How Do I Setup Android Application Development Environment At My Computer

Once the zip file has downloaded, it is time to begin setting up your files.

File setup

The first thing you want to do is to create the following directory folder on your root drive:

C:\Android

Find the two downloaded files SDK and Eclipse and extract their contents to the C:\Android directory. After both of the zip files have extracted to the Android directory, you need to create one more folder:

C:\Android\workspace

This is the folder you want to use as the location for saving all of your Eclipse projects. You should now have three folders in the Android directory: one for the Android SDK, one for Eclipse, and the workspace folder. Now locate the executable file for Eclipse. It will be located in the Eclipse folder in your Android directory:

C:\Android\eclipse\eclipse.exe

Double-click or run the file to load the program. Before the program fully loads, you will be asked to select a workspace. Browse to the workspace folder you previously created:

C:\Android\workspace

Click OK. The Eclipse IDE should load and you should see a welcome screen. At the top of the screen, click Help and select Install New Software. In the Work with field, paste one of the following addresses: https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse or http://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse

Click Add. In the middle of the screen, you should see Developer Tools appear. Expand it to see four sub-categories. Click Select All. Click Next.

The Install Details page will show you what you are about to install. Click Next.

Accept the license and click Finish. The software installation will begin. Give it some time to finish. After it is finished, you will be asked to restart Eclipse for the changes to take effect. Click Restart Now.

Eclipse will restart and ask you to select a workspace. Select the C:\Android\workspace and click OK. In the Eclipse interface, click on Window then Preferences. Click on the Android section on the left. Click Browse. Select your Android SDK folder. It is one of the three folders in the Android directory you created earlier. Click OK.

You are now be able to begin developing Android projects. To develop a new project in the Eclipse interface, simply go to File > New > Project. Select Android Project and you can start immediately.