Introduction

Creating a new project in Android Studio is one of the common routines, one would go through when starting to develop an android application. Android applications are written in Java using different the Java API and other android libraries added by Google. They can also be written in Kotlin programming language, which is simplistic in style, thus applications written in Kotlin use far less code than those in Java.

This tutorial is just a quick review to those who are new to Android Application development using Android Studio. I am using Android Studio Chipmunk, so the instructional windows shown may be a little different depending on the version you are using. The process is as follows;

Step 1: Launch the New Project Wizard

Launching the new project wizard in Android Studio is as simple as:

i) Hovering over the File menu

ii) While at the File menu, follow the file menu path: New > New Project

iii) Then click on New Project to open the first page of the new project dialog shown below (remember, I am using the chipmunk version, thus the window view maybe different)

Step 2: Selecting the right project (activity) template

Project templates are basically ways of reducing the development time of your app. So, when you put them to use Android Studio will automatically create for you code for a particular template you have chosen. We have different templates for different device configurations:

• Phone and tablet
• Wear OS
• Android TV
• Automotive

The project template you select depends on the device for which you are developing the application. For every project activity you select, Android Studio will add commonly used features.

On scrolling down, the options on this page range form No Activity to Native C++. For example, it you were to choose the Google Maps Activity option, Android Studio would create for you a project with a basic activity that contains a Google Map in it already. This can drastically cut down on the amount of time needed to create some types of applications.

The default selected option is Empty Activity. This is the most useful for a basic activity, with no code in it. So we shall select this and then click Next to go to the next page of settings.

Step 3: Set the other necessary project parameters

i) Set the following project parameters:

• Name: This will be the name of the application
• Package name: This is the name of the package to which the main activity class to be created will belong. Packages are like containers that house a collection for classes. Using packages is just one of the ways of handling complexity in large programs and also avoiding name conflicts. Remember every class written in Java must belong to a particular package.
• Save Location: This is simply the path to hard drive where your project will be stored. Use the browse button to select the location.
• Language: This is the language you will use for development. Select either Java or Kotlin. For our case, we shall select Java.
• Minimum SDK: This option can be used to narrow the range of devices on which your application will run. Selecting higher SDK API number will result into a smaller range while selecting a smaller one, a wider range.

ii) Google currently recommends using the newer AppCompatActivity class library, in package androidx.appcompat.app but if you would want to use the old AppCompatActivity class library, in package android.support.v7.app, check the checkbox. Doing this will include the old library and not the newer one.

iii) Finally, click Finish to let Android studio complete the project setup. It takes some time, so you need to wait a little. Just please ensure that your internet is on before you click Finish. Its needed to download necessary packages but only once once. Building and running your application is possible without internet.

Conclusion