Android Studio Productivity Tips
In this article you’ll learn about some of the most helpful and productive settings within Android Studio!
1. Local variable types inlay hints
What does it do?
It’s a hint for the developer to know the type of a specified variable. This makes code more readable most of the time, especially when you’re working with multiple functions and types. Here’s how the code looks with the option disabled:
Here’s how after enabling it:
It might be helpful because we know it’s a long-to-int conversion and the result. Now, we could reuse it somewhere.
How to enable it?
Place your cursor on the local variable, click alt + enter, then choose “Enable the option ‘Local variable types’ for ‘Types’ inlay hints”.
This means you can enable/disable it on the fly, depending on the code you’re trying to analyse.
2. Implicit receivers and parameters inlay hints
What does it do?
It works much like the previous setting but for lambdas. Frequently, it’ll be much more helpful:
Now, when we enable it:
We immediately both know the type of internalVariable and that doSomething takes in Int as input. This might not seem like a big deal, but it can be a lifesaver in bigger classes and functions.
How to enable it?
Place your cursor on the { of lambda and click alt + enter, then choose “Enable option ‘Implicit receivers and parameters’ for ‘Lambdas’ inlay hints”.
This means you can enable/disable it on the fly, depending on the code you’re trying to analyse.
Enabling both 1 and 2 might be overwhelming, so it’s best to see which you should turn on for yourself.
3. Plugins
It would be best to use some plugins as shortcuts for repetitive tasks. I’ve already covered these in detail:
Here’s a list of top 5:
4. Live Templates
When working with code, you’ll find yourself repeating similar actions repeatedly. Maybe you need to add some boilerplate to keep up with clean architecture or have a coding style. With this, you’ll write your code much, much faster!
An example of how you can show Toast using a live template(it’s bundled within Android Studio from the start):
How to add your templates?
One of the best features of live templates is that you can define them yourself by going into Settings | Editor | Live Templates. Find out more about them in the documentation.
5. File Templates
The idea is similar to live templates, except here, you’ll create a file or a group of files with multiple things in common. You’re able to swap parts of the names, etc.
Here’s an example of using a File Template for ViewModel:
How to add your templates?
Like with Live Templates, you can create your templates by going into Settings | Editor | File and Code Templates. Find out more about them in the documentation.
