Apps Some questions before my first app

[duk3r]

I decided to start exploring android development and I have some basic questions before I start writing my app.

I have an app in my mind. First question concerns compatibility. I want the app to be compatible with all versions of android. I suppose if I use the 1.5 SDK when creating a new project, it will run on 1.6 - 2.1 etc.

But if I want to add something that is on a later sdk such as the option for sd save in 2.2? what sdk do i need then for it to be compatible?

Secondly, there are a lot of screen resolutions in android devices. Which one do you program on? and if I need it to run ok with all the different resolutions what do I need to do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dmitriyk]

First question: it's possible to target an earlier SDK but include features present in later SDKs. This is possible, but requires some pretty ugly code (and some minor performance regressions). I wouldn't do it if I could at all avoid it, but you're going to have to judge for yourself. The more difficult problem relates to your...

Second question: handling different resolutions on Android is pretty simple. Most of the screens out there are the same basic shape, so most layouts should just work. To handle high-resolution screens, you just have to include high-resolution graphics in your project and your app will use them automatically. It's all described pretty well here: Supporting Multiple Screens | Android Developers
BUT. Support for multiple screens was first included in the 1.6 SDK, so if it's something you want to take advantage of, you're going to need to target that at a minimum.