docs/html/sdk/adding-components.jd

page.title=Adding SDK Components
@jd:body


<div id="qv-wrapper">
<div id="qv">
<h2>Quickview</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Use the Android SDK and AVD Manager to 
   keep your SDK up-to-date without having to install new
   SDK directories.</li>
  <li>The Android SDK and AVD Manager is available only with the 
   Android 1.6 SDK or later.</li>
  <li>The Eclipse ADT plugin may require an update when installing
   new tools or system images.</li>
</ul>

<h2>In this document</h2>
<ol>
  <li><a href="#InstallingComponents">Installing SDK Components</a>
    <ol>
      <li><a href="#AddingSites">Adding New Sites</a></li>
    </ol>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#dependencies">Component Dependencies</a></li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>

<p>Adding and updating components in your Android SDK is fast and easy. To
perform an update, use the <strong>Android SDK and AVD Manager</strong> to
install or update the individual SDK components that you need. The Android SDK
and AVD Manager tool is included in Android 1.6 and later SDK packages.</p>

<p>It only takes a couple of clicks to install
individual versions of the Android platform, new development tools, new documentation, and
SDK add-ons. The new SDK components are automatically installed into your existing SDK 
directory, so you don't need to update your development environment to specify a
new SDK location.</p>

<p>Because each version of the Android platform can be installed as an individual component
of your SDK, you can customize your development environment to the Android platforms
you are targetting. Testing your app on multiple versions of
the platform is very important in order to successfully operate on as many devices as possible.
Be sure to install each version of the Android platform with which your app is compatible, then test
your apps on <a href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/tools/avd.html">AVDs</a> that run each platform.</p>

<p>If you develop applications using Eclipse, you may also need to update your
ADT plugin when you update your development tools or in order to compile against
a new version of the platform. See the <a
href="{@docRoot}sdk/tools-notes.html">SDK Tools Notes</a> document for ADT
compatibility.</p>


<h2 id="InstallingComponents">Installing SDK Components</h2>

<p>Use the Android SDK and AVD Manager to install new SDK components. 
You can launch the SDK and AVD Manager in one of these ways:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Execute the {@code android}</a> tool command with no options. If you
haven't used the tool before, change to the <code>&lt;sdk&gt;/tools</code>
directory and run the command: 
  <pre style="width:400px">$ android</pre></li>
  <li>If you have downloaded the SDK Tools (Revision 3 or higher) and are 
  running Windows, you can double-click "SDK Setup.exe" in the SDK directory.
  <li>If you are developing in Eclipse with ADT, you can select 
  <strong>Window</strong> &gt;<strong>Android SDK and AVD Manager</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/sdk_manager_packages.png" alt="" style="float:right" />

<p>When a new platform version, add-on, set of development tools or
documentation becomes available, you can quickly install them into your existing
Android SDK:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Select <strong>Available Components</strong> in the left panel.
  This will reveal all components currently available for download.</li>
  <li>Select the components you'd like to install and click <strong>Install
  Selected</strong>.</li>
  <li>Verify and accept the components you want and click <strong>Install
  Accepted</strong>. The components will now be installed into your existing
  Android SDK directories.</li>
</ol>

<p>New platforms are automatically saved into the 
<code><em>&lt;sdk>/</em>platforms/</code> directory of your SDK;
new add-ons are saved in the <code><em>&lt;sdk>/</em>add-ons/</code>
directory; and new documentation is saved in the existing
<code><em>&lt;sdk>/</em>docs/</code> directory (old docs are replaced).</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Tip:</strong>
Use the "Display updates only" checkbox to show only the components
you do not have.</p>


<h3 id="AddingSites">Adding New Sites</h3>

<p>By default, <strong>Available Components</strong> only shows the default
repository site, which offers platforms, SDK tools, documentation, the 
Google APIs Add-on, and other components. You can add other sites that host 
their own Android SDK add-ons, then download the SDK add-ons
from those sites.</p>	

<p>For example, a mobile carrier or device manufacturer might offer additional
API libraries that are supported by their own Android-powered devices. In order
to develop using their libraries, you must install their Android SDK add-on. </p>

<p>If a carrier or device manufacturer has hosted an SDK add-on repository file
on their web site, follow these steps to add their site to the SDK and AVD
Manager:</p>

<ol>
  <li>Select <strong>Available Components</strong> in the left panel.</li>
  <li>Click <strong>Add Site</strong> and enter the URL of the 
{@code repository.xml} file. Click <strong>OK</strong>.</li>
</ol>
<p>Any SDK components available from the site will now be listed under
<strong>Available Components</strong>.</p>


<h2 id="dependencies">SDK Component Dependencies</h2>

<p>In some cases, a specific SDK component may require a specific minimum
version of another component or SDK tool. Such dependencies are documented
in the release notes for each component. </p>

<p>For example, there may be a dependency between the ADT plugin for Eclipse and
a specific version of the SDK Tools component. When you install the SDK Tools
component, you would then need to upgrade to the required version of ADT (if you
are developing in Eclipse). In this case, you would find dependencies listed in
the <a href="{@docRoot}sdk/adt-notes.html">ADT Plugin Notes</a> and <a
href="{@docRoot}sdk/tools-notes.html">SDK Tools Notes</a> documents. </p>

<p>Additionally, the development tools will notify you with debug warnings
if there is dependency that you need to address. </p>