Installing the Android SDK (Mac)

The instructions for installing the Android SDK are here, but I found these a bit difficult to understand. I don't have much experience with Terminal, and there were other bits, so I went investigating. This is how I did it step-by-step. They might come in handy for someone else out there.

Download Eclipse

Check out the system requirements first. Then download from:

http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/

Installing the Android SDK

Download the Android SDK for your computer - in my case mac and unzip.

Next, you want to add the location of the SDKs primary tools directory to your systems PATH. First you have to set up a .bash_profile. Open Terminal and type (leave out the '>' in all cases): 

>ls -a

ls lists information about files - Look for a .bash_profile in the home folder. If there isn't one there type:

>touch .bash_profile

touch changes file timestamps. It will create a blank file if there is one does not exist.

>open -e .bash_profile

This will open TextEdit. In TextEdit type:

>export PATH=${PATH}:*your_sdk_dir*/tools 

*your_skd_dir* is the full path to the Android SDK folder, make sure to remove the * * in the path). An easy way to find this is to select the tools folder in the SDK file and use the command cmd-i. 'where' will give you the full path to the SDK folder. For example, if the android folder is in the eclipse folder on your Desktop, it would be: 

export PATH=${PATH}:/Users/Sharon/Desktop/eclipse/android-sdk-_r04-mac/tools 

Save your TextEdit file and quit. 

Android plugin for Eclipse.

Instructions on how to install this Android Development Tools (ADT) is here. The ADT is a custom plugin designed for building Android applications.

Following the same instructions from the ADT installation page, you have to modify your preferences in Eclipse to point to the Android SDK directory that you just installed.

a. In Eclipse, select Eclipse > Preferences.

b. Select Android from the left panel.

c. For the SDK Location in the main panel, click Browse and locate the Android SDK directory that you downloaded.

d. Click Apply, then OK.

Setting up the Build Target Names

This next step will give you access to the Build Target names for new Android projects. In order to do this, you will have to finish the installation in Eclipse:

a. Select Window > Android SDK and AVD Manager.

b. Navigate to Available Packages in the left panel.

c. Select the box for https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/repository/repository.xml in the main panel.

d. Next, Install Selected.

Android Emulator

Within the Android SDK and AVD Manager above or through the icon below in green, you can set up the Android Emulator.

a. Select Window > Android SDK and AVD Manager OR the device icon.

                                       

b. Select Virtual Devices from the left panel, then select New...

c. Fill in the information for your emulator, and Create AVD.

To test if this works select Start... from the Virtual Devices menu in the Android SDK and AVD Manager menu.

Or you can start it from Terminal by typing:

emulator -avd <avd_name>

where is the name that you have given your AVD. In this case:

emulator -avd my_avd

It can take a while to start up.

Finished! I hope these help any beginner to the Android developing scene.

Some useful links:

Index of the OS X Command line terminal.

The Google Groups for Android Beginners and Android Developers.

Time to Update!

I got my Interim Report finished well before exams. I did the annotated bibliography and moved on to what I have done so far in my FYP. This blog came in very handy for it! 

In it I discussed the methodology (empirical research and iterative design), and the overview of my completed work - benefits of mobile aids, the available platforms, designing for a mobile phone and my conclusions from my field work at Bunratty Folk Park. I discussed what I hoped to do in the future.

Then came exam time, and I focused on studying and getting on to Christmas holidays! Over the past few weeks I have been trying to get my head around setting up the Android Developer with Layar API and Wikitude API. The Android Developer's have a great community and tutorials. I would love to try and develop Layar or Wikitude for the iPhone, but Layar has recently been pulled from the App Store due to crashes. It is due to be re-released soon but I want to get in to developing as soon as possible. While the Wikitude iPhone community doesn't seem as strong as their Android community.