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Discussion on: Convert your website into an android app using capacitor 😱.

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olyno profile image
Olyno

Capacitor is a great tool, but something I blame it for is the fact that it depends on Android studio. I'm used to Vscode, and I prefer working with it. I have no interest in switching to Android Studio. So it becomes frustrating to create a project with Capacitor (and any other similar tools depending of Android Studio too).

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raibtoffoletto profile image
Raí B. Toffoletto

You will always need Xcode and AStudio to emulate the devices. If you do flutter or react native is this same... although you can code everything is VSCode 😢

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ivan_jrmc profile image
Ivan Jeremic

Then you don't get it.. you don't need android studio for developing the app, you develop inside vscode like normal and only for the build you need xcode for ios or android studio for android, you develop the whole app still in vscode.

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olyno profile image
Olyno

But again, i do need Android Studio or Xcode. I'm just waiting a real good ecosystem where with a simple command, i can build the app. This is possible, but not accessible.

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ivan_jrmc profile image
Ivan Jeremic

You can't build native apps for ios on windows with vscode and also not for android in xcode you need that, I mean it is already so easy and people still complain, do you understand that you do nothing in android studio other than compiling when its ready nothing hard...

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olyno profile image
Olyno

So we stay on the initial problem. We have to install almost 1go of tools (Android Studio), to use in the end not even 10% (the compilation part, build tools). It's like using a tank to kill a fly, it's not necessary.

I know very well that using Android Studio is simple, and very convenient, but why bother installing this IDE when someone could just create an environment for Vscode, or more generally create a CLI. I'm complaining because it's an unnecessary overhead, and many other developers are complaining about it too.

Also, as you mentioned, we can't build Android applications on Mac, and IOS applications on Windows/Linux. This is one of the problems I point out, to have a real ecosystem that is easy to use. Mobile application development is still a niche, but it's growing year by year, thanks to React Native and Expo, which simplifies the whole process.

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ivan_jrmc profile image
Ivan Jeremic

You sound like a time traveller from 2009

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olyno profile image
Olyno

What do you mean?

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ivan_jrmc profile image
Ivan Jeremic • Edited

"Mobile application development is still a niche, but it's growing year by year"

This is what you said like LoL what?

Also I don't think its up to framework authors I think companies like apple force you to use XCode for the build part.

I also think you complain without any reason you sound like your PC has a 500mb hardrive and no space space for android studio.

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olyno profile image
Olyno

I sound as someone who would like this ecosystem to be better, and not dependent on unnecessary tools. We can code a backend with any IDE, a frontend with any IDE, but we depend on Android Studio and Xcode for mobile applications. What I would like is to be able to remove this dependency.

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anesu profile image
Anesu Kafesu

I don't have Android Studio installed. I just have the Android SDK and I do everything from the command line

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anesu profile image
Anesu Kafesu

Even the building part. I run the gradlew script that's contained in the Android folder.

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zippcodder profile image
Deon Rich • Edited

I actually managed to build an apk with a single bash function I made and pasted in my rc (no gradle, no android studio). Its actually not that hard, might write an article on it. You just run the command on your project folder, then it spits out an apk ready for installation.

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olyno profile image
Olyno

Would be awesome! Don't hesitate to drop the link to your article if you do one!

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narottam04 profile image
Narottam04

Me too, I like to code in vscode and switching to android studio is a pain.
They have introduce a vscode plugin for launching app in terminal but I think I have not installed emulator properly 😅.