Setting Up the Development Environment

Harry · 11 Sep 2026 · 9 views

What You Need

  1. The Android SDK - libraries, emulator and build tools.
  2. An IDE - Android Studio today; the Eclipse ADT plugin was the earlier standard shown in the classic screenshots.
  3. The Java Development Kit (JDK).

Install the SDK

Download the SDK archive and extract it to a tools directory. It brings the emulator, platform tools (adb) and API libraries.

Android SDK folder

Installing the Android SDK

Install ADT in Eclipse

In the classic flow you add the ADT plugin through Help > Install New Software, then point Eclipse at the SDK location.

Eclipse ADT install

Adding the ADT plugin

Eclipse IDE with Android tools

Create the AVD

An Android Virtual Device (AVD) emulates a phone so you can run apps without hardware.

Android Virtual Device setup

Key Points

  • SDK + IDE + JDK is the standard toolchain.
  • Modern Android Studio replaces the Eclipse/ADT workflow, but the SDK and emulator ideas are unchanged.
  • The AVD lets you test without a physical device.
Share this post:
Android Architecture Layers Your First Android App

Comments (0)

Please login or register to comment.