Developing mobile apps for Android devices can be enormously lucrative. It can also be very frustrating, especially for beginners who lack the experience. Development projects are time consuming and complex. There is a staggering amount of work involved in bringing a new app to the Android marketplace, even if you take advantage of mobile app development software solutions such as Xamarin Development Software.
Here are some tips for newbies looking to get into the world of Android app development. It won’t be easy, but with some hard work and good breaks, you can make your journey a bit smoother.
Don’t Bite Off More than You Can Chew
The less experienced you are, the harder the task will be. For this reason, do not over-face yourself with a project that is so vast it scares you to death. Start small and work up to the bigger projects. Completing a small, but successful app will give you the confidence to start work on larger and more ambitious development projects.
Test on Real Devices
Emulators are really useful tools for app developers, but they are no substitute for testing on a real device. If you are developing Android apps, it helps to some devices to work with. If you do not have a box full of Android phones or tablets, borrow a few. The more devices you can test with, the quicker it will be. Besides, as good as emulators are, they don’t offer the same functionality as a device.
Use Online Resources
The internet is a lot like Alice in Wonderland: there is a rabbit hole on every page and if you are not careful, you will fall right in. For those of you who love to procrastinate, the internet is a dangerous place, but if you have a problem and you can’t find a solution, you are pretty much guaranteed to come across at least one person online who can provide assistance.
There is a wealth of resources online, plus plenty of people who are happy to help. Post your questions on forums and wait for someone more experienced to come along and offer assistance. There are a few trolls who like nothing better than to stir up trouble, but most people are genuine, so if you have spent a good hour trying to figure something out without success, look online for the answer.
Write Tidy Code
Writing tidy code is a good habit to get into. The more disorganized you are when writing code, the harder it will be to go back and make sense of what you have written. Use suitable naming conventions so you can easily identify what’s what. It will save you a lot of headaches further down the line and make it easier for other people to collaborate with you on your development project.
App development is a forever-moving field of play. Technology and devices change almost overnight, so it can be hard to keep up with what is happening. Despite this, developing Android apps is very exciting, so why not give it a go.