SELP: Debugging, AVDs and Manifests

Software Engineering Large Practical

Debugging Android Applications,working with Android Virtual Devices,

and Manifests

Stephen Gilmore

School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh

October 10th, 2012

Stephen Gilmore Software Engineering Large Practical

Eclipse DDMS perspective

The Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS) is a debugging tool forAndroid. It provides port-forwarding services and screen capture onthe device. It provides information about process, threads andheap usage. It contains the logcat console which allows us to seediagnostic error messages. It allows the developer to simulate theeffect of an incoming call or SMS, or to simulate setting thephone’s location.


DDMS perspective in Eclipse

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Set your location

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LogCat — a log of events on the phone

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File Explorer — see files on the phone

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Devices — see processes in the emulator

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Allocation tracker

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Creating an Android Virtual Device

An Android Virtual Device (AVD) is an emulator configurationwhich allows the developer to replicate the effect of having anactual Android device such as a phone or a tablet. The AVD allowsyou to specify hardware and software settings which will beemulated by the Android Emulator. When creating a new AVD youspecify the target API (i.e. a particular version of Android).


Creating an emulator

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Android Virtual Device (AVD) manager

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Create a new AVD (Click New...)

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Create new Android Virtual Device

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Starting the emulator

Having defined the type of AVD that we are interested in, we canstart one running and investigate the functions of our virtualdevice.


Start the new AVD

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Launch Options

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Emulator launches ...

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Emulator home page is displayed

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Click to display options

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Functions of the phone

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Developer tools

There are some tools on the device which are specifically there tohelp developers (API Demos and Dev Tools). The developer toolsallow us to see (for example) processes which are running on thephone.


Useful functions

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Developer Tools

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Running processes

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API demosThere are some tools on the device which are specifically there tohelp developers (API Demos and Dev Tools). Using these we canlearn about the Android API features such as auto-completion.


Useful functions

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API demos

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API demos

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API demos

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Auto-complete contacts

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Manifest filesEvery Android application must have an AndroidManifest.xml

file (with precisely that name) in its root directory. The manifestpresents essential information about the application to the Androidsystem, including information about intents which are messagessent to activities, services and broadcast receivers. The manifestalso specifies permissions which the application requests (such asthe permission to connect to paired Bluetooth devices) andlibraries that it needs.


Manifest files

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The manifest editor

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Adding extras

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Labels and icons

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Application nodes and intents

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Attributes for an action

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Add permissions

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Add instrumentation

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Source code view

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Source code tab

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Resources and strings

An Android application may need resources such as image files andstrings. A string resource provides text strings for the applicationwith optional text styling and formatting.


Resources and strings

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A String resource, app name

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Managing string resources

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Drawable resources

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Managing drawable resources

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Contents of app notes.png

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The icon in the launcher view

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Editing string resources

String resources can be edited using the Android Resources editor.


Application nodes

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Browsing

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Editing strings

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Updating a string

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Text in the XML view

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Updating a string in the Resources view

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The XML text is updated automatically

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Getting it wrong: editing the XML

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The bug shows up in the resources view

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Oh dear

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Android Eclipse issues

Working with hand-crafted and automatically-generated Java filescan be confusing. In particular we focus on errors involving theautomatically-generated R.java file.


Oh no, Java problems . . .

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“Layout cannot be resolved . . . ”

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R.java is generated so clean the project?

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No good. Delete R.java and try again?

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R.java is regenerated but errors remain

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Refresh the view?

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No good. What now?

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Close the project and reopen it?

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Reopening the project. Praying . . .

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Didn’t work :-( but look at this . . .

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Moving the folder fixes the problem :-)

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Moving the folder fixes the problem :-)

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SELP: Debugging, AVDs and Manifests

Education

Transcript of SELP: Debugging, AVDs and Manifests