Tool windows

There are at least a dozen tool windows available to us, more if you have installed plugins. They can be accessed via the View | Tools Windows menu, the tools icon on the far left-hand side of the status bar at the bottom of the workspace, or by pressing Alt and the corresponding number key to open a specific tool window.

Tool Windows are highly configurable, and each window can be set as docked, floating, or contained in its own window.

 This is particularly useful when working with more than one screen, as follows:

A docked, floating, and windowed tool window

We will be covering all these tools in depth throughout the course of the book. For now though, the following is a brief introduction to the most commonly used tools:

• Messages: Alt + 0. This tool produces a paired-down version of the Gradle build process. A more detailed output can be found within the Gradle Console.
• Project: Alt + 1. Usually docked to the left of the workspace, this tool is our main navigational tool.
• Favorites: Alt + 2. This is a very handy organizational tool, providing quick access to commonly used classes and components. To add any file to the Favorites list, simply right-click on it in the project window and select Add to Favorites from the drop-down menu.
• Run: Alt + 3. A powerful diagnostic tool that becomes available when an application is running on a device or emulator.
• Android: Alt + 4. This is Studio's main debugging window and is used to monitor log output from a running application and take screenshots.
• Memory Monitor: Alt + 5. This incredibly useful tool produces a live graph of memory usage as an application is running.
• Structure: Alt + 6. This tool produces detailed information about the current editor, showing a hierarchical view of classes, variables, and other components contained in that particular file.

One of the most useful Tool Windows is the Device File Explorer tool. This allows us to browse the filesystem of any connected device or emulator.

Tool windows are fantastically useful and enable us to configure the IDE to suit the particular task we are working on. Being able to select appropriate tools like this is one of Android Studio's most useful features. Of course, Android Studio is nothing more than a frontend interface that allows us to connect with the real power behind Android, the SDK.