Google LLC produces a large number of tools for developers to quickly build apps on multiple devices, a development that is increasingly important in a world where software development operates at an accelerated rate.
However, with the ever-increasing number of tools, it also means that developers are faced with complex workflows, which means they have to connect a raft of different services and software. As a result, they often need to solve problems by running different tools.
The key theme of this year’s Google I/O Developer Keynote is to make life easier for developers by simplifying the way Google’s tools work together, enabling them to be across devices, and providing the guidance they need to understand best practices. was about.
Speaking in an interview with SiliconAngle, Jeanine Banks, Google’s vice president of developer products and communities, said that those insights into helping the community came from listening to developers and investing in their needs.
When we thought about some of the things we were hearing from developers about how Google could make the biggest difference in how they could take their work and make it a reality, it came down to: ‘Hey you, we have great tools, we love to use them, but it can be easier to use them together,’ said Banks.
For example, one of today’s major announcements includes Flutter 3, Google’s multiplatform user interface app development framework. Developers can now more easily combine Flutter with Firebase, Google’s backend infrastructure management.
This theme, Banks explained, extended into another area for Google, which is enabling developers to build for a multi-device world. This becomes even more important now that Android is starting to control not only phones, but also tablets and large-screen devices like Chrome laptops, as well as smaller screens on wristwatches.
And from a developer tooling perspective, each of these devices needs to be coded with the same app, sometimes at the same time. This means that addressing each of them may require multiple tools, which means they need to interact better.
For example, Firebase just received several updates that have given it greater integration with Android and Google Play.
One problem that has historically been for developers using Firebase is that they have to “context switch”, which means having to truncate their code editor if something goes wrong with their app and Firebase to triage an issue. to examine. Now, with better integration between Firebase and Android Studio, developers can keep coding and fix problems without the need for swap.
“But it’s not just about technology,” Banks said. Of equal importance is reaching out to the community and giving them a better understanding of how to build apps using Google’s tools.
Many developers have also sought guidance from Google to understand the best practices to develop apps and stay abreast of future developments. Crucially, this means that Google teams will communicate as much about their projects ahead as possible so that developers can plan for the future.
