Difference Between Androidx And Android
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What is Android?

Android, the widely popular operating system, is the beating heart behind millions of smartphones and tablets globally. Developed by Google, Android is an open-source platform that powers a diverse range of devices, offering users an intuitive and customizable experience. With its user-friendly interface, Android provides easy access to a plethora of applications through the Google Play Store, catering to every need imaginable. From social media and gaming to productivity and entertainment, Android seamlessly integrates into our daily lives, ensuring that the world is at our fingertips. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or a casual user, Android's versatility and accessibility make it a cornerstone of modern mobile technology.


Difference Between AndroidX and Android (Support Libraries)

When you're developing for Android, understanding the difference between AndroidX and the older Android Support Libraries is crucial. These two libraries serve a similar purpose but have significant differences in how they are organized, maintained, and integrated into Android development.

In this article, we’ll dive into the details of AndroidX vs. Android Support Libraries, including their evolution, differences, and how they affect your development workflow.

What is AndroidX?

AndroidX is the new package and library namespace for Android libraries. It was introduced by Google to replace the previous Android Support Libraries with a more modern, modular, and consistent approach to Android development. AndroidX provides backward-compatible components that ensure your app works across all Android versions, and it also brings improvements and bug fixes over time.

Some key points about AndroidX:

  • Introduced in 2018 as part of Android Jetpack.
  • A fully backward-compatible library.
  • Features modular, independent libraries that you can include based on your needs.
  • Replaces the Android Support Libraries with new namespace and packages (e.g., androidx.appcompat instead of android.support.v7.appcompat).
  • Under active development with new features and improvements being added regularly.

What are Android Support Libraries?

The Android Support Libraries were a set of libraries released by Google to provide backward compatibility for newer Android features to older Android versions. For instance, features like Material Design, Fragments, and RecyclerView were introduced in the support libraries, ensuring they could run on devices with older Android versions.

Key points about the Android Support Libraries:

  • Introduced in 2011, before AndroidX existed.
  • Aimed to provide backward compatibility for older Android versions (pre-Android 5.0 Lollipop).
  • Allowed developers to use modern features, such as AppCompat (for action bars and material design components), Fragments, and others, even on older Android versions.
  • These libraries were somewhat monolithic, and all the components were packaged together under the android.support.* namespace.

However, as Android evolved and new tools and technologies were developed, Google introduced AndroidX to improve and modularize this approach.

Key Differences Between AndroidX and Android Support Libraries

Here’s a breakdown of the primary differences between AndroidX and Android Support Libraries:

Aspect AndroidX Android Support Libraries
Namespace The new AndroidX libraries use the androidx.* namespace. The old support libraries used the android.support.* namespace.
Modularity AndroidX is modular, meaning you can pick and choose specific libraries for your app. The Support Libraries were less modular and required more dependencies.
Updates AndroidX is actively maintained with regular updates and new features. The Support Libraries are no longer being updated or maintained.
Package Naming AndroidX adopts a consistent naming convention, e.g., androidx.appcompat instead of android.support.v7.appcompat. Support libraries followed a more varied naming convention, which could sometimes be inconsistent.
Migration AndroidX was designed to be a one-time migration for developers, after which libraries can be used seamlessly. Developers had to rely on older libraries, with limited updates, and no new features or optimizations.
Backward Compatibility AndroidX provides better backward compatibility than the old libraries and works across newer Android versions as well. The Support Libraries also provided backward compatibility, but AndroidX improves on this and offers better modularity and efficiency.
AppCompat androidx.appcompat:appcompat android.support:v7.appcompat
RecyclerView androidx.recyclerview:recyclerview android.support.v7.recyclerview

Why Did Google Introduce AndroidX?

The introduction of AndroidX was necessary for several reasons:

  1. Consistency: Google wanted to streamline the Android library ecosystem with consistent naming conventions and better modularization.
  2. Better Maintainability: The old Support Libraries had grown large and cumbersome, with some components being bundled together unnecessarily. AndroidX makes it easier to update and maintain individual libraries.
  3. More Frequent Updates: With AndroidX, Google can push more frequent updates and improvements for specific components without requiring a large, monolithic update package.
  4. Improved Features: As part of Android Jetpack, AndroidX provides modern development tools and APIs that are better optimized for today’s Android apps.

How to Migrate from Android Support Libraries to AndroidX

Migrating from Android Support Libraries to AndroidX was made relatively easy by Google with a built-in migration tool in Android Studio. Here’s a quick guide to migrating:

  1. Backup your project: Before making any changes, it’s a good idea to back up your project in case something goes wrong during the migration process.

  2. Check Compatibility: Ensure your project is compatible with AndroidX. This means updating the compileSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion to at least 28 (Android 9) or higher in your build.gradle file.

  3. Use the Migration Tool:

    • In Android Studio, go to Refactor > Migrate to AndroidX.
    • Android Studio will automatically refactor your project and replace the old android.support.* libraries with their androidx.* equivalents.

  4. Resolve Issues: After migration, you may encounter some issues with dependencies or third-party libraries. Ensure all dependencies are compatible with AndroidX, and update them if necessary.

  5. Test Your App: Once the migration is complete, thoroughly test your app to ensure it works as expected. Check for any deprecated features or behavior changes after the migration.

Advantages of Using AndroidX Over Support Libraries

  1. Modularization: AndroidX is much more modular compared to the Support Libraries, which means you can include only the components your app actually needs, making the app smaller and more efficient.

  2. Active Development: Since AndroidX is part of Android Jetpack, it receives regular updates, bug fixes, and new features. The Support Libraries are no longer actively maintained.

  3. Consistency and Naming Conventions: The new AndroidX namespace is more consistent and intuitive, making it easier to understand and navigate.

  4. Backward Compatibility: AndroidX provides better support for newer features on older Android versions, ensuring your app works well across a wide range of devices.

  5. Improved Performance: Many libraries in AndroidX are optimized for performance, which can lead to faster execution and lower memory usage in your apps.

Conclusion

In summary, AndroidX is the future of Android development, offering improved modularity, consistency, and performance compared to the old Android Support Libraries. AndroidX is actively maintained, and it integrates with Android Jetpack to offer modern development tools and best practices. If you haven’t already migrated to AndroidX, it’s a good idea to do so, as the old Support Libraries are no longer being updated.

By embracing AndroidX, you’ll be able to take advantage of the latest features and improvements for Android app development, while also ensuring backward compatibility with older devices. If you’re starting a new project, always use AndroidX, as it provides the best tools and libraries for building high-quality Android applications.