Mobile App Development on Windows for Android Platform Using Rust and Dioxus Library

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Mobile App Development on Windows for Android Platform Using Rust and Dioxus Library

This guide is applicable for version 0.6 (currently v0.6.0-alpha.5). Install using:

cargo binstall dioxus-cli --version v0.6.0-alpha.5

Installing Android Studio

1. Download and install the latest version of Android Studio from the official website:
   https://developer.android.com/studio

2. Create a new Dioxus project or open an existing one:

   dx new project_name

3. Configure Android SDK:

   • Open Settings via hamburger menu icon or File -> Settings
   • Navigate to Languages & Frameworks -> Android SDK
   • Alternatively: Tools -> SDK Manager

4. Select Android Version:
   • Current latest version is Android 15.0 ("VanillaIceCream") API 35
   • It's recommended to test your application with multiple API versions

5. Install NDK:
   • Go to SDK Tools tab
   • Check "NDK (Side by side)"
   • Click Apply to install

Setting Up an Emulator

1. Open Device Manager:
   • Navigate to Tools -> Device Manager

• Device Manager typically appears in the right panel

2. Create New Virtual Device:
   • Click the + button to add a new device

• Select "Create Virtual Device"

• Choose your desired hardware (e.g., Pixel 9 Pro XL)
  

• Click Next

3. Select System Image:

   • Choose your preferred Android version
   • For comprehensive testing, you may download multiple versions
   • Select VanillaIceCream or your preferred version
   • Click Next
     

4. Configure AVD:

   • Name your device or keep the default name
   • Click Finish
     
     

Installing JDK 23

1. Remove Previous Versions:

   • Uninstall any previous JDK versions if no longer needed
   • Delete old JDK folders from C:\Program Files\Java\ to prevent build errors

2. Install JDK 23:

   • Download from: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#jdk23-windows
   • Use x64 MSI Installer

Setting Environment Variables

1. Open Advanced System Properties:
   • Press Win + R
   • Type "SystemPropertiesAdvanced"
   • Press Enter

Click on Environment Variables ...

2. Set System Variables:
   Add the following:

   ANDROID_HOME = C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk
   ANDROID_NDK_HOME = C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\ndk\28.0.12433566
   

   Note: Replace username with your Windows username and adjust NDK (28.0.12433566) version as needed
   

3. Set User Path Variables:
   Add these paths to the user's PATH variable:

   C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-23\bin
   C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools
   C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\emulator
   

4. Important: After changing environment variables:

• Close and reopen any terminal windows
• Restart Visual Studio Code
• Restart Android Studio
  This ensures the new environment variables are properly loaded in all development tools.

Running the Emulator

Command Line Method:

# List available devices
adb devices

# List available emulators
emulator -list-avds

# Launch specific emulator
emulator -avd [emulator_name]

Android Studio Method:

1. Open Device Manager
   

2. Click the play button next to your desired virtual device
   
   

Note: If the emulator freezes, it's often quicker to:

1. Close and Open Android Studio
2. Delete the problematic emulator
3. Create a new one

VS Code Method:

1. Ensure emulator is created in Android Studio first
2. Use command line tools to launch:

   emulator -avd [emulator_name]
   emulator -avd Pixel_9_Pro_XL_API_35

If you get a multiple emulators error:

ERROR   | Running multiple emulators with the same AVD 
ERROR   | is an experimental feature.
ERROR   | Please use -read-only flag to enable this feature.

Stop any running emulators and retry.

If the emulator appears too large or extends beyond your screen boundaries:

• Click on the three dots (...) in the emulator's toolbar
• Enable 'Show window frame around device' in the settings
• The emulator will now appear in a resizable window
• Drag the window edges to adjust the emulator to your preferred size

Running Your Application

Development Mode:

dx serve --platform android

Wait for "Build completed successfully" message (may take over 1 minute)

VS Code

Android Studio

Physical Device Setup:

1. Enable Developer Options on your Android device
2. Enable USB Debugging
3. Enable File Transfer mode
4. Connect device via USB
5. Verify connection:

   adb devices

adb devices
List of devices attached
2yu346b7ab        device
emulator-5554   host

7. Run the application:

   dx serve --platform android

8. Accept the .apk installation prompt on your device
   

Building APK:

Debug Version

To build a debug version of your application:

dx build --platform android

The debug APK will be generated at:
\target\dx\app_name\debug\android\app\app\build\outputs\apk\debug\app-debug.apk

Release Version

To build a release version of your application:

dx build --platform android --release

The release APK will be generated at:
\target\dx\app_name\release\android\app\app\build\outputs\apk\debug\app-debug.apk

Note: The initial release APK file size will be approximately 15 MB for a basic application. This is typical for Rust-based Android applications due to included libraries and runtime components.