A Few Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing an Android Library

A library for Android is similar to a module for an Android application. The manifest can contain all the files needed to create an Android app, such as source code and resource files. In place of an app module that runs on the device, Android libraries compile into Android Archive (AAR) files. Creating libraries is a process that's a bit different than your usual app development.?

In this article, we will try to provide some insight into things you might not be aware of when developing a library as opposed to an app. Despite being oriented toward android library development, the tips provided here might be useful for android app development as well.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Factors to consider while choosing the android app library?

Your choice of Android library will depend on your needs. Deterministic dependency injectors, networking, image loading, drawing libraries, scanning, view binding, debugging, reactive programming, and UI components are among them.

Choosing a library can be guided by the following criteria.

Popularity: Does the library appeal to developers? Is there a serious problem with it? The library will be selected if these questions are satisfactorily answered.

Author trustworthiness: Checking the author's credibility from the library is an excellent way to determine the caliber. A solid following on Github and success with Android libraries speak well for an author's library's quality.

Quality: According to your app's README file, adding features will be straightforward. In addition, the library is well-organized.

License: A library's license may restrict its usage. Take a look at the license to verify that the features will be supported in the app you want to integrate them into.

?Free software: Transparency issues can be dangerous. When possible, it is preferable to gain access to the library code to evaluate performance and quality.

Library suggestions: Several high-quality libraries are available from Retrofit, Picasso, ButterKnife, and Glide. Moreover, they are the platform's libraries. The benefits, features, and restrictions of these are all typically safe bets, but it is best to double-check these variables.

Core features: Methods that have been proven to work produce the best results. The library's core features should be able to be swapped for a variety of use cases when you have complete control over the code.

Conclusion

The more you work on it, the better you become, which leads to the discovery of patterns and areas for improvement. Begin with a simple API, iterate frequently, and fix bugs as soon as possible. Remember that libraries that are rarely updated are not appealing to developers. You can create an internal project library. Isolate parts that should be linked together. Then, try adapting them to be independent of your project and the specific tasks for which you use them.