I've been using Android Studio for the past 6 years. This is a compilation of the most useful and interesting features that I still use every day.

1. Android Studio Tips And Tricks
Mazhukin Oleg
Senior Android Developer

2. • UI
• Shortcuts
• Speed
• Debug
• Plugins
• Smart file templates
• Random Tips
The topics

3. View
→ Appearance
→ Enter Presentation Mode
or
ctrl+shift+a
→ Enter Presentation Mode
UI - Presentation Mode

4. UI - Presentation Mode

5. ctrl+shift+a
→ Exit Presentation Mode
UI - Exit Presentation Mode

6. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + n
Mac
→ cmd + o
Shortcuts for navigation - Open class

7. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + shift + n
Mac
→ cmd + shift + o
Open file

8. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + e
Mac
→ cmd + e
Recently Opened Files

9. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + f
Mac
→ cmd + f
Search in file

10. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + shift + f
Mac
→ cmd + shift + f
Search Everywhere

11. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + b
Mac
→ cmd + b
Go to declaration class

12. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + b
Mac
→ cmd + b
Go to declaration variable

13. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl + alt + b
Mac
→ cmd + option + b
Go to implementation

14. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl+ w
Mac
→ cmd + w
Writing code - Selecting

15. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl+ o
Mac
→ cmd + o
Writing code - Overriding Methods

16. Windows / Linux
→ alt + insert
Mac
→ cmd + n
Writing code - Generating Methods

17. Windows / Linux
→ alt + shift + m
Mac
→ cmd + shift + m
Writing code - Creating Methods

18. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl+ space
→ tab
Mac
→ cmd + space
→ tab
Writing code - Autoreplace

19. Refactor
→ rename
→ extract/inline
→ change signature
→ safe delete
Writing code - Refactor

20. Preferences
→ Code Style
Writing code - Using code style

21. VCS
→ Git
Writing code - Git in Studio

22. Windows / Linux
→ ctrl+ K
Mac
→ cmd + K
Writing code - Git Commit

23. Best way to learn shortcuts

24. Tracking your progress

25. Help
→ Productivity Guide
Other useful info

26. Preferences (Settings)
→ Plugins
→ /enabled
Plugins - Disable unused plugins

27. Plugins - Enable useful plugins

28. Plugins - Enable useful plugins

29. Plugins – Live templates

30. Gradle
→ Toggle offline mode
Or
--offline
Build Speed Tips - Offline mode

31. Reuse Java between Android Studio and terminal
Use custom JDK Location

32. Limit Gradle workers
to real processors count
org.gradle.workers.max=«N»
Build Speed Tips - Worker count

33. Stopping gradle daemon
→ gradle --status
→ gradle --stop
Build Speed Tips - Stopping daemons

34. Using terminal
→ gradlew app:assembleDebug
→ gradlew app:installDebug
app - module name
Debug - buildType
Build Speed Tips - Using Terminal

35. → gradlew clean
→ gradlew --profile
[--offline]
--rerun-tasks assembleFlavorDebug
→ open report
Build Speed - Local Statistics

36. gradlew assembleDebug --scan
Build Speed Debugging - Scan Plugin

37. → Tasks Execution
→ Cache
→ Dependency resolution
Build Speed Statistics

38. gradlew clean
~/.gradle/caches/build-cache-1/ or ~/.gradle/caches/
~/.android/cache and/or ~/.android/build-cache
~/.idea/libraries
Clean Up Caches

39. → 5.1" WVGA - 800*480: mdpi
→ 512 MB RAM/Internal storage 1.5 GB
→ Core Count 2х
Fast Emulator

40. Select expression
→ alt+F8
Debugging Check Expression

41. → alt+F8
→ change result
Debugging Changing Behavior

42. Breakpoints
→ Log
Debugging Breakpoint Settings - Log

43. Console
→ Breakpoint reached
Debugging Breakpoint Settings - Log

44. Breakpoints
→ Disable until
→ Remove once hit
Debugging Breakpoint Settings Condition

45. Right click
→ Check RegEx
Debugging - Check RegEx

46. New
→ Edit live templates
Predefined file templates

47. Default Params
→ ${NAME}
→ ${PACKAGE_NAME}
→ ${DATE}
Predefined file templates - Interface Example

48. Default Params
→ ${Input}
→ ${Output}
Predefined Custom File Templates

49. Custom Params
→ ${Input}
→ ${Output}
Predefined Custom File In Action

50. New
→ file groups
Predefined Default File Group

51. Combines template with params
AS Version has limited abilities
Apache Freemarker

52. ~/plugins/android/lib/templates/
Note the common folder
Predefined Default File Group Location

53. ~/plugins/android/lib/templates/
→ Create any folder
→ Create template.xml.ftl
→ Describes your template
→ name/description
→ category
→ input params - string/boolean/enum
File Group Template

54. ~/plugins/android/lib/templates/
→ /Custom/ViewModelActivity/template.xml.ftl
→ create ViewModel
→ create Activity
→ create layout
→ add activity to manifest
View Model Activity

55. New
→ Activity
→ View Model Activity
Template Result

56. Create [root]srcapp_package
→ Create recipe.xml.ftl
→ create ViewModel
→ create Activity
→ create layout
→ add activity to manifest ( merge only works with xml)
Recipe

57. Create globals.xml.ftl
→ reused variables in recipes
Example
Global variables

58. ViewModelActivitysrcapp_package
→ ViewModel.kt.ftl (or java.ftl )
→ define class preset
Default params
→ packageName - current package
→ activityToLayout - activity_className
Custom params - className
Recipe ViewModel

59. ViewModelActivitysrcapp_package
→ ViewModel.kt.ftl
→ define class preset
Recipe ViewModel

60. ViewModelActivitysrcapp_package
→ create ViewActivity.kt.ftl
→ define class preset
Recipe Activity

61. ViewModelActivitysrcapp_package
→ create Layout.kt.ftl
→ define layout
Recipe Layout

62. ViewModelActivity/
→ create AndroidManifest.xml.ftl
→ define activity
Recipe Manifest

63. template.xml – This will contain information about the template (Name,
minSdkVersion, etc)
recipe.xml.ftl – This will contain instructions explaining how to create the
template, including what variables to ask the user for and what should be
done with those variables.
globals.xml.ftl – This defines global variables
src (root/src or root/res) folder – this will contain the template code.
Structure

64. Debugging

65. Debugging

66. Result

67. Possibilities

68. - Learn different params types
→ boolean
→ list
→ etc
- Reuse existing recipes - add dependencies or strings
- Create your own file groups
What’s next?

69. - You have to re-import custom templates after Android Studio update
- Documentation is the source code
- No easy way to debug
Known Issues

70. → Learn shortcuts to maximize your performance
→ Experiment and debug your gradle build speed
→ Use smart debug tools for better debugging
→ Create custom file templates to automate boilerplate code
Quick Recap

71. Android Studio Shortcuts → https://developer.android.com/studio/intro/keyboard-shortcuts
Android Studio for Experts → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2GC6P5hPeA
Mouseless Driven Development→ https://vimeo.com/98922030
File templates → https://riggaroo.dev/custom-file-templates-android-studio/
File group templates
→ https://medium.com/codequest/file-group-templates-in-android-studio-unofficial-guide-85dfa0a0c1ec
→ https://medium.com/gits-apps-insight/tutorial-create-your-own-template-for-android-studio-1aaa9b4cb18
Reuse gradle daemon → https://medium.com/@mydogtom/tip-how-to-reuse-gradle-daemon-between-
android-studio-and-terminal-df5232d63f38
Resources