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In this video we'll introduce the tools used for Android development!
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All right, we're ready to dive into Android.
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The name Android refers to different things.
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Besides a type of phone, it's specifically a collection of software components
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that run on phones, tablets, watches, TVs and other hardware.
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This software provides the operating environment to do
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everything from displaying text on a screen, to sending and
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receiving phone calls, to running apps like the one you are about to write.
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Making apps for Android requires a few free tools.
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They used to be a pain to set up, but it's much easier now.
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However, let me say one thing before we get started.
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Android is a rapidly evolving technology, and
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that means that our tools are constantly evolving too.
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So don't worry if your tools look a little different than mine.
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The stuff we learn in this project is important foundation stuff that won't ever
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change much, if at all.
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What's important is that you get comfortable working in a tool like we'll
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use here and with the basic concepts of creating an Android app.
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One more thing before we begin.
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If any minor changes or bugs pop up in these videos,
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then we'll add a visual callout like this.
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And then, I'll add some notes or
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screenshots to the teacher's notes below the video.
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So if you spot a difference, check the teacher's notes first and
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then let us know in the community.
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It's possible that bigger changes might occur too.
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And in that case, we'll still add a callout and notes, but
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we'll also record an updated video as soon as possible.
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So what exactly are we going to use?
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Let's take a brief tour and then we'll walk through the setup.
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First, we need a place to write code.
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We're going to use a tool called Android Studio,
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which is known as an Integrated Development Environment or IDE for short.
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Android Studio lets you write, build, and test your Android apps.
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We don't have to use Android Studio to write our code.
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But it is the recommended tool for development.
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So that's what we'll be using in these videos.
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When it comes time to test our apps,
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we're going to run them on something called an emulator.
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This is a version of Android that runs on our computers.
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However, the emulator doesn't specify anything about the device we would
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like to emulate.
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So for specifying things like screen size,
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we'll use an Android Virtual Device or AVD.
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Luckily, Android Studio includes a default virtual device and the emulator.
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So we should be ready to test right from the start.
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But if you want to learn more about the Android Emulator and virtual devices,
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check out the workshop linked in the teacher's notes below.
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Being able to use an emulator means that you don't even need an Android device
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to write and test Android apps.
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It helps, but you can get through this entire course and
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beyond using just the emulator.
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That's about it for now.
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In a moment, we'll walk through setting up our tools and
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creating our very first project.
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If you need help installing the tools, check out the teacher's notes below for
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some installation instructions to help get you started.
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I highly, highly recommend you follow along with these videos
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by installing the tools and writing your own code as I walk you through it.
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You will learn so much more by actually doing it, than just watching the videos.
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