Ten essential tools for Android Development

1. Eclipse ADT
Although eclipse is not the only Java development environment that can be used to develop Android applications, it is currently the most popular tool, largely because of its low cost (free of charge ), but the main reason is its powerful combination with other android tools. The most typical manifestation is its combination with the android development tools (ADT) Plug-in (developers can download ADT from the android website ).

Eclipse

2. Android SDK and AVD Manager
This SDK provides a variety of important functions to manage different versions of Android SDK, as well as third-party attachments, tools, device drivers and files. The second function is to manage the android Virtual Device Configuration (AVD) used to install the simulator entity ).
The SDK and AVD Manager
3. Android debug bridge (ADB)
This tool can connect other tools to simulators and devices. In addition to making other tools (especially the eclipse ADT plug-in) take effect, it can also enable the command line to upload or download files, install or uninstall the package and access many other functions by entering the shell environment of the device or simulator.
4. Dalvik debug monitor server (ddms)
Whether you access ddms through an independent application or eclipse perspective, it provides convenient functions for checking, debugging, and interacting with simulators and device entities. Developers can use ddms to check running programs and threads, explore file systems, collect stack and other memory information, attach a debugger, or even capture videos. Through the simulator, developers can also simulate the status of receiving calls and sending SMS messages.

Dalvik debug monitor server

5. Android simulators and actual mobile devices
If you have created an application, you must test the device that you have locked. You can combine the simulator and AVD to simulate the running environment of the target mobile device. However, for more comprehensive testing, you still need a real mobile device, because although the simulator is powerful, however, it is not actually a mobile phone, and users cannot use simulators to run applications. Therefore, the actual mobile device is also an essential tool for testing.

The android emulator

6. logcat
Logcat is the name of the android log system. You can use eclipse and ADB to read logcat data, which can provide diagnostic information for related events in the system. The developer can send the debugging and diagnosis information of the application to logcat.
7. The hierarchy Viewer
Developers can access the hierarchy viewer through independent applications or eclipse perspective. It is used to view the UI layout of the program during running, A chart is provided to display the application layout and view level. The developer can determine the existence of the UI layout.

The hierarchy Viewer

8. Draw 9-patch
Draw 9-patch can help developers easily complete the graphic design of applications, this tool allows developers to convert traditional PNG image files into scalable image files that are more flexible and effective for mobile app development. This tool simplifies the creation of ninepatch files in a quick display environment.

Draw 9-patch

9. The monkey test tools
It includes the monkey test program and the monkeyrunner tool, which can be used to automatically test the application. The former can randomly send events to the application during the intensity test, while the latter can use the Python script to automatically test and check related results through screenshots to test the stability of the application.
10. proguard
It is an essential part of a typical Android Application development process. It provides developers with an effective method to protect their intellectual property rights after the product is released. Proguard obfuscators can be used to blur related information and replace important content with meaningless character sequences, making it difficult to reverse engineer. With proguard, you can get more streamlined files, which means that network transmission is more time-saving, loading is faster, and memory usage is smaller.
Summary
The android SDK contains a large number of other development tools, many of which are mainly used to develop special projects. The common tools listed above are applicable to each type of Android Application Development Project. Of course, new tools in this field will also be available frequently, so developers need to pay attention to the updates of AVD and SDK manager. The best development tool is from the android developer website. developers can download the latest sdks, source files, new tutorials, and technical analysis articles, and obtain the latest information through the android blog, I believe that the content of this website will benefit Android app developers.