Fool Proof way to setup Android development environment?

TheSetMiner

So I have tried to get setup with both eclipse and android studio but haven't quite got there with either of them after a couple of days trying.

For eclipse I downloaded the ADT bundle from google androids help site and unzipped this. Since then there has been some error whereby it is constantly asking for new updates but when I check for updates it tells me there are none? As a result, when I go to "create a new android application", it doesn't let me press the "next" button after naming it.

With android studio, I downloaded it again from googles help site but in this case it won't open at all. It tells me I need a 64 bit JDK, which I have. So I tried going into system properties > environmental variables and pointing it to the right place but to no avail.

Can anyone help with either of these issues? I had hoped it would be as simple as download and you're ready
Thanks for any help!

aperture_nuig

For Eclipse, were you checking for updates in the SDK manager or eclipse iteslf?

For Android Studio, is JAVA_HOME definitely pointing at a 64 bit JDK (not jre)?

TheSetMiner

aperture_nuig wrote: »

For Eclipse, were you checking for updates in the SDK manager or eclipse iteslf?

For Android Studio, is JAVA_HOME definitely pointing at a 64 bit JDK (not jre)?

for eclipse, when I checked for updates with eclipse under help>install new software it tells me it already installed all the listed software. So I tried the SDK manager and installed the tools as well as the 3 most recent API's and still it won't let me create an android application?

The exact error it gives me on opening eclipse is:

The Android SDK requires Android Developer Toolkit version 22.6.2 or above.

Current version is 22.3.2.v201310242005-887826

Please update ADT to the latest version.

The_B_Man

Are you using Windows?

If so, go to Start Menu, Android and Right click SDK Manager and Run as Administrator. Then install anything you need.
On linux, its wherever you installed the SDK, like /opt or /usr/bin.

Since the error is relation to the ADT version, it does seem like its more an IDE issue.
Are you using Eclipse Kepler? Perhaps you need to update to the latest Eclipse.

Atomic Pineapple

In Eclipse go to Help > Check for updates (rather than install new software) and let us know what it says

TheSetMiner

Thanks for the advice guys. Just figured this out thanks to stackexchange, however!

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/22524789/error-this-android-sdk-requires-android-developer-toolkit-version-22-6-1-or-abo

the top answer there did it!
It seems I was installing new software from the wrong url. This is the one that did it in the end: https://dl.google.com/eclipse/plugin/4.2

Thanks again. Glad I have eclipse up and running for android dev. at last.


On a side note, would anyone say that the Android studio is a better platform for beginner dev.? Is it worth my while trying to get that running too?

aperture_nuig

TheSetMiner wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys. Just figured this out thanks to stackexchange, however!

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/22524789/error-this-android-sdk-requires-android-developer-toolkit-version-22-6-1-or-abo

the top answer there did it!
It seems I was installing new software from the wrong url. This is the one that did it in the end: https://dl.google.com/eclipse/plugin/4.2

Thanks again. Glad I have eclipse up and running for android dev. at last.


On a side note, would anyone say that the Android studio is a better platform for beginner dev.? Is it worth my while trying to get that running too?

Good to see you got up and running. There is a long running debate over on reddit about which IDE is "better" (look at www.reddit.com/r/androiddev , lots of useful stuff over there) , generally speaking most tutorials on the web are written or recorded on eclipse, so when you are starting off it might be easier to understand tutorials when you can follow them screen by screen. Then, when you feel confident, you can try Android studio, which is in Beta at the minute but looks like 1.0 will be released at Google IO this year so it might get more focus after that in terms of tutorials and guides.

TheSetMiner

aperture_nuig wrote: »

Good to see you got up and running. There is a long running debate over on reddit about which IDE is "better" (look at www.reddit.com/r/androiddev , lots of useful stuff over there) , generally speaking most tutorials on the web are written or recorded on eclipse, so when you are starting off it might be easier to understand tutorials when you can follow them screen by screen. Then, when you feel confident, you can try Android studio, which is in Beta at the minute but looks like 1.0 will be released at Google IO this year so it might get more focus after that in terms of tutorials and guides.

Cheers for the advice. Great link that is to the reddit forum for android dev, some good threads in there by the look of it.

Had thought eclipse would be the better option initially alright so I am going to go with that.

You've mentioned Youtube tutorials, is that how you advise starting out? I have an android phone so will be using that to test my code and I was thinking about taking things on a project-by-project basis, starting off with basic hello world apps and working my way to more complex ones.