What is API Level in Android? | What is API in Android?

Android is an open-source mobile operating system primarily made for touchscreen mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It is built on a modified version of the Linux kernel. The Open Handset Alliance, a group of developers, creates Android, which Google financially supports. The HTC Dream, the first commercial Android device, was released in September 2008 after its disclosure in November 2007. Here in this blog, we will discuss what is API in Android, and to know more about this, join Android Training in Chennai.

Developmental Factors

The following sections offer information on the API level you should consider when creating your application.

Application forward compatibility

In general, new versions of the Android platform are forward-compatible with Android applications.

An Android application created using any version of the API (as indicated by its API Level) is backwards-compatible with newer releases of the Android platform and higher API levels because the majority of changes to the framework API are additive. Except in rare circumstances where the programme utilises a portion of the API that is subsequently deleted for any reason, the application ought to be able to run on all later versions of the Android platform.

Because many Android-powered devices get system updates over the air (OTA), forward compatibility is crucial. The user may download and successfully use your application before getting an OTA update to a new version of the Android operating system. Your application will run in a recent runtime environment performance when the update is implemented, but it will still have the API and system capabilities it needs.

When your application is launched in the new environment, changes below the API, such as those in the underlying system itself, may have an impact. As the application developer, you must comprehend how the application will seem and function in each system environment. The Android SDK offers several platforms you can download to test your application on various Android versions. To test your application, you can run a compatible system image on each platform in an AVD.

Application backward compatibility

Android applications may not always run on platforms older than the version against which they were developed. Every new release of the Android platform has the option to add new framework APIs, such as those that replace outdated API components or grant applications access to brand-new platform features. Applications can access the latest APIs while running on the new platform and, as was already noted, when running on later versions of the platform, according to API Level. Applications that use the new APIs, on the other hand, cannot run on earlier versions of the platform since they do not support the new APIs.

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Selecting a platform version and API Level

The platform version against which you will compile your programme must be decided when it is being developed. Generally speaking, you should compile your programme against the newest platform that it is capable of supporting.

You can find the lowest supported platform version by compiling the application against progressively lower build targets. After figuring out the most inferior version, you should generate an AVD using the corresponding platform version (and API Level) and thoroughly test your application. Make sure to include a declaration for an android:minSdkVersion attribute in the manifest file and set its value to the platform version’s API Level.

Declaring a minimum API Level

You should set the Android:minSdkVersion attribute to the API Level of the most recent platform version if your application uses any new APIs or system features. This ensures that users may only download your software if their Android-powered devices are running a compatible operating system version. Consequently, this guarantees that your application will run effectively on their devices.

Your application will function effectively on platforms running the most recent version of the forum but not on older media versions if it uses APIs included in the most current version without declaring an android:minSdkVersion attribute. In the latter scenario, if the application tries to access APIs not present in the older versions, it will crash at runtime.

Conclusion:

So far, we have discussed what is api level in android and to know more about the latest android api, join Android Training in Coimbatore.