Setting Up an Existing IDE


You should have already downloaded the Android SDK Tools. (If you downloaded the ADT Bundle, you should instead read Setting Up the ADT Bundle.)
The SDK Tools package is not the complete SDK environment. It includes only the core SDK tools, which you can use to download the rest of the SDK packages (such as the latest system image).

Getting started on Windows

Your download package is an executable file that starts an installer. The installer checks your machine for required tools, such as the proper Java SE Development Kit (JDK) and installs it if necessary. The installer then saves the Android SDK Tools into a default location (or you can specify the location).
  1. Double-click the executable (.exe file) to start the install.
  2. Make a note of the name and location in which it saves the SDK on your system—you will need to refer to the SDK directory later, when setting up the ADT plugin and when using the SDK tools from the command line.
  3. Once the installation completes, the installer offers to start the Android SDK Manager. If you'll be using Eclipse, do notstart the Android SDK Manager, and instead move on to Installing the Eclipse Plugin.
    If you're using a different IDE, start the SDK Manager and read Adding Platforms and Packages.