Android 2.2 Release-Getting Close

You can see by list of changes at kernel.org that the Android .2. release might be coming shortly. Features that we know thus far:

1. Smaller Linux Kernel part to save ram

2. JIT

3. Improvement of UI widgets.

4. Possible storage of applications on sdcard

5. SDK side, package resources as a library project.

6. SDK side, improved ant support.

7. NDK update

8. Flash support

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Android Tools version6 coming

The biggest change in AndroidTools version6 is..are you ready?  Support for library project to share code/resources among projects according to the changes notice. That is right we can create android library projects to share not just code but resources.

New PMD rules for Android

What is nice about this Designing for Performance post is that there is enough material there to compose a new set of PMD rules to add onto the PMD android ruleset that already comes prepackaged with PMD. Note, if you are looking for an android developer this is the type of behind the scenes stuff you want to see in the developers skill set.

New version should be posted in a few days

Checkstyle Settings

In the Android Programming Tools Knol collection, Checkstyle for Android with the checkstyle files to  use and Eclipse Checkstyle Settings for Android.

Android Checkstyle Knol

Yes, I did get Checkstyle working for  Android Projects in Eclipse:

I should have the Google Knol up this afternoon.

Why do we use PMD rules?

You may wonder why we use PMD rulesets. Remember that to have one code base targeting Android 1.5, 1.6, and 2.x you have to use a minSDK of 3 and targetSDK of 4 in the manifest? So how od you get your IDE to warn you when using certain 1.6 calls when you should be using 1.5 calls?

<rule name="DoNotCodebuildStringDetectOneSix" message="Do not code detect build string as 1.6 but as 1.5" class="net.sourceforge.pmd.rules.XPathRule">
<description>do not use getApplicationInfo().targetSdkVersion use int sdkVersion = Integer.parseInt(Build.VERSION.SDK); instead</description>
<priority>3</priority>
<properties>
<property name="xpath">
<value>//Literal[starts-with(@Image,’getApplicationInfo().targetSdkVersion ‘)]</value>
</property>
</properties>
</rule>

That little rule prevents you form using the android 1.6 style of detecting a build string and forces you to use the 1.5 style of detecting a build string

Android Checkstyle

Note to those attempting to implement checkstyle in their android application development workflow, the Eclipse chcekstyle plugin export function produces an xml file that is poorly formed. You will have to remove the first comment block form that exported file to use it.

PMD Rules for Android

I posted part of the PMD rules I use for Android as a knol.

New Android Programming Knols, upcoming

Some new Android Programing Knols that I am authoring cover how to use the androidtabs 3d party library and more webview stuff. I expect to have them up sometime tonight.

Android IO Sessions

What the Android IO session this May indicate:

1. Dalvik JIT may be in Android 2.2. or Android 2.3, Dalvik JIT IO session.

2. UI Enhancements may be coming to Android 2.2. UI IO session.

3. Multiple Android versions expected on devices at least util end of year. Targeting Android Versions IO session.

The precedent is to release a new android SDK version during the IO sessions. Last year android 1.5 was rushed out in April with two quick fixes afterwards and thus I think that Android 2.2 will be released right before the IO sessions.