Android Studio Setup

This guide will help you set up your Android development environment. We'll install Android Studio and configure it for the MediLink project.

Installing Android Studio

  1. Download Android Studio

  2. Install Android Studio

    • Windows: Run the downloaded .exe file
    • macOS: Open the .dmg file and drag Android Studio to Applications
    • Linux: Extract the downloaded file and run studio.sh

Note: Make sure you have at least 8GB of RAM and 8GB of free disk space.

First Launch Setup

  1. Welcome Screen

    • Click "Next" to start the setup wizard
    • Choose "Standard" installation type
    • Select your UI theme (Light or Dark)

  2. SDK Components

    • Android SDK
    • Android SDK Platform
    • Android Virtual Device (AVD)

Tip: The download might take some time depending on your internet connection.

Creating Your First Project

  1. New Project

    • Click "New Project"
    • Select "Empty Activity"
    • Click "Next"

  2. Configure Project

    Name: MediLink
Package name: com.example.medilink
Save location: Choose your preferred location
Language: Kotlin
Minimum SDK: API 24 (Android 7.0)

  3. Project Structure

    app/
├── manifests/
├── java/
│   └── com.example.medilink/
│       ├── MainActivity.kt
│       └── ui/
└── res/
    ├── drawable/
    ├── layout/
    ├── mipmap/
    └── values/

Configuring Gradle

  1. Project-level build.gradle

    buildscript {
    ext {
        compose_version = '1.4.0'
        kotlin_version = '1.8.0'
    }
}

  2. App-level build.gradle

    plugins {
    id 'com.android.application'
    id 'kotlin-android'
}

android {
    compileSdk 33

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.example.medilink"
        minSdk 24
        targetSdk 33
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
    }
}

dependencies {
    implementation "androidx.compose.ui:ui:$compose_version"
    implementation "androidx.compose.material:material:$compose_version"
    implementation "androidx.compose.ui:ui-tooling-preview:$compose_version"
    implementation "androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-viewmodel-compose:2.6.1"
    implementation "androidx.navigation:navigation-compose:2.5.3"
}

Setting Up Git

  1. Initialize Git Repository

    git init

  2. Create .gitignore

    *.iml
.gradle
/local.properties
/.idea
/build
/captures
.externalNativeBuild
.cxx

  3. Initial Commit

    git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit: Project setup"

Testing Your Setup

  1. Create an Android Virtual Device (AVD)

    • Click "Tools" > "Device Manager"
    • Click "Create Virtual Device"
    • Select a phone definition (e.g., Pixel 4)
    • Download and select a system image (e.g., API 33)
    • Complete the AVD creation

  2. Run the App

    • Click the "Run" button (green play icon)
    • Select your AVD
    • Wait for the app to build and launch

Warning: The first build might take several minutes as Gradle downloads dependencies.

Next Steps

  1. Learn Kotlin Basics
  2. Understand Android Project Structure
  3. Start with Jetpack Compose

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

  1. Gradle Sync Failed

    • Check internet connection
    • Update Android Studio
    • Invalidate caches (File > Invalidate Caches)

  2. Emulator Not Starting

    • Enable virtualization in BIOS
    • Update graphics drivers
    • Try a different system image

  3. Build Errors

    • Clean project (Build > Clean Project)
    • Rebuild project (Build > Rebuild Project)
    • Check SDK installation

Tip: Keep Android Studio and SDK tools updated for the best development experience.