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Android Build a Simple Android App (2014) Testing and Debugging Writing to the Log

Posted by Donald Beaudin
Donald Beaudin
4,461 Points

I don't know what to do now?

If some one could help that would be Great!!! Here's the '?' Challenge Task 1 of 2

"Inside the onCreate() method (after the setContentView() call), log the message "Activity created!" using the Log debug method (remember that it's just one letter). The 1st parameter should be "TreehouseActivity", but use the TAG variable instead of typing it out a second time. The 2nd parameter is the message."

com/teamtreehouse/TreehouseActivity.java 
package com.teamtreehouse;

public class TreehouseActivity extends Activity {

  public static final String TAG = "TreehouseActivity";

  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_treehouse);

  }
}

3 Answers

Rebecca Rich
PLUS
Rebecca Rich
Courses Plus Student 8,592 Points
Rebecca Rich
Rebecca Rich
Courses Plus Student 8,592 Points

Android has a built in API for logging outputs -- Log. Log has many different flavors, one of which is for debugging (you can filter your logs by these flavors). Logs have a tag and a message associated with them. The tag is usually used to identify the class or activity the log is located in and the message is a more verbose description of whatever it is you want to log.

In this case, we want the tag to be "TreehouseActivity" represented by the static String TAG. We want the message to be "Activity created!":

Log.d(TAG, "Activity created!");

or within the onCreate method:

@Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_treehouse);
    Log.d(TAG, "Activity created!");
  }

Hope this helps!

Here is a link with some more info about debug tags and other tag types: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/util/Log.html

Immanuel Tan
Immanuel Tan
2,214 Points
Immanuel Tan
Immanuel Tan
2,214 Points

Hi, Rebecca, why is the answer, not Log.d(TAG, msg: "Activity created!"); as shown in the video. I'm not sure why the msg: was taken out?

Rebecca Rich
PLUS
Rebecca Rich
Courses Plus Student 8,592 Points
Rebecca Rich
Rebecca Rich
Courses Plus Student 8,592 Points

Hi Immanuel,

The msg: portion is a lighter gray color. It is meant to be a hint or reminder from the IDE (in this case Android Studio) as to what the second argument of the method being called is. Notice in the documentation that the second argument for the Log.d is a String referred to as msg. You will see a similar hint for the tag.

“msg:” is not actually typed in the code and it’s visibility should be able to be controlled by the IDE settings.

Does this help?

Immanuel Tan
Immanuel Tan
2,214 Points
Immanuel Tan
Immanuel Tan
2,214 Points

Yes, thank you very much!! :D

mongst
mongst
10,841 Points
mongst
mongst
10,841 Points

Spoiler Alert:

package com.teamtreehouse;

public class TreehouseActivity extends Activity {

  public static final String TAG = "TreehouseActivity";

  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_treehouse);
    Log.d(TAG,"Activity created!");

  }
}