Can't import or create new project from samples or downloads on Android/Eclipse

Question

Basically, I need help importing downloaded source or creating a project from sample source programs. I'm looking for step by step instructions for both if anyone can point me there or post the steps.

I'm very new to Android/Eclipse. I have the environments installed and have successfully written a very minor app that works on the emulator and my real Droid X. I cannot, however, get any of the Android samples into a project without errors. I've tried importing, creating from existing source, and etcetera and it's all a mess with errors everywhere.

I have, however, successfully created a new empty project, then brought the components into the project one at a time typing or pasting in code for every file. I'd hover over and import Android and other components as needed. The WiktionarySimple, for example, ran with only a couple of changes and several warnings that I left alone. (I had to add 'formatted="false" in the statements below...)

<string name="template_user_agent" formatted="false">"%s/%s (Linux; Android)"</string>
<string name="template_wotd_title" formatted="false">"Wiktionary:Word of the day/%s %s"</string>

But there has to be an easier way to import! I've done the intuitive and I've followed instructions that I've found, but to no avail. Can anyone give me a complete list as to how to import or create a project from existing source or from source I've downloaded from the web?

Answer 1

Step #1: Start a new Android project

Step #2: In the first page of the Android project wizard, choose the "Create project from existing source" radio button, then click the Browse button and find the directory containing the project

Step #3: Tweak settings to suit, then press Finish

Step #4: If needed (not sure if it is anymore), right-click over the project name, and choose Build Path > Configure Build Path from the context menu, and make sure the Android entry in the checklist is checked

Answer 2

Its quite possible that you are not importing these projects incorrectly and that you are simply running into common problems that occur when importing projects.

For instance your problem involving adding formatted="false" is quite common and due to a change in the strictness of aapt, which is explained in this question. It is likely that the sample project was created before the change and has not been updated since.

That error involving the formatted="false" can also cause many more errors, since any xml after that error is often not parsed and thus any resources declared after it are not known. So the error No resource found that matches the given name (at 'hint' with value '@string/search_hint') and others like it are often due to the formatted="false" error. I would suggest fixing all the % sign errors with the formatted="false" then letting it rebuild and see how many errors are left.

As for the String types not allowed (at 'layout_width' with value 'match_parent') a quick search on stackoverflow says that its caused because FILL_PARENT was replaced with MATCH_PARENT in Android 2.2. So you need to set your sdk for the project to be Android 2.2 or higher. Here is the link to that question as well.