Downloading Developer Software

First, you need to download a few software tools—namely, the Android SDK, the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE), and the Android plug-in for Eclipse. There are many other tools a developer could use to make Android applications, but I’ve found that this setup has the fewest hassles and will get you up and running in the least amount of time.

The Android Software Development Kit

Head over to the Android Developers website at http://developer.android.com. You’ll become intimately familiar with these pages as you work on this platform. Once on the site, find the section labeled SDK and download the offered files with reckless abandon. On Windows, it’s best if you use the offered installer. For you Mac and Linux users, you’ll get a zip file. Set the appropriate files to downloading and move on while they finish.