Android’s ADT plugin for Eclipse has been update to version 12 as well, these updates now allowing developers of all shapes and sizes to use system images compiled for ARM v7 and x86 CPUs in the emulator as well as in the AVD manager. This should be rather exciting news for you hopefuls for a brand new Intel horizon. Fun fact – did you know that back in October of 2010, ARM president Tudor Brown tipped Forbes that the next generation of Android would be called Ice Cream? Totally fun!
As for the Eclipse plugin, you’ll be getting support for the new SDK tools revision, you’ll have better control over APK file packaging, you’ll get better previews, more complete and reliable error messages, resize support (for that tasty Ice Cream Sandwich on the horizon!) – LinearLayout now mapping sizes to weights instead of pixel widths. Hooray for tablets, essentially, is what they’re saying here. No longer will you be plagued with the dooming stretched screens and double pixel visual errors of old. AND of course there will be much in the area of bug fixes, both here and in SDK.
Grab all the updates via the Android Developer main homepage or go straight to the ADT Plugin for Eclipse page or the SDK Tools page right this minute. NOTE also that if you’re going to develop outside of Eclipse, you’ll now need or later. Not so rough considering that update came out December 27th 2010. Neato!
AND for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about: these are developer tools with which the Android community can create games and other apps for you and I. An update means they’ll be able to do more, better, and more efficiently than before. Good news for all!
