Google has released an update to Android Studio version 4.1, bringing a new Database Inspector tool, some improvements to Material Design, and a more deeply integrated Android Emulator.
Android Studio 4.1 is the first update to the software suite since Android 11 was officially released. Up to this point, for app developers to make the most of the new developer features Android 11 had to offer, like hinge APIs in the new foldable emulator, they were encouraged to try pre-release versions of Android Studio.
With today’s release, easily the coolest new feature is a “Database Inspector,” which connects to your test device and lets you view and manage your app’s internal database, regardless of whether it’s based on SQLite or Jetpack Room. This will be immensely helpful to both reproducing and fixing data-related bugs, with changes even being possible while your app is actively running.
Next, to help developers get their latest apps started with a strong foundation in Material Design, Google has updated the default project templates of Android Studio 4.1 to use the latest Material Design Components and guidelines. One of the biggest benefits of this change is that new projects will support light and dark themes out of the box.
In previous versions of Android Studio, the Android Emulator always ran as a separate program in its own window. With Android Studio 4.1, you can now have the Android Emulator appear in the main Studio window, side-by-side with your code, which should help make debugging easier on a single monitor.
In addition to integrating the emulator, Android Studio 4.1 also introduces some new features for the Android Emulator that should help when developing apps for foldables. For instance, you can now specify the current angle of the hinge, allowing your app to respond to that information on supported foldables. To get these features, make sure you’ve updated the Android Emulator after updating to Android Studio 4.1.
Of course, this only scratches the surface of what Google has in store for developers with Android Studio 4.1. To learn more, check out the full release blog.
- Design
- Material Design Components updates
- Develop
- Database Inspector
- Run Android Emulator directly in Android Studio
- Dagger navigation support
- Use TensorFlow Lite models
- Build & Test
- Android Emulator — Foldable Hinge Support
- Apply Changes updates
- Export C/C++ dependencies from AARs
- Symbolification for native crash reports
- Optimize
- System Trace UI Improvements
- Standalone profilers
- Native Memory Profiler
Author: Kyle Bradshaw
Source: 9TO5Google
