Difference Between Android Studio and Eclipse

Key Difference – Android Studio vs Eclipse
 

When developing a software, there are many files to handle and it is hard only to use the command line to arrange the files. Therefore, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) can be used. An IDE is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities for developers to build software applications. It contains code editor, build automation tool and debugger. They provide a complete project structure that makes it easy to arrange every file necessary for the project. Android Studio and  Eclipse are two such IDEs. The key difference between Android Studio and Eclipse is that the Android Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) specifically developed for Android applications while Eclipse is an integrated development environment that is widely used for Java-based application development. Android Studio is specifically designed to build Android applications but Eclipse is useful for building android as well as other web and desktop applications. It supports android through Google ADT plug-in.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Android Studio
3. What is Eclipse
4. Similarities Between Android Studio and Eclipse
5. Side by Side Comparison – Android Studio vs Eclipse in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Android Studio?

Android Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Google’s Android Operating Systems. An IDE is a tool that makes programming much easier. When developing a complex software project it is necessary to use an IDE because it helps to organize all files. Working with the command line is not an effective method. Android Studio has features such as code completion and refactoring that makes developing the project easier without consuming much time. Android Studio can be downloaded on Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. It was first released on May 16, 2013.  New features were added and the IDE was improved from beta version to stable version. Google released the Android stable version on December 08, 2014 with advanced features. This IDE is based on IntelliJ IDEA.

Android Studio is designed specifically for Android application development. The IDE consists of a robust code editor and new build system based on Gradle. It is easy to create new projects, add necessary modules to support Android TV, Android Wear and Google cloud backend using Android Studio. To add these modules, the programmer just needs to open the provided wizards and select the modules to be added. With code templates, it is easy to start coding right away. Overall, it is a free development environment to build effective android applications.

What is Eclipse?

Eclipse is an IDE containing a base workspace and an extensible plug-in system. It is primarily used for Java applications but can also be used for applications using other programming languages through plug-ins. Some languages include C, C++, C#, Perl, PHP, Python and Ruby.  It can also be used for developing packages for the software “Mathematica”. It is a mathematical computation software used in technical and scientific fields.

Many developers prefer Eclipse IDE as it provides a number of features to make the software development easier. It uses a software updating mechanism. Updates can be done using a simple dialog box. Developers do not want to concentrate on dependencies. The main advantage of Eclipse IDE is that it can be used to develop Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) applications. The server view allows controlling the server in web development. Another feature is perspectives. Available perspectives depend on the installation. The default perspective is Java but one can change it to another perspective such as Debug.

Eclipse arranges the project structure methodically. The workspace is storing project source files, images, and other artifacts. Eclipse is suitable for developing mobile, desktop and web applications. Overall, Eclipse Software development kit is a free and open source software to build robust and efficient applications.

What are the Similarities Between Android Studio and Eclipse?

• Both are Integrated Development Environments.
• Both provide a flattened representation of the project structure giving quick access to code, resources and build files.
• Both provide better Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Both provide code auto completion facilities.
• Helps to write clean and error-free code.

What is the Difference Between Android Studio and Eclipse?

Summary – Android Studio vs Eclipse

Android Studio and Eclipse are popular Integrated Development Environment. These IDE provide sophisticated tools to build effective software applications. Android Studio is used by the developers specifically for android application development. Eclipse can be used by developers who are not just limited to android development. Selecting either Android Studio or Eclipse depends on the application.  The difference between Android Studio and Eclipse is that Android Studio is an Integrated Development Environment(IDE) specifically developed for Android applications while Eclipse is an integrated development environment that is widely used for Java-based application development. They can be web, mobile or desktop applications.

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Reference:

1.Sugrue, James. “Five Features That Make Eclipse My IDE of Choice – DZone Java.” Dzone.com, 16 Dec. 2009. Available here  
2.“Eclipse (Software).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Jan. 2018. Available here
3.Android Studio.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Jan. 2018. Available here 
4.GoogleDevelopers. Introduction to Android Studio, Google Developers, 23 Feb. 2015. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1,’Android Studio icon’By Google Inc. – Android.com, (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2.’Eclipse-arranque’By Guerra24 – Own work, (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia