Background
Android Architecture Components (AAC) is a collection of libraries that help you design robust, testable and maintainable apps. It provides a set of basic building blocks and classes to help work with Android’s architectural components. These components offer guidance on how to structure the code and design of your app, making it easier to create complex apps in a shorter amount of time.
AAC helps developers to design and develop complex Android apps with an easy-to-understand programming model. In this way, developers can create an application faster, easier, and more efficiently. AAC also enables developers to write applications in a flexible and loosely coupled way, ensuring their applications remain performant and maintainable even when they are changed.
Overview of Components & Libraries
At the core of the AAC are four major Android components and libraries: AppCompat, DataBinding, Architecture Components and Lifecycles. Additionally, AAC provides a number of features that simplify development, such as Activity Recognition and Navigation, as well as more general-purpose libraries like Network Security Configs and Permissions. All these components provide powerful tools for app development, allowing developers to focus on their unique business logic.
AppCompat is the foundation on which an app’s UI is built. Its custom view library simplifies the process of creating an app’s UI across version of the Android OS.
DataBinding assists in translating app code into an efficient database. It provides automatic code-based registries for object-oriented programming and allows database access when data models are created for a database.
The Architecture Components provide a flexible structural framework for designing complex applications. It helps developers visualize the relationship between parts of an application, including features like data synchronization and activity life cycles.
The Lifecycles library gives developers the ability to detect app state changes and automatically adjust app behavior accordingly. It prevents apps from running code when activities or fragments have been destroyed, which helps to prevent memory and performance leaks.
Improved Development, Enhanced User Experience
Using AAC has certain advantages in terms of development speed and user experience. AAC encourages developers to write code that is less prone to bugs and runs efficiently on modern devices. The libraries provide tools and functionality that simplify development, from creating powerful user interfaces to managing background tasks. This means developers can focus on their own business logic, rather than spending time on more low-level development.
At the same time, the user experience for AAC apps is enhanced. AAC apps are less likely to crash and run more smoothly than non-AAC apps. Additionally, AAC’s code-assistive library tools make development faster and easier, allowing developers to focus more on creating unique and amazing user experiences.
Disadvantages & Alternatives
AAC may have some limitations, including the fact that these libraries require recent versions of the Android OS. Additionally, some developers have found that AAC may add complexity and bloat to the codebase. While the advantages of AAC may outweigh these issues, some developers may wish to pursue alternatives.
RxJava is a popular alternative to AAC. It is a library for reactive programming that supports asynchronous data streaming. RxJava’s reactive programming paradigm avoids the Boilerplate of AAC and enables developers to achieve similar results.
Additionally, some developers may wish to go full stack when developing app architectures. In these cases, developers can utilize languages like Elixir and Erlang which support reactive programming paradigms and provide a complete, integrated solution for app development.
Testing & Maintenance
AAC helps developers to create applications quickly and easily, but it also offers features to help with the maintenance and testing of complex applications. The lifecycle library helps developers to create tests ensuring that the app’s state is maintained throughout the various states of an activity’s lifecycle.
DataBinding makes it easier to manage data between models and views. This decreases the amount of code required, making maintenance easier and decreasing the possibility of introducing bugs. Additionally, the robust architecture components enable developers to create reliable, testable applications with less work.
Open Source & Contributions to The Community
AAC is an open source project and all the components and libraries are available to use online. Additionally, AAC’s libraries are constantly evolving and improving, as contributions from the open source community are regularly added. This enables developers to take advantage of the latest features and privacy improvements as soon as possible.
Many experienced developers regularly contribute to the project, meaning that the codebase is constantly maintained and improved. This helps to ensure that AAC is up to date with the latest development trends, making it easier for developers to use.
Financial Benefits of AAC
Using AAC also has certain financial benefits. As mentioned, creating apps using AAC is faster and simpler than creating them without it. This means developers save time and money by creating apps more quickly and without having to fix as many bugs. Additionally, the improved user experience that AAC provides leads to higher user retention, resulting in more revenue over time.
Furthermore, using AAC can lead to lower hosting costs. By reducing the amount of code needed, developers are able to host their apps more cheaply. Additionally, AAC’s data binding capabilities allow for efficient data transfers which help to reduce bandwidth costs.
Implementation Strategies
When implementing AAC in an app, developers should think about the best strategy for their unique situation. AAC encourages developers to create loosely coupled applications by separating out individual components and writing tests to ensure the app is well-structured.
Additionally, developers should take into account the design principles inherent to the Android OS. Design for Accessibility, for instance, encourages developers to make apps accessible to a wide range of users. Other design principles, like Don’t Reinvent the Wheel, require developers to take advantage of existing functionality instead of creating workarounds.
Finally, developing on an AAC base also requires creating custom data binding logic when interacting with other services. As such, developers should be aware of the pitfalls associated with different data binding recognition strategies and ensure that the logic they write is robust.
Debugging Strategies & Best Practices
Debugging AAC apps requires an organized approach. One such strategy is to break down the debugging process into separate components, each with its own set of problems. For instance, developers can start by debugging the layout of their app and then move to other components like the lifecycle and data binding.
In addition, there are a variety of tools available for debugging AAC applications. Android Studio provides efficient debugging capabilities coupled with advanced visualization tools. Additionally, more general purpose tools such as Lint can provide helpful hints for improving code quality and avoiding pitfalls.
Conclusion & Summary
Android Architecture Components (AAC) is a collection of libraries and components that help developers create high quality, robust apps quickly. AAC helps developers to manage app structure, speed up development, and ensure user experience and performance. Additionally, AAC’s open source codebase allows developers to take advantage of improved features and bug fixes quickly, as well as benefit from lower hosting costs. Implementing AAC requires an organized approach, taking into account the design principles of the Android OS and utilizing debugging tools. Finally, developers should consider alternative libraries like RxJava that provide similar features.
