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Development Environment Setup

This guide walks through setting up your development environment to contribute code to Andor's Trail.

Prerequisites

  • Java Development Kit (JDK) 8 or higher

  • Git

  • Android SDK (API level 21 or higher)

  • 4+ GB RAM recommended

  • 2+ GB disk space for Android SDK

Step 1: Install Java Development Kit (JDK)

Windows

  1. Download JDK from oracle.com or use OpenJDK.

  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.

  3. Note the installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11.0.x).

  4. Set environment variables:

    • Right-click "This PC" → Properties → Advanced system settings.

    • Click "Environment Variables".

    • Add new system variable:

      • Name: JAVA_HOME

      • Value: C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11.0.x (your JDK path)

    • Add to PATH: %JAVA_HOME%\bin

  5. Verify: Open Command Prompt and run java -version

macOS

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Step 2: Install Android Studio

Windows & macOS

  1. Download from developer.android.com

  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.

  3. Choose "Custom Setup" to select components:

    • Android SDK

    • Android SDK Platform-Tools

    • Android Emulator

    • Android SDK Build-Tools

  4. Accept license agreements.

  5. Specify Android SDK location (default: ~/Android/sdk).

Linux

Step 3: Install Git

Windows

  • Download from git-scm.com.

  • Use default installation settings.

  • Verify: Open Command Prompt, run git --version

macOS

Linux

Step 4: Clone Andor's Trail Repository

You should see:

Step 5: Open Project in Android Studio

  1. Launch Android Studio.

  2. Click "Open" or "File → Open..."

  3. Navigate to the cloned repository root.

  4. Select the folder and click "OK".

  5. Android Studio will index the project (this may take 1-2 minutes).

  6. Let Gradle sync complete (bottom status bar shows "Gradle sync successful").

Step 6: Configure SDK in Android Studio

If Android SDK is not detected:

  1. Go to File → Settings (or Android Studio → Preferences on macOS).

  2. Navigate to Appearance & Behavior → System Settings → Android SDK.

  3. Click "Edit" next to "Android SDK Location".

  4. Select your SDK directory (typically ~/Android/sdk).

  5. Click "Next" and "Finish".

  6. Let the download complete.

Step 7: Build the Project

Using Android Studio GUI

  1. Click Build → Make Project.

  2. Wait for the build to complete.

  3. Check the "Build" tab for the success message.

Using Command Line

Step 8: Run on Emulator or Device

Create Virtual Device (Emulator)

  1. Tools → Device Manager.

  2. Click "Create Device".

  3. Select a device definition (e.g., Pixel 4).

  4. Select API Level (21+).

  5. Click "Finish".

  6. Devices will appear in Device Manager.

Run on Emulator

  1. Click Run → Run 'AndorsTrail'.

  2. Select the emulator device.

  3. Click "OK".

  4. App will launch in the emulator.

Run on Physical Device

  1. Enable Developer Mode on Android device:

    • Go to Settings → About Phone.

    • Tap "Build Number" 7 times.

    • Developer options now appear in Settings.

  2. Enable USB Debugging in Developer Options.

  3. Connect the device via USB.

  4. Click Run → Run 'AndorsTrail'.

  5. Select a physical device.

  6. Click "OK".

Step 9: View Javadoc and API Sources

View Android API Documentation

  1. In Android Studio, click Help → Download PDF Documentation.

  2. Or visit developer.android.com/reference.

Generate Project Javadoc

Output appears in build/docs/javadoc/

View Source Code

Right-click any class and select "Go to Definition" or press Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click on macOS).

Step 10: Set Up Debugging

Enable Debugging in Android Studio

  1. Preferences → Debugger → General.

  2. Set breakpoints by clicking in the code margin.

  3. Run → Debug 'AndorsTrail'.

  4. The debugger will stop at breakpoints.

  5. Use the Variables panel to inspect the object state.

View Logcat

  1. View → Tool Windows → Logcat.

  2. Filter logs by app name: com.gpl.rpg.AndorsTrail

  3. Set log level (Verbose, Debug, Info, Warning, Error).

Offline Setup (No Internet Access)

If developing offline, you can still build the project:

Appendix A: Pre-Downloaded SDK Setup

  1. On a connected computer, download Android SDK build-tools and platforms.

  2. Copy ~/Android/sdk/ directory to USB drive.

  3. Transfer to offline machine: ~/Android/sdk/

  4. Android Studio will detect the pre-existing SDK.

Appendix B: Gradle Wrapper

The project includes gradlew wrapper, which downloads Gradle automatically. First build requires the internet.

Troubleshooting

"SDK Location Not Found"

Create file local.properties in project root:

"Gradle Sync Failed"

  1. File → Invalidate Caches and Restart.

  2. Or: ./gradlew clean build --refresh-dependencies

"Java Home Not Set"

Set environment variable:

  • Windows: See Step 1.

  • macOS/Linux: export JAVA_HOME=$(which java)

"Emulator Not Starting"

  1. File → Settings → System Settings → Emulation Settings.

  2. Enable "Use Host GPU".

  3. Allocate more RAM (Device Manager → Edit Device).

"App Crashes on Launch"

  1. Check Logcat for error messages.

  2. Verify Android API level (21+).

  3. Check AndroidManifest.xml permissions.

Next Steps

  1. Read the Code Contribution Workflow guide.

  2. Explore Core Code Components documentation.

  3. Review existing issues on the forums.

  4. Choose an issue to work on.

  5. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/issue-name

Development Workflow

  1. Make code changes.

  2. Run tests: ./gradlew test

  3. Build APK: ./gradlew assembleDebug

  4. Test on device/emulator.

  5. Commit changes: git commit -m "Description"

  6. Push to fork: git push origin feature/issue-name

  7. Create Pull Request on GitHub.

Useful Commands

Resources

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