- Project Scenario Assessment Before starting development, assess the current project state: Scenario Characteristics Approach Empty Directory No files present Full initialization required, including Gradle Wrapper Has Gradle Wrapper gradlew and gradle/wrapper/ exist Use ./gradlew directly for builds Android Studio Project Complete project structure, may lack wrapper Check wrapper, run gradle wrapper if needed Incomplete Project Partial files present Check missing files, complete configuration Key Principles : Before writing business logic, ensure ./gradlew assembleDebug succeeds If gradle.properties is missing, create it first and configure AndroidX 1.1 Required Files Checklist MyApp/ ├── gradle.properties # Configure AndroidX and other settings ├── settings.gradle.kts ├── build.gradle.kts # Root level ├── gradle/wrapper/ │ └── gradle-wrapper.properties ├── app/ │ ├── build.gradle.kts # Module level │ └── src/main/ │ ├── AndroidManifest.xml │ ├── java/com/example/myapp/ │ │ └── MainActivity.kt │ └── res/ │ ├── values/ │ │ ├── strings.xml │ │ ├── colors.xml │ │ └── themes.xml │ └── mipmap-*/ # App icons
- Project Configuration 2.1 gradle.properties
Required configuration
android.useAndroidX
true android.enableJetifier = true
Build optimization
org.gradle.parallel
true kotlin.code.style = official
JVM memory settings (adjust based on project size)
Small projects: 2048m, Medium: 4096m, Large: 8192m+
org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4096m -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8
- Note
- If you encounter OutOfMemoryError during build, increase -Xmx value. Large projects with many dependencies may require 8GB or more. 2.2 Dependency Declaration Standards dependencies { // Use BOM to manage Compose versions implementation ( platform ( "androidx.compose:compose-bom:2024.02.00" ) ) implementation ( "androidx.compose.ui:ui" ) implementation ( "androidx.compose.material3:material3" ) // Activity & ViewModel implementation ( "androidx.activity:activity-compose:1.8.2" ) implementation ( "androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-viewmodel-compose:2.7.0" ) } 2.3 Build Variants & Product Flavors Product Flavors allow you to create different versions of your app (e.g., free/paid, dev/staging/prod). Configuration in app/build.gradle.kts : android { // Define flavor dimensions flavorDimensions += "environment" productFlavors { create ( "dev" ) { dimension = "environment" applicationIdSuffix = ".dev" versionNameSuffix = "-dev" // Different config values per flavor buildConfigField ( "String" , "API_BASE_URL" , "\"https://dev-api.example.com\"" ) buildConfigField ( "Boolean" , "ENABLE_LOGGING" , "true" ) // Different resources resValue ( "string" , "app_name" , "MyApp Dev" ) } create ( "staging" ) { dimension = "environment" applicationIdSuffix = ".staging" versionNameSuffix = "-staging" buildConfigField ( "String" , "API_BASE_URL" , "\"https://staging-api.example.com\"" ) buildConfigField ( "Boolean" , "ENABLE_LOGGING" , "true" ) resValue ( "string" , "app_name" , "MyApp Staging" ) } create ( "prod" ) { dimension = "environment" // No suffix for production buildConfigField ( "String" , "API_BASE_URL" , "\"https://api.example.com\"" ) buildConfigField ( "Boolean" , "ENABLE_LOGGING" , "false" ) resValue ( "string" , "app_name" , "MyApp" ) } } buildTypes { debug { isDebuggable = true isMinifyEnabled = false } release { isDebuggable = false isMinifyEnabled = true proguardFiles ( getDefaultProguardFile ( "proguard-android-optimize.txt" ) , "proguard-rules.pro" ) } } } Build Variant Naming : {flavor}{BuildType} → e.g., devDebug , prodRelease Gradle Build Commands :
List all available build variants
./gradlew tasks --group = "build"
Build specific variant (flavor + buildType)
./gradlew assembleDevDebug
Dev flavor, Debug build
./gradlew assembleStagingDebug
Staging flavor, Debug build
./gradlew assembleProdRelease
Prod flavor, Release build
Build all variants of a specific flavor
./gradlew assembleDev
All Dev variants (debug + release)
./gradlew assembleProd
All Prod variants
Build all variants of a specific build type
./gradlew assembleDebug
All flavors, Debug build
./gradlew assembleRelease
All flavors, Release build
Install specific variant to device
./gradlew installDevDebug ./gradlew installProdRelease
Build and install in one command
- ./gradlew installDevDebug
- &&
- adb shell am start
- -n
- com.example.myapp.dev/.MainActivity
- Access BuildConfig in Code
- :
- Note
- Starting from AGP 8.0,
BuildConfig
is no longer generated by default. You must explicitly enable it in your
build.gradle.kts
:
android
{
buildFeatures
{
buildConfig
=
true
}
}
// Use build config values in your code
val
apiUrl
=
BuildConfig
.
API_BASE_URL
val
isLoggingEnabled
=
BuildConfig
.
ENABLE_LOGGING
if
(
BuildConfig
.
DEBUG
)
{
// Debug-only code
}
Flavor-Specific Source Sets
:
app/src/
├── main/ # Shared code for all flavors
├── dev/ # Dev-only code and resources
│ ├── java/
│ └── res/
├── staging/ # Staging-only code and resources
├── prod/ # Prod-only code and resources
├── debug/ # Debug build type code
└── release/ # Release build type code
Multiple Flavor Dimensions
(e.g., environment + tier):
android
{
flavorDimensions
+=
listOf
(
"environment"
,
"tier"
)
productFlavors
{
create
(
"dev"
)
{
dimension
=
"environment"
}
create
(
"prod"
)
{
dimension
=
"environment"
}
create
(
"free"
)
{
dimension
=
"tier"
}
create
(
"paid"
)
{
dimension
=
"tier"
}
}
}
// Results in: devFreeDebug, devPaidDebug, prodFreeRelease, etc.
3. Kotlin Development Standards
3.1 Naming Conventions
Type
Convention
Example
Class/Interface
PascalCase
UserRepository
,
MainActivity
Function/Variable
camelCase
getUserName()
,
isLoading
Constant
SCREAMING_SNAKE
MAX_RETRY_COUNT
Package
lowercase
com.example.myapp
Composable
PascalCase
@Composable fun UserCard()
3.2 Code Standards (Important)
Null Safety
:
// ❌ Avoid: Non-null assertion !! (may crash)
val
name
=
user
!!
.
name
// ✅ Recommended: Safe call + default value
val
name
=
user
?
.
name
?:
"Unknown"
// ✅ Recommended: let handling
user
?
.
let
{
processUser
(
it
)
}
Exception Handling
:
// ❌ Avoid: Random try-catch in business layer swallowing exceptions
fun
loadData
(
)
{
try
{
val
data
=
api
.
fetch
(
)
}
catch
(
e
:
Exception
)
{
// Swallowing exception, hard to debug
}
}
// ✅ Recommended: Let exceptions propagate, handle at appropriate layer
suspend
fun
loadData
(
)
:
Result
<
Data
{ return try { Result . success ( api . fetch ( ) ) } catch ( e : Exception ) { Result . failure ( e ) // Wrap and return, let caller decide handling } } // ✅ Recommended: Unified handling in ViewModel viewModelScope . launch { runCatching { repository . loadData ( ) } . onSuccess { _uiState . value = UiState . Success ( it ) } . onFailure { _uiState . value = UiState . Error ( it . message ) } } 3.3 Threading & Coroutines (Critical) Thread Selection Principles : Operation Type Thread Description UI Updates Dispatchers.Main Update View, State, LiveData Network Requests Dispatchers.IO HTTP calls, API requests File I/O Dispatchers.IO Local storage, database operations Compute Intensive Dispatchers.Default JSON parsing, sorting, encryption Correct Usage : // In ViewModel viewModelScope . launch { // Default Main thread, can update UI State _uiState . value = UiState . Loading // Switch to IO thread for network request val result = withContext ( Dispatchers . IO ) { repository . fetchData ( ) } // Automatically returns to Main thread, update UI _uiState . value = UiState . Success ( result ) } // In Repository (suspend functions should be main-safe) suspend fun fetchData ( ) : Data = withContext ( Dispatchers . IO ) { api . getData ( ) } Common Mistakes : // ❌ Wrong: Updating UI on IO thread viewModelScope . launch ( Dispatchers . IO ) { val data = api . fetch ( ) _uiState . value = data // Crash or warning! } // ❌ Wrong: Executing time-consuming operation on Main thread viewModelScope . launch { val data = api . fetch ( ) // Blocking main thread! ANR } // ✅ Correct: Fetch on IO, update on Main viewModelScope . launch { val data = withContext ( Dispatchers . IO ) { api . fetch ( ) } _uiState . value = data } 3.4 Visibility Rules // Default is public, declare explicitly when needed class UserRepository { // public private val cache = mutableMapOf < String , User
( ) // Visible only within class internal fun clearCache ( ) { } // Visible only within module } // data class properties are public by default, be careful when used across modules data class User ( val id : String , // public val name : String ) 3.5 Common Syntax Pitfalls // ❌ Wrong: Accessing uninitialized lateinit class MyViewModel : ViewModel ( ) { lateinit var data : String fun process ( ) = data . length // May crash } // ✅ Correct: Use nullable or default value class MyViewModel : ViewModel ( ) { var data : String ? = null fun process ( ) = data ? . length ?: 0 } // ❌ Wrong: Using return in lambda list . forEach { item -> if ( item . isEmpty ( ) ) return // Returns from outer function! } // ✅ Correct: Use return@forEach list . forEach { item -> if ( item . isEmpty ( ) ) return @forEach } 3.6 Server Response Data Class Fields Must Be Nullable // ❌ Wrong: Fields declared as non-null (server may not return them) data class UserResponse ( val id : String = "" , val name : String = "" , val avatar : String = "" ) // ✅ Correct: All fields declared as nullable data class UserResponse ( @SerializedName ( "id" ) val id : String ? = null , @SerializedName ( "name" ) val name : String ? = null , @SerializedName ( "avatar" ) val avatar : String ? = null ) 3.7 Lifecycle Resource Management // ❌ Wrong: Only adding Observer, not removing class MyView : View { override fun onAttachedToWindow ( ) { super . onAttachedToWindow ( ) activity ? . lifecycle ? . addObserver ( this ) } // Memory leak! } // ✅ Correct: Paired add and remove class MyView : View { override fun onAttachedToWindow ( ) { super . onAttachedToWindow ( ) activity ? . lifecycle ? . addObserver ( this ) } override fun onDetachedFromWindow ( ) { activity ? . lifecycle ? . removeObserver ( this ) super . onDetachedFromWindow ( ) } } 3.8 Logging Level Usage import android . util . Log // Info: Key checkpoints in normal flow Log . i ( TAG , "loadData: started, userId = $ userId " ) // Warning: Abnormal but recoverable situations Log . w ( TAG , "loadData: cache miss, fallback to network" ) // Error: Failure/error situations Log . e ( TAG , "loadData failed: ${ error . message } " ) Level Use Case i (Info) Normal flow, method entry, key parameters w (Warning) Recoverable exceptions, fallback handling, null returns e (Error) Request failures, caught exceptions, unrecoverable errors 4. Jetpack Compose Standards 4.1 @Composable Context Rules // ❌ Wrong: Calling Composable from non-Composable function fun showError ( message : String ) { Text ( message ) // Compile error! } // ✅ Correct: Mark as @Composable @Composable fun ErrorMessage ( message : String ) { Text ( message ) } // ❌ Wrong: Using suspend outside LaunchedEffect @Composable fun MyScreen ( ) { val data = fetchData ( ) // Error! } // ✅ Correct: Use LaunchedEffect @Composable fun MyScreen ( ) { var data by remember { mutableStateOf < Data ?
( null ) } LaunchedEffect ( Unit ) { data = fetchData ( ) } } 4.2 State Management // Basic State var count by remember { mutableStateOf ( 0 ) } // Derived State (avoid redundant computation) val isEven by remember { derivedStateOf { count % 2 == 0 } } // Persist across recomposition (e.g., scroll position) val scrollState = rememberScrollState ( ) // State in ViewModel class MyViewModel : ViewModel ( ) { private val _uiState = MutableStateFlow ( UiState ( ) ) val uiState : StateFlow < UiState
= _uiState . asStateFlow ( ) } 4.3 Common Compose Mistakes // ❌ Wrong: Creating objects in Composable (created on every recomposition) @Composable fun MyScreen ( ) { val viewModel = MyViewModel ( ) // Wrong! } // ✅ Correct: Use viewModel() or remember @Composable fun MyScreen ( viewModel : MyViewModel = viewModel ( ) ) { // ... } 5. Resources & Icons 5.1 App Icon Requirements Must provide multi-resolution icons: Directory Size Purpose mipmap-mdpi 48x48 Baseline mipmap-hdpi 72x72 1.5x mipmap-xhdpi 96x96 2x mipmap-xxhdpi 144x144 3x mipmap-xxxhdpi 192x192 4x Recommended: Use Adaptive Icon (Android 8+):
< adaptive-icon
background android: drawable = " @color/ic_launcher_background " / foreground android: drawable = " @mipmap/ic_launcher_foreground " / </ adaptive-icon
5.2 Resource Naming Conventions Type Prefix Example Layout layout_ layout_main.xml Image ic_, img_, bg_ ic_user.png Color color_ color_primary String - app_name , btn_submit 5.3 Avoid Android Reserved Names (Important) Variable names, resource IDs, colors, icons, and XML elements must not use Android reserved words or system resource names. Using reserved names causes build errors or resource conflicts. Common Reserved Names to Avoid : Category Reserved Names (Do NOT Use) Colors background , foreground , transparent , white , black Icons/Drawables icon , logo , image , drawable Views view , text , button , layout , container Attributes id , name , type , style , theme , color System app , android , content , data , action Examples :
< color name = " background "
FFFFFF
</ color
< color name = " icon "
000000
</ color
< color name = " app_background "
FFFFFF
</ color
< color name = " icon_primary "
000000
</ color
// ❌ Wrong: Variable names conflict with system val icon = R . drawable . my_icon val background = Color . White // ✅ Correct: Use descriptive names val appIcon = R . drawable . my_icon val screenBackground = Color . White
ImageView android: src = " @drawable/icon " /
- <
- ImageView
- android:
- src
- =
- "
- @drawable/ic_home
- "
- />
- 6. Build Error Diagnosis & Fixes
- 6.1 Common Error Quick Reference
- Error Keyword
- Cause
- Fix
- Unresolved reference
- Missing import or undefined
- Check imports, verify dependencies
- Type mismatch
- Type incompatibility
- Check parameter types, add conversion
- Cannot access
- Visibility issue
- Check public/private/internal
- @Composable invocations
- Composable context error
- Ensure caller is also @Composable
- Duplicate class
- Dependency conflict
- Use
- ./gradlew dependencies
- to investigate
- AAPT: error
- Resource file error
- Check XML syntax and resource references
- 6.2 Fix Best Practices
- Read the complete error message first
-
- Locate file and line number
- Check recent changes
-
- Problems usually in latest modifications
- Clean Build
- :
- ./gradlew clean assembleDebug
- Check dependency versions
-
- Version conflicts are common causes
- Refresh dependencies if needed
- Clear cache and rebuild 6.3 Debugging Commands
Clean and build
./gradlew clean assembleDebug
View dependency tree (investigate conflicts)
./gradlew :app:dependencies
View detailed errors
./gradlew assembleDebug --stacktrace
Refresh dependencies
- ./gradlew --refresh-dependencies
- 7. Material Design 3 Guidelines
- Review Android UI files for compliance with Material Design 3 Guidelines and Android best practices.
- Design Philosophy
- M3 Core Principles
- Principle
- Description
- Personal
- Dynamic color based on user preferences and wallpaper
- Adaptive
- Responsive across all screen sizes and form factors
- Expressive
- Bold colors and typography with personality
- Accessible
- Inclusive design for all users
- M3 Expressive (Latest)
- The latest evolution adds emotion-driven UX through:
- Vibrant, dynamic colors
- Intuitive motion physics
- Adaptive components
- Flexible typography
- Contrasting shapes (35 new shape options)
- App Style Selection
- Critical Decision
-
- Match visual style to app category and target audience.
- App Category
- Visual Style
- Key Characteristics
- Utility/Tool
- Minimalist
- Clean, efficient, neutral colors
- Finance/Banking
- Professional Trust
- Conservative colors, security-focused
- Health/Wellness
- Calm & Natural
- Soft colors, organic shapes
- Kids (3-5)
- Playful Simple
- Bright colors, large targets (56dp+)
- Kids (6-12)
- Fun & Engaging
- Vibrant, gamified feedback
- Social/Entertainment
- Expressive
- Brand-driven, gesture-rich
- Productivity
- Clean & Focused
- Minimal, high contrast
- E-commerce
- Conversion-focused
- Clear CTAs, scannable
- See
- Design Style Guide
- for detailed style profiles.
- Quick Reference: Key Specifications
- Color Contrast Requirements
- Element
- Minimum Ratio
- Body text
- 4.5:1
- Large text (18sp+)
- 3:1
- UI components
- 3:1
- Touch Targets
- Type
- Size
- Minimum
- 48 × 48dp
- Recommended (primary actions)
- 56 × 56dp
- Kids apps
- 56dp+
- Spacing between targets
- 8dp minimum
- 8dp Grid System
- Token
- Value
- Usage
- xs
- 4dp
- Icon padding
- sm
- 8dp
- Tight spacing
- md
- 16dp
- Default padding
- lg
- 24dp
- Section spacing
- xl
- 32dp
- Large gaps
- xxl
- 48dp
- Screen margins
- Typography Scale (Summary)
- Category
- Sizes
- Display
- 57sp, 45sp, 36sp
- Headline
- 32sp, 28sp, 24sp
- Title
- 22sp, 16sp, 14sp
- Body
- 16sp, 14sp, 12sp
- Label
- 14sp, 12sp, 11sp
- Animation Duration
- Type
- Duration
- Micro (ripples)
- 50-100ms
- Short (simple)
- 100-200ms
- Medium (expand/collapse)
- 200-300ms
- Long (complex)
- 300-500ms
- Component Dimensions
- Component
- Height
- Min Width
- Button
- 40dp
- 64dp
- FAB
- 56dp
- 56dp
- Text Field
- 56dp
- 280dp
- App Bar
- 64dp
- -
- Bottom Nav
- 80dp
- -
- Anti-Patterns (Must Avoid)
- UI Anti-Patterns
- More than 5 bottom navigation items
- Multiple FABs on same screen
- Touch targets smaller than 48dp
- Inconsistent spacing (non-8dp multiples)
- Missing dark theme support
- Text on colored backgrounds without contrast check
- Performance Anti-Patterns
- Startup time > 2 seconds without progress indicator
- Frame rate < 60 FPS (> 16ms per frame)
- Crash rate > 1.09% (Google Play threshold)
- ANR rate > 0.47% (Google Play threshold)
- Accessibility Anti-Patterns
- Missing contentDescription on interactive elements
- Element type in labels (e.g., "Save button" instead of "Save")
- Complex gestures in kids apps
- Text-only buttons for non-readers
- Review Checklist
- 8dp spacing grid compliance
- 48dp minimum touch targets
- Proper typography scale usage
- Color contrast compliance (4.5:1+ for text)
- Dark theme support
- contentDescription on all interactive elements
- Startup < 2 seconds or shows progress
- Visual style matches app category
- Design References
- Topic
- Reference
- Colors, Typography, Spacing, Shapes
- Visual Design
- Animation & Transitions
- Motion System
- Accessibility Guidelines
- Accessibility
- Large Screens & Foldables
- Adaptive Screens
- Android Vitals & Performance
- Performance & Stability
- Privacy & Security
- Privacy & Security
- Audio, Video, Notifications
- Functional Requirements
- App Style by Category
- Design Style Guide
- 8. Testing
- Note
-
- Only add test dependencies when the user explicitly asks for testing.
- A well-tested Android app uses layered testing: fast local unit tests for logic, instrumentation tests for UI and integration, and Gradle Managed Devices to run emulators reproducibly on any machine — including CI.
- 8.1 Test Dependencies
- Before adding test dependencies, inspect the project's existing versions to avoid conflicts:
- Check
- gradle/libs.versions.toml
- — if present, add test deps using the project's version catalog style
- Check existing
- build.gradle.kts
- for already-pinned dependency versions
- Match version families using the table below
- Version Alignment Rules
- :
- Test Dependency
- Must Align With
- How to Check
- kotlinx-coroutines-test
- Project's
- kotlinx-coroutines-core
- version
- Search for
- kotlinx-coroutines
- in build files or version catalog
- compose-ui-test-junit4
- Project's Compose BOM or
- compose-compiler
- Search for
- compose-bom
- or
- compose.compiler
- in build files
- espresso-*
- All Espresso artifacts must use the same version
- Search for
- espresso
- in build files
- androidx.test:runner
- ,
- rules
- ,
- ext:junit
- Should use compatible AndroidX Test versions
- Search for
- androidx.test
- in build files
- mockk
- Must support the project's Kotlin version
- Check
- kotlin
- version in root
- build.gradle.kts
- or version catalog
- Dependencies Reference
- — add only the groups you need:
- dependencies
- {
- // --- Local unit tests (src/test/) ---
- testImplementation
- (
- "junit:junit:
" - )
- // 4.13.2+
- testImplementation
- (
- "org.robolectric:robolectric:
" - )
- // 4.16.1+
- testImplementation
- (
- "io.mockk:mockk:
" - )
- // match Kotlin version
- testImplementation
- (
- "org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-coroutines-test:
" - )
- // match coroutines-core
- testImplementation
- (
- "androidx.arch.core:core-testing:
" - )
- // InstantTaskExecutorRule for LiveData
- testImplementation
- (
- "app.cash.turbine:turbine:
" - )
- // Flow/StateFlow testing
- // --- Instrumentation tests (src/androidTest/) ---
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test.ext:junit:
" - )
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test:runner:
" - )
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test:rules:
" - )
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:
" - )
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test.espresso:espresso-contrib:
" - )
- // RecyclerView, Drawer
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test.espresso:espresso-intents:
" - )
- // Intent verification
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test.espresso:espresso-idling-resource:
" - )
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.test.uiautomator:uiautomator:
" - )
- // --- Compose UI tests (only if project uses Compose) ---
- androidTestImplementation
- (
- "androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-junit4"
- )
- // version from Compose BOM
- debugImplementation
- (
- "androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-manifest"
- )
- // required for createComposeRule
- }
- Note
- If the project uses a Compose BOM, ui-test-junit4 and ui-test-manifest don't need explicit versions — the BOM manages them. Enable Robolectric resource support in the android block: android { testOptions { unitTests . isIncludeAndroidResources = true // required for Robolectric } } 8.2 Testing by Layer Layer Location Runs On Speed Use For Unit (JUnit) src/test/ JVM ~ms ViewModels, repos, mappers, validators Unit + Robolectric src/test/ JVM + simulated Android ~100ms Code needing Context, resources, SharedPrefs Compose UI (local) src/test/ JVM + Robolectric ~100ms Composable rendering & interaction Espresso src/androidTest/ Device/Emulator ~seconds View-based UI flows, Intents, DB integration Compose UI (device) src/androidTest/ Device/Emulator ~seconds Full Compose UI flows with real rendering UI Automator src/androidTest/ Device/Emulator ~seconds System dialogs, notifications, multi-app Managed Device src/androidTest/ Gradle-managed AVD ~minutes (first run) CI, matrix testing across API levels See Testing for detailed examples, code patterns, and Gradle Managed Device configuration. 8.3 Testing Commands
Local unit tests (fast, no emulator)
./gradlew test
all modules
./gradlew :app:testDebugUnitTest
app module, debug variant
Single test class
./gradlew :app:testDebugUnitTest --tests "com.example.myapp.CounterViewModelTest"
Instrumentation tests (requires device or managed device)
./gradlew connectedDebugAndroidTest
on connected device
./gradlew pixel6Api34DebugAndroidTest
on managed device
Both together
./gradlew test connectedDebugAndroidTest
Test with coverage report (JaCoCo)
./gradlew testDebugUnitTest jacocoTestReport