When Google released the Android open mobile platform, they have made an Eclipse plugin to be able to develop Android software using the Eclipse IDE. If you’re a Netbeans user, don’t worry because you can use Netbeans for creating Android applications also. Several guys created a Netbeans plugin that makes it possible to do Android software development under Netbeans.
To start setting up Android development under Netbeans, just open up your Netbeans 6.5 IDE. After starting up, click on the Tools | Plugin from the menu and select the Settings tab from the dialog box. Click on the Add button and enter the Name of the plugin and update URL for the plugin your are manually adding. You can put any text for the Name field, the plugin update URL for the Android for Netbeans plugin is http://kenai.com/downloads/nbandroid/updates.xml .
After clicking on Ok, it should now be included in the list of configured update centers.
Go to the “Availalble Plugins” tab and you should see Android in the list. Click on the checkbox to mark it for installation. Then click the “Ok” button.
You’ll get a dialog box similar to the one below informing you that the Android plugin will be installed. Click on the “Next” button.
The license agreement will be displayed. You need to agree to to install the Android plugin. Click on the “Install” button once you have clicked on the “I accept..” checkbox.
It should start download the Android plugin.
After the download, you’ll get a message similar to the one below. It basically says that the plugin hasn’t been signed by the Netbeans group. This serves as a warning for potentially dangerous plugins. If you trust the developers of the plugin, just click on the “Continue” button.
After which, you should get an “Installation completed successfully” message.
Now that the Android plugin for Netbeans has been installed, you need to do just one more step to configure it. You need to tell Netbeans that it can now also setup projects for the Android open mobile platform. To do this, click on the Tools | Java Platform menu of your Netbeans IDE.
Click on the “Add Platform” button. Select the “Google Android Open Handheld Platform” and click the “Next” button.
Now locate where you have extracted the Android SDK on your computer and click “Next”.
Give the platform a name. I think “Android” would be appropriate and click on the “Finish” button.
You should now have added Android in your list of supported platforms for the Netbeans IDE.
That’s it. You can now start developing Android applications using your Netbeans IDE. I’ll post about writing an Android application in Netbeans next time.
Thanks Gerry. Let me check this out now.
Thanx a bunch gerry!
Thanks Buddy……
Was sucked by using the Eclipse….
Now, I can show off using NetBeans..
thx a lot………!!!
i successfully installed it but…
when i run my project i don’t get any device to select…
do u know abt the same…?
Hi Prasad, haven’t encountered that problem.
Prasad, you need to create a AVD!
To do that type this into a console:
android create avd –target 2 –name my_avd
This will create you an AVD called my_avd. If you don’t have this command “android”, you have to link that into the Global PATH variable, or change your directory to your sdk/tools lib and then give the command!
I’ve got another problem. Everything works fine. my emulator boots up and I can use it but I’m not able to build Activities…my netbeans says:
Device’s package manager not ready to install new packages
Anyone help?
Thx
That’s Great, let’s start android
Thanks
Everything works fine for me until I get to this step:
Now locate where you have extracted the Android SDK on your computer and click “Next”.
I get a message saying “a platform target has to be selected”. I note that the directory structure where I unzipped the SDK does not look like what’s in your screen shot.
I’m using nb 6.7.1 and Android SDK 1.5 I downloaded today.
Can you help?
Nevermind.
I think perhaps I missed a step when installing the Androind SDK… using the android tool to actually download and install it.
I received the error ” … Device’s package manager not ready to install new packages” for every Android app I tried. Was working fine yesterday…
I cleared up some RAM (closed a few other things like Opera, etc) and suddenly the error disappeared.
Try that (clearing some RAM).
chuck
Hi all
I have a problem ,i cant add the android platform to my netbeans , the next button is not enabled after i choose the android platform .please help me
Yogi: add platforms using android sdk tool. C:\Downloads\android-sdk_r04-windows\android-sdk-windows\”SDK Setup.exe”
I had the same problem while selecting the platform where it says ‘a platform target has to be selected’, but shows no targets to select. After installing the docs for android though, it worked fine.
How exactly do you install the Android docs?
Anyone follow up on adding platform target? I’m in same state as Yogi.
Thanks-
thanks buddy..it worked…you are the man
To add the platform, you have to go to the directory (in netbeans as the picture above), but then go one directory further to the platform directory of the directory of the android sdk, then select the android platform. (2.1 is an example). This will then pull up another screen that shows the android platform and google api. Click finish.
Hi all,
Before you all do these steps above, be sure to install Android SDK first in a folder of your desire. After that do all thoes steps…when you are about to choose the platform and nothing apears to choose from, even if you have selected the Android SDK instalation folder and you click “next” and nothing apears.
Try this, worked for me:
- Close your netbeans IDE ( btw mine is 6.8 )
- If that doesnt work reboot your computer.
Why reboot computer? Dunno lol
I have done all the steps above and when i was to choose the platform nothing a apeared…well i was sleepy and i shutdown the IDE and the computer. Next day, right about now while im writting to you :p i tryed to do the final step ( choosing the platform ) and voilá platforms apeared
Hope this was usefull to you.
Cheers
By the way i forgot to add that, before i shutdown my computer, i did something that i dont know if its relevant. At the screen where u press the button “addPlatform” manually i added to the source paths, the path to my android SDK installation folder.
thanks a million.
Definitely install the Android SDK first. Preferably not with NetBeans running at the time. That’s what tripped me up. (I was gonna say “bit me,” before I realized that “Java.Snake” was the one who provided the suggestion [grin].)
Thanks, all! Can’t wait to play with my new toy!
Hi,
any suggestions for how to build a netbeans/android project with existing sources?
it is a shame that the nbandroid plugin doesn’t provide this option…
Thanks!
You can trying asking for help by posting to the nbandroid forum.
You gave me a smooth start into Android with Netbeans, Thanks Gerry!
hey gerry,
Actually i m a biginer…so which IDE shud i use either netbeans or eclipse????
If you’re going to use Android, I’d suggest that you use Eclipse since it’s the IDE that Google supports for Android development.
thanks very much
i really need it
Hey man im trying to do my hello world app on netbeans, but when i hit the run button a window shows and it says “Select Device”, and i dont even have one device to start on, help me thanks
Thanks a lot!!!
Thanks a lot Gerry…
I m fresher for Android n i cudnt find scratch from where i can start…thanks again…
Take Care
Thank you. Guide was clear and concise. Worked first time. Eclipse seems to suck the heart out of my Mac Book Pro.
Cheers
You’re welcome, evan.