Android Studio 2.2

By Jamal Eason, Product
Manager, Android

Android Studio 2.2 is available to href="https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">download today.
Previewed at Google I/O 2016, Android Studio 2.2 is the latest release of our
IDE used by millions of Android developers around the world.

Packed with enhancements, this release has three major themes: speed, smarts,
and Android platform support. Develop faster with features such as the new
Layout Editor, which makes creating an app user interface quick and intuitive.
Develop smarter with our new APK analyzer, enhanced Layout Inspector, expanded
code analysis, IntelliJ’s 2016.1.3 features and much more. Lastly, as the
official IDE for Android app development, Android Studio 2.2 includes support
for all the latest developer features in Android 7.0 Nougat, like href="https://developer.android.com/studio/intro/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#code_completion">code
completion to help you add Android platform features like href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/nougat/android-7.0.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#multi-window_support">Multi-Window
support, href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/nougat/android-7.0.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#tile_api">Quick
Settings API, or the redesigned href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/nougat/android-7.0.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#notification_enhancements">Notifications,
and of course, the built-in href="https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Android
Emulator to test them all out.

In this release, we evolved the Android Frameworks and the IDE together to
create the Constraint Layout. This powerful new layout manager helps you design
large and complex layouts in a flat and streamlined hierarchy. The
ConstraintLayout integrates into your app like a standard Android
support library, and was built in parallel with the new Layout Editor.

Android Studio 2.2 includes 20+ new features across every major phase of the
development process: design, develop, build, & test. From designing UIs with
the new ConstraintLayout, to developing C++ code with the Android
NDK, to building with the latest Jack compliers, to creating Espresso test cases
for your app, Android Studio 2.2 is the update you do not want to miss. Here’s
more detail on some of the top highlights:

Design

• Layout Editor: Creating Android app user interfaces is now
  easier with the new user interface designer. Quickly construct the structure of
  your app UI with the new blueprint mode and adjust the visual attributes of each
  widget with new properties panel. href="https://developer.android.com/studio/write/layout-editor.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Learn
  more.

Layout Editor

• Constraint Layout: This new layout is a flexible layout
  manager for your app that allows you to create dynamic user interfaces without
  nesting multiple layouts. It is backwards compatible all the way back to Android
  API level 9 (Gingerbread). ConstraintLayout works best with the new Layout
  Editor in Android Studio 2.2. href="https://developer.android.com/training/constraint-layout/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Learn
  more.

ConstraintLayout

Develop

• Improved C++ Support: You can now use href="https://developer.android.com/studio/projects/add-native-code.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">CMake
  or ndk-build to compile your C++ projects from Gradle. Migrating projects
  from CMake build systems to Android Studio is now seamless. You will also find
  C++ support in the new project wizard in Android Studio, plus a number of bug
  fixes to the C++ edit and debug experience. href="https://developer.android.com/studio/projects/add-native-code.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Learn
  more.

C++ Code Editing & CMake Support

• Samples Browser: Referencing href="http://developer.android.com/samples/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Android sample code
  is now even easier with Android Studio 2.2. Within the code editor window, find
  occurrences of your app code in Google Android sample code to help jump start
  your app development. Learn more.

Sample Code Menu

Build

• Instant Run Improvements: Introduced in Android Studio 2.0,
  href="https://developer.android.com/studio/run/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#instant-run">Instant
  Run is our major, long-term investment to make Android development as fast
  and lightweight. Since launch, it has significantly improved the edit, build,
  run iteration cycles for many developers. In this release, we have made many
  stability and reliability improvements to Instant Run. If you have previously
  disabled Instant Run, we encourage you to re-enable it and let us know if you
  come across further issues. (Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Instant
  Run [Windows/Linux] , Preferences → Build, Execution, Deployment → Instant Run
  [OS X]). For details on the fixes that we have made, see the href="https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Android Studio
  2.2 release notes.

Enable Instant Run

• APK Analyzer: Easily inspect the contents of your APKs to
  understand the size contribution of each component. This feature can be helpful
  when debugging href="https://developer.android.com/studio/build/multidex.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">multi-dex
  issues. Plus, with the APK Analyzer you can compare two versions of an APK. href="https://developer.android.com/studio/build/apk-analyzer.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Learn
  more.

APK Analyzer

• Build cache (Experimental): We are continuing our
  investments to improve build speeds with the introduction of a new experimental
  build cache that will help reduce both full and incremental build times. Just
  add android.enableBuildCache=true to your
  gradle.properties file. href="http://tools.android.com/tech-docs/build-cache">Learn more.

Build Cache Setting

Test

• Virtual Sensors in the Android Emulator: The Android
  Emulator now includes a new set of virtual sensors controls. With the new UI
  controls, you can now test href="https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/sensors/sensors_overview.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Android
  Sensors such as Accelerometer, Ambient Temperature, Magnetometer and more.
  Learn
  more.

Android Emulator Virtual Sensors

• Espresso Test Recorder (Beta): The Espresso Test Recorder
  lets you easily create UI tests by recording interactions with your app; it then
  outputs the href="https://developer.android.com/topic/libraries/testing-support-library/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#Espresso">UI
  test code for you. You record your interactions with a device and add
  assertions to verify UI elements in particular snapshots of your app. Espresso
  Test Recorder then takes the saved recording and automatically generates a
  corresponding UI test. You can run the test locally, on your continuous
  integration server, or using href="https://developer.android.com/training/testing/unit-testing/instrumented-unit-tests.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#run-ctl">Firebase
  Test Lab for Android. href="https://developer.android.com/studio/test/espresso-test-recorder.html">Learn
  more.

Espresso Test Recorder

• GPU Debugger (Beta): The GPU Debugger is now in Beta. You
  can now capture a stream of OpenGL ES commands on your Android device and then
  replay it from inside Android Studio for analysis. You can also fully inspect
  the GPU state of any given OpenGL ES command to better understand and debug your
  graphical output. href="https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/am-gpu-debugger.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Lean
  more.

GPU Debugger

To recap, Android Studio 2.2 includes these major features and more:

Design href="https://developer.android.com/studio/write/layout-editor.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Layout Editor href="https://developer.android.com/training/constraint-layout/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Constraint Layout Layout Inspector (Experimental) href="https://developer.android.com/studio/write/vector-asset-studio.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">PSD File Support in Vector Asset Studio Develop href="https://developer.android.com/studio/write/firebase.html">Firebase Plugin Updated Code Analysis & Lint checks href="https://developer.android.com/studio/intro/accessibility.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Enhanced accessibility support Improved C++ Support Edit & Debugging href="https://confluence.jetbrains.com/display/IDEADEV/IntelliJ+IDEA+2016.1.3+Release+Notes">IntelliJ 2016.1.3 platform update Samples Browser Improved Font Rendering

Build href="https://developer.android.com/guide/platform/j8-jack.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#configuration">Jack Compiler Improvements Java 8 Language Support href="https://developer.android.com/studio/projects/add-native-code.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">C++ ndk-build or CMake href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2016/05/android-studio-22-preview-new-ui.html">Merged Manifest Viewer Build cache (Experimental) OpenJDK Support Instant Run Improvements Test href="https://developer.android.com/studio/test/espresso-test-recorder.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">Espresso Test Recorder (Beta) APK Analyzer href="https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/am-gpu-debugger.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">GPU Debugger (Beta) href="https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog#extended">Virtual Sensors in the Android Emulator

Learn more about Android Studio 2.2 by reviewing the href="https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">release notes
and the href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2016/05/android-studio-22-preview-new-ui.html">preview
blog post.

Getting Started

Download

If you are using a previous version of Android Studio, you can check for updates
on the Stable channel from the navigation menu (Help → Check for Update
[Windows/Linux] , Android Studio → Check for Updates [OS X]). You can also
download Android Studio 2.2 from the official href="https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html?utm_campaign=android studio_launch_2.2_091916&utm_source=anddev&utm_medium=blog">download page. To
take advantage of all the new features and improvements in Android Studio, you
should also update to the Android Gradle plugin version to 2.2.0 in your current
app project.

Next Release

We would like to thank all of you in the Android Developer community for your
work on this release. We are grateful for your contributions, your ongoing
feedback which inspired the new features in this release, and your highly active
use on canary and beta builds filing bugs. We all wanted to make Android Studio
2.2 our best release yet, with many stability and performance fixes in addition
to the many new features. For our next release, look for even more; we want to
work hard to address feedback and keep driving up quality and stability on
existing features to make you productive.

We appreciate any feedback on things you like, issues or features you would like
to see. Connect with us -- the Android Studio development team -- on our href="https://plus.google.com/103342515830390186255">Google+ page or on href="http://www.twitter.com/androidstudio">Twitter.

What's New in Android Studio 2.2