Today, Android has over 2.5 billion monthly active devices. The Android developers are using IDEs to build on Android using the latest features. Android Studio 3.6 released in February with a bunch of useful features. Google pushed Android Studio 4.0 with more convenient features & required fixes. The features it adds are:
Motion Editor
Build Speed Window
Live Layout Inspector
Layout Multi Preview
Kotlin DSL Script files
Smart Editor for R8 Rules
The user can download Android Studio 4.0 for Mac, Windows, and Linux from developer.android.com/studio. Here, the number 4.0 tells that it’s a significant release for anyone who wants to build apps and games for Android.
To offer a better understanding, we have broken down the features by categories. Such as Design, Develop, and Build. Moreover, the new version will help in improvements and bug fixes. Dive in to know more.
Android Studio 4.0 Design Features
1. Motion Editor
Motion Editor is the first feature that we’ll talk about. AndroidX has a subclass of ConstraintLayout called as MotionLayout. MotionLayout’s helps in animation between layout states. It creates transitions in XML to resolve problems. The new Motion Editor interface lets you create visual transitions in a MotionLayout. Check below the XML file where you don’t have to write code yourself.
2. Upgraded Layout Inspector
Layout Inspector is an essential tool that lets you see how your app laid out. Whether on-screen or along with different attributes. Layout Inspector expands on the old version using the improved feature. You can still access its simple view-tree inspection. Which includes features like live refreshing. Check the 3D representation of what’s on-screen.
3. Layout Validation
Users can create a layout using a built-in preview in Android Studio. Switching to different screen sizes and resolutions in the preview can bother you. With the Android Layout Validation view, you can look at a variety of different screen sizes. And the resolution in the preview. For getting started, the user needs to click on the Layout Validation tab in the top-right corner of IDE.
Android Studio 4.0 Develop Features
1. Smart Editor while writing rules for Code Shrinking
R8 introduce in Android plugin 3.4. It combines shrinking, desugaring, optimizing, and dexing. It results in noticeable build in performance improvements. While creating R8, Android studio provides a smart editor. It integrates Android projects to ensure full completion of class, methods, fields, and navigations.
2. CPU Profiler UI Upgrades
CPU profiler designed to have an abundant amount of data about app thread activity and trace recording. The recording spread from the main profiler timeline and organized in groups. One can move the group up and down within a group for extra customization. Google redesign system Trace UI that offers better visual distinction. It focuses on seeing data for threads you choose. With this significant decrease in error, rates reported by Google.
3. IntelliJ IDEA 2019.3 Platform Update
Android Studio IDE updated the improvement, which mainly focuses on performance and quality. The upgrades add IntelliJ IDEA 2019.3 and 2019.3.3 releases.
4. Clang Support for C++
Clang is a primary language analysis engine. It’s used for inspection, navigation, completion, and other warnings. The user finds bundle clang-tidy in Android Studio added by Google. One can configure Clangd by: Go to the IDE settings dialog> navigate to language and framework> C/C++ >Clangd and configure the options.
5. Kotlin Android Live Templates
The feature allows inserting standard code with typing simple keywords. The Android studio covers live templates for Kotlin code. Example type ‘toast’ and press insert key. The full live template list will show. Or navigate to Editor> Live Templates in the settings dialog.
Android Studio 4.0 Build Features
1. Build Analyzer
The outdated task can take longer build times which led to low productivity. The Build Analyzer feature will help the developer to understand the job. The highlighted plugin responsible for build time and suggests steps to mitigate regressions. Hire Android App Developer who has a better understanding of the platform.
2. Feature to Feature Dependencies
The dynamic feature module depends on another element to define the relationship. It ensures that your app uses another feature module to unlock additional functionalities. It results in fewer requests and easier modularization of your app.
3. Java 8 Language Library desugaring in D8 and R8
It’s one of the annoying parts of Android app development that is used in Java 8 features. Android Gradle supports various Java 8 language features. Such as lambda expressions, and method references called desugaring. Regardless, it uses standard language APIs which were previously available in recent releases.
4. New options to enable and disable build features
Android Gradle has built-in support for modern libraries. Which includes data binding, view binding, and build features with auto-generated BuildConfig classes. You needn’t use all features and libraries for every project. You have to optimize the build-in performance for larger projects.
5. Essential Support for Kotlin DSL Script files
Android 4.0 comes with support for Kotlin DSL that builds script files(*.kts) with a full suite of quick fixes. Refine the Android Gradle, which results in breaking API for Kotlin script users. It can fix and made more idiomatic with easy-to-use DSL for Kotlin Script users.
6. Metadata Dependencies
Android 4.0 comes with metadata plugins. It shows the library dependencies compiled into your app. Whenever you’re uploading your application metadata provides alerts for SDKs and dependencies. In a few cases, it also provides actionable feedback to resolve those issues. The data is compressed, encrypted by Google Play, and stored in the signing block of your released app.
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