Do you plan to develop an app for your business? But lack of app development knowledge has become an obstacle. Do not worry, as we are sharing a detailed guide on how to develop an android app to help you out. It will help beginners like you to start developing an app. Besides, this guide will provide a proper direction and is straightforward to follow.
Things that you should consider before app development
Being a beginner, you need to consider some points before starting. You have to understand that the development of an app requires strategic planning. Contrarily, you may have to face some complications in the procedure. Hence, considering these points are vital.
- Acknowledge your goals of the app development
Acknowledging your goals is a fundamental part of the process. Chalking out your plan at the beginning of the process will help you to visualize your results. Also, you will know exactly what you want from your app.
- Comprehend your target audience
Now, you have to comprehend your target audience. When you will be in the process of developing your app, keep your audience in mind. It will help you to incorporate the specific features that your target audience wants. You have to be quite meticulous about the user experience.
- Spend time with your target users
Spending time with target users will bring you a lot of perks. It will help you to unravel their psychology as well as their requirements. To be specific, you will understand what they want in their mobile application. You have to work based on your research.
- Balance your business as well as your users
Sometimes there is a possibility that business drivers and real users are on different pages. Hence, during that time, you have to balance your business and your users. Thus, you will need various pieces of information like expert opinions, feasibility studies, and various other things. Gaining data from these studies will help you to balance between business and users.
- Discuss it early
If you intend to hire an Android app development company, then you must discuss your findings. It will help you to come up with the right decision. For instance, you will be able to discuss the compatibility of the app with different platforms. Besides, you can also discuss other factors such as content aggregation, scalability, security, and device optimization. To make your app successful, it is an essential step.
5 Steps that beginners should follow to develop an android app
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Learn the programming language
For android app development, you must learn Java and XML. These programming languages are a must. You must go through all the fundamentals like packages, objects, interfaces, inheritances, numbers & strings, and so on. Proper understanding of these languages will help you in the development of an android app.
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Download the android studio and set it up
Downloading the android studio is the primary step that you need to accomplish. It is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment). When it comes to language programming, it is one of the most significant IDE. Besides, it is the most extensively used IDE for Android development. It is the main User Interface where the android app developer does the coding. It also addresses the blunders and errors of the process.
Setting up the Android studio is the next step that you have to follow. Once the installation is performed, you have to take care of the setup. Before running this IDE, make sure that Java is installed in your system. It will ensure the perfect run of this IDE.
Next, you have to install the JDK (Java Development Kit) to make the Android studio interpret and compile the code.
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Begin the new project
Once you are ready with your samples, you have to visit the first page where the Android Studio loads. Choose the option of ‘Start A New Android Project.’ Then, enter the name of the app as well as the company domain. You will get the package as a compiled file, which we know as APK (Android Package File).
- Next, you have to upload the file to the Play Store.
- Choose the device type to develop the app.
- Choose the version. You must avoid using the latest version as many users might not have the updated or latest version.
- The next step is to select the look of the app. It is advised to keep the look simple.
- Give a name to the activity and the layout. Separate code is essential for layout activity, which will work with the code of main activity.
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Now create a real app
When you open the app, the directory tree should be on the left side. The folders and files of this app and the picture of a phone saying ‘Hello World,’ should be in the center. There will be a tab named ‘activity_main.xml’ on your display. You will find another XML file if you choose the Basic Activity at the beginning of your project.
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Add the code and run your app
It is the final step. Here you have to open the code MainActivity.java. This code will determine the behavior of your app. Now, you need to add a passage of code. You will find the word ‘import,’ which you have to click at the top of the page. After clicking, you will find a line ‘import android.widget.Button.
It will appear automatically. There will be a button in the content_main.xml menu. Click on the button and select ‘run app’ that you will find in the drop-down menu. It will allow your app to run. Thus, follow the steps to launch the android app.
Are there any benefits to Android app development?
Multiple benefits are waiting for you if you are planning to develop an Android app.
- Low investment
Compared to the application development of other OS, Android requires low investment. Besides, ROI (Return Of Investment) from android application development is relatively high. The software Development Kit comes free of cost, which saves a considerable amount of money.
- Integration is effortless
One of the impressive attributes of Android application development is that it is customizable. You can conduct the integration according to the necessity of your business.
- It is open source
Open source is a great advantage. It will ensure the licensing and the finest technology framework. Also, they are royalty-free. You can interact with the community without any issues.
We know that being a beginner in application development may seem a bit complicated for you. However, once you understand the process and everything that comes with it, it will become easier for you to develop an app.
Rushabh Patel is Founder and CEO of Siddhi InfoSoft, a web and mobile app development company focused on creating experiences that connect, perform & inspire. We believe in delivering perfect business solutions by adopting the latest.