100 tips, tricks and resources for mastering Android Studio as an Android developer
Introduction to 100 tips, tricks and resources for mastering Android Studio as an Android developer
Android Studio is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Android app development. Built on JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA software, Android Studio provides excellent tools for building, testing, and debugging Android apps.
1. Use Live Templates – Live templates allow you to quickly insert code snippets by typing abbreviations. Android Studio has many built-in live templates for Java and Android code. You can also create custom templates.
2. Customize Quick Documentation – Quick Documentation (Ctrl+Q) shows information about the code where your cursor is located. Customize it in Preferences > Editor > General > Quick Documentation to suit your needs.
3. Enable Code Completion – Code completion suggests variable, method names and parameters as you type. Enable it in Preferences > Editor > General > Code Completion.
4. Rearrange Tool Windows – Drag and drop to rearrange or detach tool windows like Project, Structure, Favorites etc. Customize your workspace.
5. Enable Keyboard Shortcuts – Learn the keyboard shortcuts in Preferences > Keymap. Customize them to optimize your workflow.
6. Install Plugins – Plugins extend Android Studio's functionality. Some useful plugins are Grep Console, Key Promoter X, etc. Search plugins in Preferences > Plugins.
7. Use Emmet for Faster Coding – Emmet lets you type abbreviations that expand into full code snippets. Great for faster XML layout coding.
8. Customize File Templates – When creating a new file, start with a template. Customize file templates in Preferences > Editor > File and Code Templates.
9. Create File Templates – Save code snippets as file templates to reuse. Useful for commonly used classes and layouts.
10. Use Parameter Hints – View method parameters as you type in the editor with Parameter Hints (Preferences > Editor > General > Show parameter name hints).
11. Generate Code – Quickly generate boilerplate code like constructors, getters/setters, overrides and more using Code > Generate.
12. Override Methods – Implement methods from superclass or implemented interfaces easily using Code > Override Methods.
13. Implement Methods – Quickly implement abstract methods from a superclass using Code > Implement Methods.
14. GeneratetoString() – Easily generate toString() methods using Code > Generate > toString(). Customize formatting.
15. Find Usages – Check usage of classes, methods or variables across project with Edit > Find > Find Usages.
16. Recent Files/Locations – Quickly navigate to recently viewed files/locations using View > Recent Files and Navigate > Recent Locations.
17. Open Class Hierarchy – View class hierarchy for extended classes and subclassed using Navigate > Type Hierarchy.
18. Parameter Info – View method parameters and docs without leaving editor using View > Parameter Info.
19. Documentation Lookup – View external documentation for classes and methods using View > Quick Documentation.
20. See Markdown Previews – Preview Markdown files inline with the editor using the Markdown plugin.
21. Refactor Code Safely – Easily rename, extract methods/variables, move classes etc. with Refactor menu options.
22. Run & Debug on Emulators – Set up emulators for debugging using AVD Manager. Debug seamlessly from IDE.
23. Deploy on Multiple Devices – Run and test your app directly on connected physical devices from the IDE.
24. Run Apps on Editor Tabs – Assign specific app modules to editor tabs for quick repeated runs during testing.
25. Debug with Breakpoints – Set breakpoints and step through code line-by-line to analyze execution flow and debug.
26. Evaluate Expressions – Check variable values during debugging using the Evaluate window (Alt+F8) without stopping code execution.
27. View Logs in Logcat – Monitor Logcat output for debugging messages and exceptions from your running app.
28. Historical Debug Snapshots – Revisit previous app state during debugging with snapshots in the Debug window.
29. Hotswap Code – Push code changes instantly to debugged apps without rebuilds using Hotswap.
30. Remote Debug on Hardware – Debug apps running on remote hardware devices from your IDE over USB or WiFi.
31. CPU/Memory Profiling – Profile and improve app performance using the built-in CPU and memory profilers.
32. Network Profiling – Inspect network requests made by your app using the network profiler.
33. Generate UI Code – Quickly generate layout XML and corresponding activity code from designer using Tools > Layout Inspector.
34. UI Design with Palette – Build layouts faster by dragging and dropping UI elements from the Palette pane onto Design view.
35. Design Across API Levels – Visually design layouts for different API levels using the Design view toolbar's API level selector.
36. Export Layout As PNG – Export layout previews as PNG files for mockups using File > Export Selected Layout As Image.
37. Multi-screen Previews – Preview layouts for tablets, foldables and TVs with the multi-screen preview toolbar in the Design view.
38. Add Image Assets – Import vector and bitmap images into res folders as image assets directly from the Project pane context menu.
39. Manage App Resources – View, edit and manage app resources like images, strings, colors etc easily in the Resource Manager.
40. Localize String Resources – Translate string resources into different languages from the translations editor.
41. RTL Language Support – Preview and build layouts for right-to-left languages like Arabic in the IDE.
42. Import Google Maps – Quickly integrate Google Maps into your app with the Google Maps Activity template.
43. Firebase Integration – Easily integrate Firebase services like Analytics, Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging etc.
44. Attach GitHub – Host and manage Android Studio projects on GitHub. Enable VCS and attach repositories.
45. Multi-module Projects – Structure large codebases as multi-module projects for easier management and builds.
46. Dependency Management – Declare, manage and update app dependencies with Gradle and Maven integration in project structure.
47. Build Variants – Use build types and product flavors to generate different APK build variants for debugging, QA, release etc.
48. Gradle Build Customization – Customize, configure, and control app builds by editing the Gradle build script.
49. File Structure View – Quickly navigate and jump between files in the Project view by logical groups and not just folder structure.
50. Code Search Across Project – Search across project files easily for symbols, strings, regex patterns etc. using Find in Path (Ctrl+Shift+F).
51. Compare File Revisions – Diff file revisions to compare code changes between Git commits in the editor with VCS > Git > Compare with Same Repository Version.
52. Code Inspection – Write better code following Android standards and best practices with real-time code analysis and lint inspection.
53. Quick Fixes – Apply quick fixes and code cleanup suggestions from inspections using Alt+Enter lightbulbs.
54. Save Actions – Automate code cleanup with Inspector actions to run on save (Preferences > Editor > Inspections > Save actions on save).
55. Annotate Code – Review authorship and revision history for files line-by-line with annotations using VCS > Git > Annotate.
56. Version Control System – Manage and track code history seamlessly with full Git and other VCS integration.
57. Commit & Push Changes – Review, stage and commit code changes to VCS repositories directly from the IDE.
58. Pull Changes – Keep code updated by pulling latest changes from remote VCS repositories. Resolve merge conflicts from IDE.
59. Blame Tool – See who last modified each line of a file and why with VCS > Git > Blame.
60. Log Viewer – Visualize Git commit history within the IDE in the Log tab of the Version Control tool window.
61. Stash Changes – Temporarily stash away code changes to pull, commit or switch context using VCS > Git > Stash Changes.
62. Undo Local Changes – Discard uncommitted local code changes easily via Local History > Revert. Better than using reset or checkout commands.
63. Run Gradle Tasks – Run app build tasks and Gradle commands from the Gradle tool window.
64. Gradle Wrapper – Use the gradle wrapper to ensure builds use the right Gradle version and avoid environment issues.
65. Offline Mode – Enable offline mode to continue working when disconnected from VCS repositories and remote services.
66. Command Line Tools – Open integrated command line terminals for Git, Gradle, Bash, Docker, etc. to run text-based tools.
67. Terminal Tabs – Open multiple terminal tabs for working with different command line tools side-by-side.
68. Run Shell Scripts – Write and execute shell scripts for automating tasks without leaving the IDE.
69. Build & Run from Terminal – Use command line tools to build, run, test the app without the IDE interface.
71. Customizable Keymap – Tailor keyboard shortcuts to your preferences using Preferences > Keymap. Save custom schemes.
72. Extend Selection (Ctrl+W) – Quickly select and expand code blocks with Ctrl+W without precisely highlighting.
73. Recent Files (Ctrl+E) – Quickly reopen recently edited files with Ctrl+E instead of browsing recents.
74. Open Symbol (Alt+Cmd+O) – Jump directly to class/method declarations or implementations across project with Alt+Cmd+O.
75. Navigate to Class (Cmd+O) – Quickly jump directly to any class file in the project using Cmd+O.
76. Parameter Info (Cmd+P) – View method parameter info without leaving the editor using Cmd+P.
77. Quick Definition (Ctrl+Shift+I) – View brief definitions inline without leaving code context using Ctrl+Shift+I.
78. Transpose Characters – Quickly transpose characters around cursor with Editor > General > Transpose. No need to cut/paste.
79. Auto Import – Automatically add import statements for unresolved classes on the fly as you code.
80. Optimize Imports (Ctrl+Alt+O) – Reorganize imports to remove unused imports and club similar imports with Ctrl+Alt+O.
81. Folding (Ctrl + +/-) – Fold/collapse code blocks like methods, classes, etc. to hide boilerplate and focus using Ctrl + +/-.
82. Bookmarks – Bookmark lines in code with F11 and navigate across bookmarks with F11/Shift+F11. No need to scroll around.
83. Split Editor – Split editor into two panes to view and edit two locations in the same file side-by-side.
84. Zen Mode (Esc twice) – Enter distraction-free Zen mode by hiding all toolbars with Esc pressed twice.
85. Postfix Completion – Simplify coding with postfix code completion like .if to generate if blocks after variables.
86. Smart Type Completion (Ctrl+Shift+Space) – Use Ctrl+Shift+Space to insert code smarter than basic completion.
87. Inner Classes – Easily create, manage and navigate between inner classes in Android Studio.
88. Scratch Files – Use scratch files to jot down temporary code snippets and notes without creating physical files.
89. File Structure Popup (Cmd + F12) – Get a class/file structural overview popup with Cmd + F12 instead of navigating the tree view.
90. Simulate Code Block Execution – Step through method logic visually to analyze execution flow with Debug Tool window > Smart Step Into (Shift+F7).
91. Evaluate Conditionals – Quickly evaluate conditional expressions during debugging without running code via Alt+F8 Evaluator.
92. Force Step Into – Skip stepping over boilerplate code like getters/setters with Force Step Into (Alt+Shift+F7). Directly step into relevant code.
93. Hotswap Changes – Push UI tweaks and some code changes instantly without rebuilds using Debugger > Hotswap Changes.
94. Save Snapshots – Save debugging state snapshots to revisit old app states using Debug > Save Current Stack to Snapshot.
95. Memory View – Diagnose memory leaks by analyzing memory allocations with the Memory view.
96. CPU Recording – Profile CPU usage with method-level granularity to identify and fix bottlenecks.
97. Database Inspector – Inspect SQLite databases used by app during debugging via View > Tool Windows > Database.
98. HProf Viewer – Visualize and analyze memory heap dumps generated with HPROF in the IDE with Tools > HPROF Viewer.
99. External Tools – Integrate and run external command line tools, task runners, linters, etc. right from within the IDE.
100. Deployment Tools – Easily build and deploy Android app bundles (AABs) and APKs using the built-in Artifact Repository.
Conclusion on 100 tips, tricks and resources for mastering Android Studio as an Android developer
In conclusion, mastering Android Studio as an Android developer requires a combination of knowledge, efficiency, and creativity. The extensive list of 100 tips, tricks, and resources provided here serves as a valuable guide to harnessing the full potential of this powerful integrated development environment. By leveraging the various tools, shortcuts, and plugins available, developers can significantly enhance their productivity, code quality, and debugging proficiency.
Android Studio offers a rich array of features designed to streamline the app development process. From customizing the IDE to suit individual preferences, to effectively navigating code, handling version control, and utilizing debugging and profiling tools, each aspect contributes to an elevated development experience. The ability to optimize Gradle builds, manage resources, and seamlessly integrate with Firebase and Google Maps further empowers developers to create robust and feature-rich Android applications.
In addition to the technical aspects, the guide also emphasizes the significance of a well-organized workspace, promoting a clutter-free environment that fosters focus and creativity. Leveraging code snippets, live templates, and custom file templates contributes to a more efficient and consistent coding practice, while debugging tools like hotswap and snapshots facilitate swift iteration and error resolution.
By mastering these tips and tricks, Android developers can elevate their skill set and build better Android applications with confidence. Continuously exploring and adopting new techniques will ensure developers stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving Android ecosystem. As the Android platform advances, Android Studio remains an invaluable ally in shaping the future of mobile app development. Embracing its capabilities will undoubtedly propel developers towards becoming proficient, resourceful, and successful creators in the Android world.