:\) in Microsoft Windows or your home folder in Linux.
Optional:
For Microsoft Windows, update system variables path=%path%;C:\android-sdk-windows\tools if necessary according to http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing.html
4. Download and configure ADT Plugin for Eclipse per instructions at http://developer.android.com/sdk/eclipse-adt.html#preparing
5. Adding SDK Components

Finally, working with the first simple sample project: "Hello, World" http://developer.android.com/guide/tutorials/hello-world.html