AIDE is an Android app that facilitates the development of Android applications using Java, XML, C/C++, and HTML5. It supports the Android SDK and NDK, allowing developers to build and compile apps directly on their devices. The tool is popular with over 1 million downloads per year and aims to overcome technical challenges related to different architectures and libraries.

1. AIDE
Develop apps with an app
appfour GmbH
Hans Kratz
Dennis Strein
www.android-ide.com

2. Session Overview
• Introduction to AIDE
• Demonstration time
• The magic of AIDE
• Questions

3. What is AIDE
• An Android app to make Android apps
• Android Integrated Development Environment
• Android SDK apps with Java & XML
• Android NDK apps with C/C++
• Phonegap/Cordova apps with HTML5 &
JavaScript (with AIDE for PhoneGap)

4. AIDE Popularity
1.000.000 downloads/year

5. Install AIDE on your device (free)
• In Google Play search for „AIDE“ or just „IDE“

6. Demonstration time

7. The magic of AIDE
• Full Android Build Process
• Java/Dalvik compilation on device
• Native build on device (x86, arm)

8. Android Build Process (1)

9. Android Build Process (2)

10. Focus: NDK support
• Not intended to run directly on Android
devices
• Officially supports only ia32/ia64 on
Windows, Linux and Mac OS X

11. NDK support in AIDE
• Based on NDK for Linux
• Currently only the default toolchain GCC 4.6 is
supported
• Planned: Support more toolchains
• Planned: Support x86 target on arm devices,
arm target on x86 devices
• Crazy idea: Support the Intel C/C++ compiler

12. Technical challenge: GNU libc
• Problem:
- GCC toolchain requires GNU libc
- Android only has limited bionic C library
• Solution: Link GCC toolchain binaries statically
against GNU libc

13. Technical challenge: ARM architecture
• Problem: NDK not supported on ARM
• Solution: Cross-compile NDK for ARM on Linux
x86

14. Technical challenge: UNIX tools
• Problem: Most NDK builds require a proper
shell and UNIX tools (find, sed, awk, …)
• Solution:
- Bundle Busybox
- Pass variables to GNU Make for a proper
shell, dirname binary, …

15. Giving back to the community
• NDK is part of the Android Open Source
Project (AOSP) under the Apache 2.0 licence.
• Our modifications are on GitHub:
https://github.com/android-ide/aide_ndk
• Cave: The build process is complex.

16. Recap
• Develop Android apps with your Android
device
• Work on your apps whether Java or native onthe-go
• AIDE magic makes it happen

17. Thank you for your time!
Questions?
web: www.android-ide.com
email: ide4android@googlemail.com