Android developers should keep two things in mind when designing an app, in addition to a beautiful user interface.
In the latest video of our Ask a Dev series, Android engineer Ernest Holloway takes a look at helpful tools for memory analysis of Android apps and the versions of Android that should be supported when starting to build an app.
See also: Ask a Dev: How Do You Develop Apps for Multiple Android Devices?
To ensure your app is running fast and using little memory, Holloway recommends using the Eclipse Memory Analyzer Tool, which reports excessive memory consumption, memory leaks and other memory measurements. He also suggests the Hierarchy Viewer, through which developers can learn how to optimize user interface and pinpoint how to improve certain elements. Other helpful resources include Stack Overflow and Google Developers.
The next question focused on the version of an operating system that an app developer should support.
"It all depends on what it is that you are trying to do," Holloway says. "If you take a look at Google Developers website, and you look on the dashboard, you will see that 72% of the market basically supports Ice Cream Sandwich."
The more common operating system for Android is Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.0, which gives consistent navigation across multiple devices. Gingerbread or Android 2.3 supports a larger array of devices.
Our developer experts are from Mutual Mobile, a leading development and design firm that builds mobile strategies for top companies such as Audi, Google and Citigroup. The team is eager to answer your questions about mobile, so ping us with your top queries on Twitter, using the hashtag #AskaDev. Don't forget to check out our Ask a Dev YouTube channel and subscribe.
Homepage Image: Mashable
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Image: Mashable