The best android developers

The best Android developer tools for getting started

Android development relies on a number of different tools, whether you choose to go the “official” route or opt instead to use one of the countless other methods available.

In fact, with so many options to get started with, it can sometimes be difficult knowing which is best for you. Which tools are essential? What program do you use to start coding?

This post will break down the best Android developer tools, including the essential and the optional.

Android SDK

The first thing you’ll need to get started is the Android SDK. This is the “Software Development Kit” that contains all the libraries necessary for building Android apps. It also includes additional Android developer tools that can be used for debugging, compiling, and more.

Among these, the ADB shell is one of the most important Android developer tools. This is the Android Debug Bridge; a small command-line tool that can be used to monitor a device or virtual device while running your apps. You should also check out the new Jetpack Compose from the Jetpack suite of tools. This is a powerful interface creator that promises to save developers a lot of time as it progresses.

You won’t need to interact with the Android SDK directly, but make sure it is on your computer when you start programming. Make a note of the directory too, as most alternative IDEs and other tools you use will need to reference it.

To get hold of the SDK, you’ll need to download it directly from Google. The SDK comes packaged with Android Studio, which is the easiest way to grab it.

Android Studio

The most important piece of software for Android development is the “Integrated Development Environment,” or IDE. An IDE is essentially the program that you type your code into. It will then package that code as an APK file that can be installed on other Android devices. This makes IDEs the most essential Android developer tools.

The official IDE for Android development is Android Studio. This download also includes the Android SDK, an emulator, Android image files, and more. Everything is installed in a simple process, so you don’t need to download any additional files.

As the official Android development tool, this setup will support whatever ambitious ideas you might have for apps. This is also the one to learn if you have any interest in becoming a professional developer in the future.

Alternative Android development tools: IDEs

Using Android Studio with Java or Kotlin is not particularly beginner-friendly. Nor is this option well suited to 3D game development. For those reasons, you might prefer to use an alternative IDE from the selection below.

Unity and other game engines

Unity is an extremely powerful cross-platform game engine and IDE. It can be used for both 3D and 2D game development, or even building non-game apps. Unity is the most popular platform used by professional games developers on the Google Play Store.

Honorable mention for the best Android development tools should also go to Unreal. Unreal is another 3D game engine that is very popular for game development on PC. It isn’t as good as Unity at 2D development, however, and more fiddly to get to grips with.

You could alternatively choose a game-maker such as GameMaker: Studio, or Game Salad. These options are less flexible, but can still produce some impressive results with minimal coding. GameMaker: Studio, in particular, has been used to make some popular titles on Android. Game Salad is more of a learning tool, on the other hand.

Xamarin + Visual Studio

Xamarin is a tool that lets you build Android apps using Microsoft’s Visual Studio. Not only does this appeal to those that like the sounds of coding in C# rather than Java, but it also comes in extremely handy as a cross-platform tool, seeing as it can also build iOS and even Windows software.

Xamarin does nearly everything Android Studio does and builds authentically native apps. That said, it’s a little less convenient to access and use Java libraries, and updates arrive a little later on the platform. You can find out more here.

B4X from Anywhere Software is one of the lesser-known Android development tools but also one of my favorites. B4X is a suite of tools that can be used to create cross-platform apps using the BASIC programming language. Better yet, B4A – which is the Android developer tool – is now both free and open source!

BASIC is a particularly beginner-friendly language, which makes this a great choice for not only those with no experience using Java or Kotlin, but also those that want to get an idea out the door quickly.

App builders

If you want to know how to make Android apps without programming, the best Android developer tools are “app builders.” These offer basic app development features, letting you create interfaces and even access some native features. They’re often cross-platform too.

We wrote a whole guide to Android app makers that you can check out, but some good options to get started with are:

Advanced external Android development tools

Once you’re familiar with the fundamental Android developer tools, you may wish to explore some of the more advanced options that give you access to machine learning features, remote collaboration, and more.

GitHub

GitHub is a hosting service for Git repositories. This is an online tool used to share projects and keep track of multiple versions (called “forks”) of those projects when working in a team. It’s handy for backing up your work, for collaboration, and for finding code samples and tutorials you can work through.

For beginners, your exposure to GitHub will likely be limited to downloading sample projects that you can reverse engineer. If you ever work on a large app as a team though, this is a developer tool that you’ll need to become very familiar with. Unless the company you’re working with use Mercurial instead!

Firebase

Firebase is not one tool, but rather a whole suite of Android developer tools! This is Google’s suite of cloud services for mobile and web developers, and includes a range of services from monetization through AdMob, to safer authentication, to ML Kit (next on this list), to analytics. While beginner developers need not concern themselves with Firebase to begin with, it will almost certainly come in handy at some point once your projects start getting more ambitious. If you hit a roadblock and you need a new feature that relies on the cloud, check Freibase first! You can find an introduction here.

ML Kit

ML Kit is an Android developer tool that allows you to add machine learning functionality to your app from Google. That means adding things like computer vision and OCR without needing a giant budget and heaps of big data. Start with this simple tutorial.

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10 Best Android Books for App Development in 2021

Table of Contents

What is Android?

You must have heard of it – or perhaps having it in your hands right now! About 85% of the devices sold use Android as their OS.

Android is a popular mobile operating system developed by Google. Most of the popular phones like Samsung, Google Nexus, Sony Xperia are based on Android. Android is an open-source i.e.; the OS can be customized by developers depending on the handset.

Android is based on Linux Kernel. Android programs are written in Java using ASDK (Android Software Development Kit) and run through the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) optimized for mobile.

If you are preparing for an android interview, check out the top android interview questions with detailed answers.

Benefits and Features of Android

Android is one of the most widely used OS, and there are lots of applications that can be downloaded from the Google play store other than the built-in applications that come with the phone. Some features and benefits of Android are:

• Open source and free – easy for small businesses to develop their choice of apps
• Huge community and support
• Rich development environment
• Very cost-effective to develop apps
• Intuitive UI
• Wide connectivity options.
• Extensive support for media files format.
• Data storage using SQLite
• Resizable widgets
• Multi-touch and multitasking

How to Learn Android

Android development is easy and quick, and you can learn through training courses, videos, tutorials, and of course, good books! Though some claim that you can learn it in a month, we suggest you take time to sink-in the concepts step by step, apply what you read in a book or see in a tutorial to practice and follow the android developer website for documentation, updates, and support. Basic knowledge of Java is required for learning Android.

Best Android Books

We have selected the 10 best Android books that are updated for Android development in 2021. Let us see below.

1. Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide

This is a good book and reference guide for beginners, and even if you do have some experience, you will learn a lot of new stuff from this book. The book covers all essential concepts of Android from activity, threads, themes, views, fragments, network communication, etc. and not a single word of the book is extra. Every chapter, every paragraph opens up a world of new things for the reader.

Features:

• Detailed explanations of all the important concepts and APIs
• You should know the basics of Kotlin (for the newest edition), although the author covers some parts of it; the previous editions are based on Java
• A lot of practical examples are given which you can practice learning better
• The book is updated with the latest changes in Android studio and other tools
• The author maintains a good pace throughout the book

Rating: 4.6
Cost: Kindle: $24.10
Paperback: $23.75

You can buy this book here.

2. Headfirst Android Development

This is the best book for android development and for beginners as well as next-level programmers. You should know Java before you get on to this book. If you already have some idea about Android programming, you might feel the book to be a bit slow and repetitive, but it will be a great refresher for all that you already know. The author’s tone is funny and witty, with easy-to-understand explanations and code examples.

Features:

• Step by step approach.
• A lot of topics covered, although you never feel the burden because of the author’s approach.
• Great projects that introduce you to basics and prepare you for the next level.
• Hand-written annotations, spaces in between the texts of the book give a nice feel of proper coaching.
• Covers fundamentals in a detailed manner.
• A little verbose for those who are experienced.

Rating: 4.5
Cost : Kindle: $15.09
Paperback: $24.77

You can buy this book here.

3. Java Programming for Android Developers for Dummies

This is not a book where you will be spoon-fed with all the concepts. The author mentions a lot of terms and concepts and encourages you to read more about them through online content; for example, the android emulator and how you can run apps on it. That said, the author puts in a lot of effort to make learning Java and Android side by side with ease. If you already know Java, you can skip the introduction to Java as you might feel it to be very lengthy.

Features:

• Covers the basics of Java and Android.
• The author’s tone is witty and funny, making reading a delight.
• Some Java concepts are not explained in detail, and the author expects you to look for details from other sources.
• The book is well-organized and starts with the introduction of both Java and Android, and then explains how both work together by creating real-world apps.
• Emphasizes the importance of creating smaller code blocks in one place and reusing them at other places.

Rating: 4.5
Cost : Kindle: $18.39
Paperback: $19.99

You can buy this book here.

4. Android Application Development All-in-one for Dummies

A neat and well-structured book, Android for dummies, will certainly take your interest in Android to a much higher level. It is a beginner’s book, which takes you through all the core concepts. The author explains what is needed for you to know as a beginner developer, and doesn’t overload you with more information that you can understand.

Features:

• The book starts with the basics of Android, from emulator to Android studio; however, it expects you to have some prior programming language knowledge.
• A lot of tips, observations, and tricks on the sidebars and other places make the book interactive and interesting to read.
• The author makes you think about a problem and its possible approaches before giving the final answer. This helps readers think rather than just copy-pasting the code to make it work.
• Simple presentation, no verbosity, only fun, wit and information
• If you are new to software programming itself, this book might be tough to follow.

Rating: 4.4
Cost : Kindle: $20.79
Paperback: $23.78

You can buy this book here.

5. Android Programming: Pushing the Limits

This is your perfect companion if you already completed a few android projects and looking for more knowledge and complex projects. No verbosity, clear and concise content, this book explains all the features – even the latest ones, extremely well. If you want to explore your creativity and look for challenges, this is the book you must read and explore. Topics like threads, JUnit, performance tuning are covered in-depth along with other core concepts.

Features:

• A unique book that has the content you will not find in any other book.
• Good mix of basic and advanced concepts.
• The book doesn’t just explain what should be done but also explains why something is being done.
• The book guides you correctly on which topics are most important from the development perspective and how much you need to know about each topic.
• Fast-paced and loaded with basic as well as advanced level content.

Rating: 4.2
Cost : Kindle: $26.39
Paperback: $29.70

You can buy this book here.

6. GUI Design for Android Apps

This is a good book for those who want to learn Android from scratch. The Kindle version of this book is free, so for those who do not know what to expect or whether you want to learn Android or not, this book could be the starting point. The book is not detailed but covers all the important concepts for you to build simple android apps. There are many code samples, case studies, and tutorials that help you understand the UI design easily, which is otherwise a difficult task.

Features:

• Starts from very basic information about Android, readers should know Java and XML to fully appreciate the content.
• Builds a strong foundation for new Android developers.
• You can see the experience and expertise of the author through the code examples used in the book.
• If you already have some experience with android development, this book won’t be much useful.

Rating: 4.1
Cost: Kindle: $0.0
Paperback: $16.99

You can buy this book here.

7. The Busy Coder’s Guide to Advanced Android Development

This is an advanced level book, and you must be able to write simple apps and programs before you grab this book. It is a comprehensive guide and reference that you can keep in your workplace to refer to during your project work or use as a detailed material to learn advanced Android. The author not only talks about technical aspects but also mentions how Android first developed the best practices to follow and detailed code examples.

Features:

• Advanced book for professional android developers
• Book is well-structured and follows a step-by-step introduction of concepts one after the other
• A complete reference book with clear, concise example code and real-life apps
• If you buy the Kindle (digital) version, you get supplementary books that enhance your learning experience. The digital version is also regularly updated by the author, so its new and more accurate
• The book doesn’t cover any basics or introduction, and straightaway starts with more advanced topics
• The book additionally covers topics like NFC, dynamic fragments, creating list-based app widgets, etc.

Rating: 3.8
Cost :
Paperback: $47.96

You can buy this book here.

8. Professional Android

An amazing book for intermediate to expert level Android developers. This book covers all the best practices and understands the architecture, lifecycle, UI, and many more things about Android. The examples are simple yet powerful and explained very well. The hands-on approach followed in this book makes it stand out from the other books available in the market. You should know the basics of Java to learn from this book.

Features:

• A lot of projects covering all the new features of Android.
• A practical approach that helps you create real-world applications quickly.
• Vast information about Android Studio IDE and Kotlin.
• Includes firebase and google play services like google maps, location-based services, awareness API, and more.
• Covers data binding, job scheduler, architecture components in-depth.
• The book introduces some topics that are not covered in detail, so you can supplement your learning with online tutorials or blogs.

Rating: 3.7
Cost: Kindle: $26.39
Paperback: $26.54

You can buy this book here.

9. Android Design Patterns

Knowing design patterns for development in any language saves you a lot of time and effort and helps you build apps with best practices and cleaner code. This book attempts to do the same with the help of 58 different patterns. The book is divided into parts and slowly moves from phone app development, Android OS, Android fragmentation, antipatterns (indicating common mistakes), and finally, design patterns. Each chapter explains one pattern.

Features:

• Includes patterns for both mobile apps and tablet-specific apps.
• The book does not have any code but gives step by step instructions on how to use each design pattern.
• Well-explained tips and tricks on the correct and incorrect way of doing something.
• About 70 UI design patterns that include 58 patterns and 12 antipatterns.
• The book contains information about Android, iOS, and other mobile interfaces in-depth.
• The examples used in the book are from real-world applications that you can explore on your own too.
• Lots of useful pictures, demos, and discussions that make you curious to learn more about Android.

Rating: 3.5
Cost: Kindle: $22.50
Paperback: $36.05

You can buy this book here.

10. Beginning Android 4 Games Development

This is a nice primer for those who want to start developing games using the Android platform. It covers basic gaming fundamentals, basics of Android and Java; however, it is recommended to have some prior knowledge of Java before reading this book. The book gently introduces readers to the Android platform and moves towards creating a game engine, and developing 2D and 3D games using OpenGL ES and Canvas API.

Features:

• Even if you already have a basic idea about gaming, the book will be helpful as it provides useful insights about the peculiarities and pitfalls of the Android platform.
• The author leaves some portion of the code unexplained so that the reader can debug, test, and fill the gaps, which encourages self-learning.
• The book provides a thorough explanation of libGDX and gives external references for better learning.

Rating: 3.0
Cost: Kindle: $39.99
Paperback: $41.65

You can buy this book here.

Conclusion

You can start Android app development on Windows, Mac, or Linux and will need Java JDK5 or later and Android studio. Our list contains all types of books catering to beginners, intermediates, and experienced programmers. If you are just starting, «Android application development all-in-one for dummies» and «GUI design for android apps» will be the best books for you. If you are just looking for a quick, handy reference guide, «Android programming: The big nerd Ranch guide» or «The Busy Coder’s Guide to Advanced Android Development» should be your ideal choice. For advanced developers, «Android Programming: Pushing the limits» and «The Busy Coder’s Guide to Advanced Android Development» are some of the best books. Let us know which book you are going to start today!

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