Ask HN: Writing my first Android app – should I use Material Design?
4 comments
Yes.
It's in the app templates you should start with in the SDK, and, as kpgx points out on this thread, you can use the Support Libraries for back-compatibility.
It's in the app templates you should start with in the SDK, and, as kpgx points out on this thread, you can use the Support Libraries for back-compatibility.
Don't worry about MD right now. Get your first version out there, asap first.
MD can be adopted later.
MD can be adopted later.
MD is not that hard to implement. And you can use Support Libraries to maintain the compatibility for older devices.
Use AppCompat, and you'll get native MD on >= SDK 21, and an emulated MD on < SDK 21 devices.
http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2014/10/appcompat-v21...
It's a bit of a hassle (you'll need to use compatibility facades vs the real thing, which are sometimes a bit inconsistent), but it's not too bad.
http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2014/10/appcompat-v21...
It's a bit of a hassle (you'll need to use compatibility facades vs the real thing, which are sometimes a bit inconsistent), but it's not too bad.
I understand that if I use a MD style, I also need to create a backup <v21 style for older devices. It seems like a lot of work for a beginner.
So, is MD worth it?