#How to use android studio preview code

Changes made at D-1 will reflect in D-2, which is also an active Layout Preview. Once you’ve switched to (e.g.) Text + Preview mode, at D-1, you may edit directly the XML layout file. If you wish to edit the underlying XML content directly, use the toggles (highlighted in red to switch to Text or Text + Preview mode: This section presents every possible attribute that your layout may provide for the selected component.

the text attribute for TextView, src attribute for ImageView, etc. These are suggested by Android Studio as attributes you are likely to edit for the selected component, e.g.

This section corresponds to attributes that help position the selected component within its parent. Your layout assigns a value to these attributes, unassigned attributes do not show up here. The panel breaks into four distinct sections, listed below. By modifying attributes, you are able to change the appearance and behavior of any component.Īfter you select a component in the Layout Preview, you reveal the Attributes Panel. The Attributes Panel presents each component’s editable attributes. Clicking within the Layout Preview permits you to manipulate components and reveal their attributes.Ĭ-5. The Layout Preview attempts to draw your layout as it would appear on a real device. Android Studio will explain the purpose of each button and drop-down menu.Ĭ-4. This panel of controls help you change the preview parameters such as ‘portrait’ vs ‘landscape’, screen size, and much more. Tip: Click any component in the tree to highlight it within your layout preview ( C-4). The Component Tree represents the parent-child relationships of components within your layout and helps you quickly focus on a specific component when your layout grows complex. Tip: Click and drag a component onto the layout preview ( C-4) to add it to your design. The Component Palette helps you discover and choose Android layout components (Views and ViewGroups) to use in your designs. You may switch between Visual, Text, and Text + Preview by clicking the icons highlighted in red. The editor comes in three possible modes:īy default, Android Studio opens the Layout Editor in Visual mode, shown below (to view the layout editor as you see it here, collapse the Project and/or Resource Manager panels to give it more space): For example, you can begin editing a layout file by double-clicking a layout’s name within the Resource Manager. Layout EditorĪndroid Studio reveals the Layout Editor whenever you begin to edit a layout file. Tip: Right-clicking a resource can help you delete a resource, reveal its location on your computer, and more. Tip: Double-clicking any resource listed in the manager will reveal its corresponding file in the editing area. The red area indicates the various categories of resources you may access through the manager (Drawables, Colors, Strings, etc.).įinally, the purple area lists every resource of a given type available to your application. You may access and modify these through the Resource Manager pictured below:Ĭlicking the tab highlighted in green reveals & collapses the Resource Manager. These files may include interface blueprints (XML layouts), images, fonts, and more.Īnd your data may include text Strings (such as the name of the app), XML styles, dimensions (such as those used for width, height, text size), and beyond.

In Android applications, Resources represent files and data you bundle with your application. Your current open file consumes this area. The Editing area is where the bulk of your work takes place. Tip: to learn more about what each icon does, hover your mouse cursor over the button until a tooltip appears. Launch controls help you ‘run’ an application, choose a target device / emulator, and more. Tip: Android Studio automatically saves your changes as you edit each file, no need to save after making changes. Click on a tab to switch to the file and continue editing. File tabs indicate every ‘open’ file.Īndroid Studio permits you to edit one file at a time, and each tab represents an open file. In general, you can ignore the remaining folders and files, used primarily for testing and application configuration (a more advanced topic).ĭouble-click any folder or file to reveal its contents.

#How to use android studio preview code

However, you will focus primarily on code located under the app > java > directory. The Project Panel lists every file included in your Android Project. Here’s what each highlighted area corresponds to. When you open a project in Android Studio, you’ll see a screen resembling the following:

Android Studio often intimidates beginners, but by learning a few handy shortcuts and getting the lay of the land, we can navigate this powerful development environment with ease.