Adding Android Development Tools (ADT) to Flash Builder 4.5.1

Posted on July 18, 2011 | 18 comments

I am looking at doing some Android development to extend my AIR applications (AIR Native Extension). There is not a lot of public information on AIR Native Extensions but you can check out some information here. For those that really want to start playing with it right now you can apply for the private prerelease program here : https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=prerelease_interest

In the rest of this post I’ll explain how to get the Android Development Tools (ADT) working inside of Flash Builder 4.5.1. The first thing to do is get the Android Development Tool’s Eclipse update url: https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

Go to Flash Builder -> Window -> Install New Software
Flash Builder Install New Software

Add the update url to the dialog box and hit “Add Site”. You should see the available packages like the image below. Go ahead and select all:

Flash Builder add Android Development Tool packages

Accept Any Warnings

Hit Next, Accept any EULA’s and continue until it starts downloading and installing the packages. Next we need to configure the Android SDK into the preferences page. Go to Flash Builder -> Preferences -> Android and select the folder where you downloaded the Android SDK (download now if you haven’t done so) into:

Android SDK Path Preference

Go to Flash Builder -> Window -> Android SDK and AVD Manager:

Update the Android SDK packages with AVD Manager

Select all the appropriate packages, you at least need the SDK’s for Android 2.2. I selected the SDK’s for Android 2.2-3.2 and the documentation packages:

Installing Android SDKs with AVD manager

Now you have in File -> New Project the option to create Android Projects:

Android Project Types in the New Project dialog

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  • http://polygeek.com polyGeek

    Did you write this just for me? That’s so sweet of you. :-)

    Seriously, thanks a heap. This will definitely come in handy.

    • http://www.renaun.com Renaun Erickson

      Yes, just for you :)

      • shubha

        Damn Helpful Article..Thank u so much for sharing..helped me lot in my live project..Thanks a lot :)

  • Doug

    heh, that’s the easy part. Packaging and debugging native extensions is where it really gets “fun”

    • http://www.renaun.com Renaun Erickson

      yeah, will post in the future when allowed about things I find that help.

  • http://flexblog.teerasej.com Teerasej

    Thank you for your article. AIR Native Extension sounds like the great chance to for developer to reach all device’s native feature.

    I would I like to translate your content into my local language, Thai, If you allow. I will post you a link when it is done.

    • http://www.renaun.com Renaun Erickson

      cool, have fun translating

  • http://www.austinkottke.com/news Austin

    Dude, Renaun, this is the awesomest thing I’ve seen. I had no idea you could even do this with AIR. Where have I been???? Good lord!!!!!!!!!! Screw Zinc, this is what it’s all about.

    I would absolutely love if you could show some examples of running some native C++ with AIR on mobile devices.

  • Paul Schmidt

    Hey,

    how long does it take to get access to the Flash Runtime prerelease program?

    greetings,
    Paul

    • http://www.renaun.com Renaun Erickson

      Depends, I don’t control it so not sure.

  • http://elnicovengeance.wordpress.com/ NICO VENGEANCE

    wao… thanks for this…

  • http://innovatology.nl Jon Webb

    Renaun, now that the SDK is in public beta, could you give us some pointers on using the Flash extensions .jar and specifically on packaging the extension into the Flex project? Cheers! Jon.

    • http://www.renaun.com Renaun Erickson

      Details about the native extensions are not public yet.

  • Jabran

    This is one good thing to have over in the Flex IDE if ur going mobile.. Thanks for the post.

  • http://twitter.com/darkriderdesign Damon Sanchez

    I’m hoping one of you wizards can help me. The back story…. I’ve been trying to build an Android App in Flash Builder 4.6 that can display PDF inside a StageWebView…. It works theoretically meaning I don’t get any errors on compile, and the method works in iOS, but from everything I’ve read you need to have

    In order for the app to work in Android…

    but the problem is when you compile your apk file in Flash Builder… it uses the Android 2 SDK and HardwareAcceleration didn’t exist at the time… so Flash Builder overwrites it, or ignores it and doesn’t put the setting in the compiled manifest file?

    QUESTION: with the methods you guys are doing above does any of it replace the Android SDK version, in a place that would trick Flash Builder to use an updated SDK?

    Thanks ahead of time,

    Darkriderdesign

    • Anonymous

      Not sure what it might take to try and replace android tools in FB. You might be able to just unpack the generated .apk and change the manifest manually then repackage it up with standard Android tools though.

  • http://ored.net/ Owen Corso

    hey Renaun, i’m trying to install the ADT plugin on top of Flash Builder 4.6 for PHP and keep getting this “cannot satisfy dependency error” which is stopping me in my tracks, any helpful insight would be greatly appreciated, in the meantime, i’ll keep trying to figure out how to resolve…

    Cannot complete the install because of a conflicting dependency.
    Software being installed: Android Hierarchy Viewer 16.0.1.v201112150204-238534 (com.android.ide.eclipse.hierarchyviewer.feature.group 16.0.1.v201112150204-238534)
    Software currently installed: Shared profile 1.0.0.1327961774064 (SharedProfile_epp.package.java 1.0.0.1327961774064)
    Only one of the following can be installed at once:
    Eclipse UI 3.6.1.M20100826-1330 (org.eclipse.ui 3.6.1.M20100826-1330)
    Eclipse UI 3.6.2.M20110203-1100 (org.eclipse.ui 3.6.2.M20110203-1100)
    Eclipse UI 3.6.0.I20100603-1100 (org.eclipse.ui 3.6.0.I20100603-1100)
    Cannot satisfy dependency:
    From: Shared profile 1.0.0.1327961774064 (SharedProfile_epp.package.java 1.0.0.1327961774064)
    To: org.eclipse.ui [3.6.1.M20100826-1330]
    Cannot satisfy dependency:
    From: Android Hierarchy Viewer 16.0.1.v201112150204-238534 (com.android.ide.eclipse.hierarchyviewer.feature.group 16.0.1.v201112150204-238534)
    To: org.eclipse.ui 3.6.2

    • Anonymous

      Not sure if there is a way when you get that many dependency issues.