Understanding Android SDK Manager

The original SDK package you have downloaded includes only the SDK tools. The Android SDK is a separate tools, platforms and other components into packages you can download using the Android SDK Manager. To develop an Android app, you must have downloaded at least one Android platform and the latest SDK platform tools.

There are several different packages available for the Android SDK.ded at least one Android platform and the latest SDK platform tools. I will show you how to add Platforms and Packages.

First of all, launch the SDK Manager.

• If you are using Eclipse then go to Windows > Android SDK Manager
• On Windows, double-click the SDK Manager.exe file at the root of the Android SDK directory.
• On Mac or Linux, open a terminal and navigate to the tools/ directory in the Android SDK, then execute android sdk.

Once you open the SDK Manager, it will show you the below window.

Android SDK Manager

Here you can choose all the packages you want to download by selecting the checkboxes. Once you select all the packages you want to use, click on Install to downlaod and install the selected packages.

Easiest way to setup Android Development Environment

In my previous post I showed you how to set up an Android development environment using existing IDE. In this post I will show you how you can setup the Android development environment in easy way and start creating apps.

All you need to do is download the ADT Bundle that's it. The ADT Bundle is incorporated with all the things you required to start developing Android apps. It includes a version of the Eclipse IDE with build in Android Developer Tools generally called ADT.

After downloading the ADT Bundle which is a .zip file you need to install the SDK and Eclipse IDE. Follow the below steps to do so.

• Unpzip the ZIP file (named adt-bundle-.zip) and save it to an appropriate location, such as a "Android_Development" directory in your home directory.
• Then open the adt-bundle-/eclipse/ directory and click on eclipse.exe to launch eclipse.

Please keep in mind that Never ever try to shift any of the files or directories from the adt-bundle directory. If you do so, the ADT will not be able to locate the SDK and you will have to manually update the ADT from preferences.

Great! Now the IDE is already loaded with the Android Developer Tools plugin and the SDK is ready to go. In my next blog I will show how to develop your first Android app.