Setting Up Android Eclipse Integrated Environment
Installing Android SDK
You can download the latest version of Android SDK from the official website, Android SDK Download. If you are installing the SDK on a Windows machine, you will find an installer_rXX windows.exe file. Simply download and run this exe, which will launch the Android SDK Tools installation wizard to guide you through the installation process. Follow the instructions to install the Android SDK Tools on your machine.
This tutorial assumes you will be installing the development environment on a Windows 7 operating system.
So, let's open the Android SDK Manager from the options, All Programs > Android SDK Tools > SDK Manager, which will pop up the following window:
Once the SDK Manager is open, you can start installing other necessary packages. By default, it will list seven packages that need to be installed, but it is recommended to uncheck the Android SDK Documentation and SDK Sample Code to reduce installation time. Next, click the Install button, which will display the following dialog:
If you agree to install these packages, select the "Accept All" radio button and click the "Install" button. Then, let the SDK Manager work on its own until all packages are installed. This may take some time, depending mainly on your network connection. When all packages are installed, close the SDK Manager using the button in the upper right corner.
Installing Eclipse IDE
All examples in this tutorial are written in Eclipse IDE. Therefore, it is recommended to install the latest version of Eclipse on your machine.
Download the latest Eclipse binary file for installation from https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/. Once the installation package is downloaded, extract it to a convenient location, such as C:\eclipse on Windows or /usr/local/eclipse on Linux, and set the appropriate PATH environment variable.
On a Windows machine, you can start Eclipse by executing the following command, or simply double-click eclipse.exe.
%C:\eclipse\eclipse.exe
$/usr/local/eclipse/eclipse
After successful installation, if everything goes smoothly, the following result will be displayed:
Installing Android Development Tools (ADT) Plugin
This step will help you install the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin for Eclipse. Open Eclipse, select "Help" > "Software Updates" > "Install New Software". This will display the following dialog:
Now, use the "Add" button to add the ADT plugin with the name and location filled in as https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/. Then, click "OK" to add this location. When you click "OK", Eclipse will start searching for plugins at the given location and eventually list the found plugins.
Click "Select All" to select all listed plugins and click the "Next" button to guide you through installing the ADT tools and other required plugins.
Creating an Android Virtual Device
If the AVD creation is successful, this means your Android application development environment is ready. If you wish, close the window using the button in the upper right corner. Finally, restart your computer. When you complete the last step, you are ready to develop your first Android example. But before that, we will look at some important concepts related to Android application development.