I am of the opinion that developing an Android app isn’t a very tough job when you have a clear understanding of the basics. If you are a first-time developer, do not eye to create magnum opus but focus upon building a small app so that you understand how it works. According to me, every app developer should aim to make his/her app simple and emphasis upon building something with an objective.
In this post, I will discuss how it can be implemented in few simple steps and throw light on the varied key nuances such as initial inception, ideation, uploading the app to the Play store.
• Ideation - Before initiating app development, you need a viable idea of what you aim to create. Learning becomes easier when you are working towards a project as it creates context and direction. Hence, the first step towards ideation is understanding what you aim to create. The focus should be on creating something that is simple, fun and interesting.
• Create a wireframe – After you have the app idea ready with you, create a basic wireframe for the app. Often used in web design, Wireframing refers to drawing a map of the individual screens, buttons, graphics that will be used such as logos, images, backgrounds, etc.
• Select your IDE and set it up – Choose your IDE, programming language and set up. Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software that offers everything one require to build an app. This provides the window where you feed your code. It will review, format and compile when it is being tested and published.
Android Studio and Java are one of the common ways to build Android apps. Google recommends its usage as it offers flexibility. When a gaming app is developed, Unity and C++ are most used.
• Grasping nitty-gritty of Java - You should know how the formatting looks like and be familiar with concepts like variables, classes and conditional statements. You can go through the Java tutorial series available online to brush up your knowledge
• Creating images – The next step should focus on acquiring the right images. Based on your wireframe, you should know what exactly you want to be put for display such as icons, logos and backgrounds. In this regard, Adobe Illustrator can be used.
• Building layout – Now, the layout should be created using the ‘designer’ in Android Studio. This tool allows dragging and dropping of the widgets based on the positioning on the page. You can take professional help if you lack the confidence to implement this step.
• Adding the code – For many writing the code is considered as a challenging task. When you understand the basics of Java and have the widgets in place, adding ‘onclick’ events is achievable. You don’t need to worry if the app is not fully complete. Focus upon setting the stage for basic functionalities like operations, variables, button clicks. It is key to test the working of the code you have built. This can be done by developing a ‘debug’ APK and installing it on your device.
• Publish your app - The next and final step encompasses publishing your app on Google Play store. Just sign your application and create a new APK (this installation file will be downloaded by the users).
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