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Android Build a Simple Android App (2014) Creating the Screen Layout Getting to Know Our Tools

Jeanne Merle
Jeanne Merle
3,390 Points
Posted by Jeanne Merle
Jeanne Merle
3,390 Points

Why is it such a mess to install Android Development Environment, and it's so easy with XCode ??

I install ADE, but a lot of things are missing ... Why don't they provide them in the same time ? I install some packages, but errors are not understandable ... Android Studio provides emulators, but when I try to run them, it seems that some packages are missing : in that case, why listing these emulators ?? Why is it so messy ? What a waste of time and nerves !

Alvin Abia
Alvin Abia
Courses Plus Student 23,034 Points

I totally see where you're coming from. I've been spoiled by the Xcode IDE for a whole year before starting to learn how to develop with the Android Studio IDE. It took me a few days to get Android Studio functioning as I wanted it to, whereas Xcode took me a few hours at most.

I honestly believe it has to do with two things:

  • Android Studio is much much younger of an IDE than Xcode
  • The Android ecosystem is much vaster in variation in regards to device family/specs than iOS/OSX

Xcode provides all your emulators because there's a relatively small amount of devices you'd be developing for with their IDE (iMac, Macbook, iPhone, iPad, and now Apple Watch).

Android Studio does not because there's a much larger amount of devices you could be developing for with their IDE (Wearables, phones, TVs, tablets of multiple companies with different specs) and to provide every emulator would result in an absolutely terrible experience in regards to program size and load up time in my opinion.

All in all though, I do enjoy developing with both; just took me a little bit more time to set up Android Studio. Was wondering if you could post some of the error details your having, and I can try to help you resolve them as I probably encountered similar errors myself!

Good luck,

Alvin

2 Answers

Jeanne Merle
Jeanne Merle
3,390 Points
Jeanne Merle
Jeanne Merle
3,390 Points

Thank you Alvin. With the courses, I understand better every little fix or tip I have found on the web to make my AVD work (at last !). If Androïd was not used by 80% of smartphones users, I would not make so many efforts to learn it ...

Trevor Scannell
PLUS
Trevor Scannell
Courses Plus Student 1,460 Points
Trevor Scannell
Trevor Scannell
Courses Plus Student 1,460 Points

Yes trying to install the Android Studio is a complete disaster. It convinced me that learning Android development can't be worth it, if their software is so horrendous.