How to compile for Android Emulator

Hari Mahesh

Compiling an Android application involves several steps, from configuring a development environment and an emulator to test the application. In this article, we will go through the process of compiling an application to run in an Android emulator.

Step 1: Setting up Development Environment

The initial step is to set up the development environment. There are several steps involved in this.

Let us go through each one.

Install Android Studio

Android Studio is the official Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for developing Android applications. Using Android Studio, we can develop applications that support different form factors, such as mobile, tablets, and watches. Android Studio includes everything you need to build Android apps, including Android Emulator.

• Download Android Studio: Go to the Android Studio download page on the Android Developer website and download the latest version based on your operating system.
• Install Android Studio: Follow the installation instructions based on your OS. During the installation process, please ensure you have selected Android Emulator and Android SDK to be installed.
• Initial Configuration: Once the installation is complete, Launch Android Studio and follow the setup wizard to configure the IDE. This includes setting up the Android SDK, the Emulator, and any additional components that may be required.

Configure the Android SDK

The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) helps compile and run applications. Let’s see how to do that.

• Open SDK Manager: In Android Studio, go to Tools > SDK Manager.
• Install SDK Platforms: Ensure that you have installed the necessary SDK platforms for the versions of Android you intend to support. Keep in mind to install the latest stable versions.
• Install SDK Tools: Navigate to the ‘SDK Tools’ tab and install essential tools such as Android SDK Build-Tools, Android Emulator, and Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM).

Step 2: Creating an Android Project

We have completed the initial configuration of the environment. The next step is to create the project and build the application.

Start a New Project

• Open Android Studio: If not already open, launch Android Studio.
• Create a New Project: Select File > New > New Project.
• Configure Your Project:
  • Name: Enter a name for your application.
  • Package name: Define a unique package name.
  • Save location: Choose a directory to save your project.
  • Language: Choose a programming language (Java or Kotlin).
  • Minimum API Level: Select the minimum API level your app will support. This determines the lowest version of Android your app can run on.
• Select Project Template: Choose a project template based on your needs (e.g., Empty Activity, Basic Activity).
• Finish: Click Finish to create the project.

Project Structure

Familiarize yourself with the project structure:

• app/src/main/java: Contains your source code.
• app/src/main/res: Contains your resources such as layouts, strings, and images.
• app/build.gradle: Builds configuration file for your app module.
• build.gradle (Project): Builds configuration file for the entire project.

Step 3: Configuring the Android Emulator

Our next step would be creating an Emulator so that we can test the application that we built.

Create an Emulator

• AVD Manager: Open the Android Virtual Device (AVD) Manager by going to Tools > AVD Manager.
• Create Virtual Device: Click on Create Virtual Device.
• Choose Device: Select a device from the list (e.g., Pixel 4).
• Select System Image: Choose a system image to run on the emulator. You can select based on API level and hardware architecture. Download the necessary system image if it’s not already installed.
• Configure AVD: Name your AVD, set up orientation, memory, and other settings as needed.
• Finish: Click Finish to create the AVD.

Step 4: Launch the Emulator

There are two ways to launch/start the emulators, the first way is through AVD Manager:

Launch through AVD Manager

1. Start AVD: In the AVD Manager, click the play button next to the virtual device you just created to launch the emulator.
2. Verify: Ensure the emulator starts up and boots into the Android operating system.

Starting Emulator from Terminal

We can also start the Emulator from the terminal. Let’s see how we can do that.

• Setting Up Environment Variables: Ensure that the ANDROID_HOME environment variable is set to the location of your Android SDK. Also, add the SDK’s tools and platform-tools directories to your PATH.

  # Example for macOS/Linux
  export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Library/Android/sdk
  export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/tools:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
  
  # Example for Windows
  set ANDROID_HOME=C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk
  set PATH=%PATH%;%ANDROID_HOME%\tools;%ANDROID_HOME%\platform-tools%

• Listing Available AVDs: To list all available AVDs, use the following command: $ emulator -list-avds
• Starting an Emulator: To start an emulator, use the following command, replacing <avd_name> with the name of your AVD: $ emulator -avd <avd_name>

Common Emulator Commands

• Starting Emulator with GPU Acceleration: This can improve performance. $ emulator -avd <avd_name> -gpu on
• Wiping User Data: Sometimes, you might need to wipe the AVD’s user data. $ emulator -avd <avd_name> -wipe-data
• Running Emulator in Headless Mode: Useful for CI/CD pipelines. $ emulator -avd <avd_name> -no-window

Step 5: Compiling Your Application

To compile your application for an Android emulator, you typically need to set up your development environment correctly and ensure you have the appropriate ABI (Application Binary Interface) specified.

Here is an example of how to set the APP_ABI option in your Application.mk file. The Application.mk file is typically located in the jni directory of your Android NDK project.

• Open your Application.mk file in a text editor.
• Set APP_ABI in Application.mk: Add or modify the APP_ABI line to include the ABI for the Android emulator. Common ABIs for Android emulators are x86 and x86_64. Example: APP_ABI := x86 x86_64.
• Compile using ndk-build: Open a terminal and navigate to your project directory, then run the following command: ndk-build. This will build your native code for the specified ABIs.
• Build the APK using Gradle: After building the native code, you need to build the APK. You can do this with Gradle. Navigate to your project directory and run: ./gradlew assembleDebug. This command will compile your application and produce an APK suitable for the emulator.
• Run the application on the emulator: Once the APK is built, you can install it on the emulator using adb: adb install -r path/to/your/app-debug.apk. Make sure your emulator is running before you execute the install command.

By following these steps, you should be able to compile and run your application on an Android emulator successfully.

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Using testRigor, you can test mobile applications on real devices and emulators. There are many free Andoird Emulators available in the market, so read this article to know more about them: Using Free Android Emulator to Test Apps and Websites.

Though there are many Android Emulators available in the market, to know the leading Android Emulators, read this article – The 9 Leading Android Emulators for PCs in 2024.

With testRigor, you can test on multiple devices in parallel, thereby covering a large number of devices in a short time. If you want to know How to Generate a File for testRigor iOS Simulators, this article might help.

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Conclusion

Compiling for the Android Emulator involves essential steps, from setting up your development environment to building and running the project on the emulator. This process is streamlined by Android Studio’s robust tools, but understanding the underlying steps, especially command-line operations, can enhance your development and testing workflow.

Incorporating tools like testRigor can significantly improve your testing process further. testRigor offers a platform for automated end-to-end testing, allowing you to write tests in plain English, which makes it accessible even for those without extensive programming knowledge. This combination of thorough compilation and testing strategies ensures a reliable and high-quality Android application.

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