How to debug an android application started from ‘adb shell am start -D ‘?

Debugging Android Applications Started with ‘adb shell am start -D’

The ‘adb shell am start -D’ command allows you to launch an Android activity in debug mode. This is particularly useful for testing specific scenarios or inspecting application behavior without the need for a full-blown emulator or device setup. This article will guide you through the process of debugging an Android application started using this command.

Steps Involved

1. Setting Up the Development Environment

• Ensure you have the Android SDK and Android Studio installed and configured.
• Connect your Android device to your computer via USB and enable USB debugging on your device.

2. Finding the Activity’s Component Name

Before launching the activity in debug mode, you need to determine its component name. You can achieve this by:

• Analyzing the AndroidManifest.xml file of your application to find the activity’s package name and class name.
• Using the ‘adb shell dumpsys activity’ command to list all running activities and their respective component names.

3. Launching the Activity in Debug Mode

Once you have the activity’s component name, you can use the following command to launch it in debug mode:

adb shell am start -D -n <package_name>/<activity_name>

For example, to launch the “MainActivity” from the “com.example.myapp” package, the command would be:

adb shell am start -D -n com.example.myapp/com.example.myapp.MainActivity

4. Attaching the Debugger

With the activity launched in debug mode, you can now attach the Android Studio debugger. Follow these steps:

• Open your Android Studio project containing the application.
• Click “Run” -> “Attach Debugger to Android Process”.
• Select the process corresponding to your application from the list.

You will now be in debug mode, and you can set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through the code.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Unable to Attach Debugger

If you encounter an error attaching the debugger, verify the following:

• Ensure that USB debugging is enabled on your device.
• Check if your device is connected to the correct port and recognized by your computer.
• Make sure you have selected the correct process to attach the debugger to.

Issue: Activity Not Launching

If the activity fails to launch, double-check the following:

• Ensure the activity is declared in the AndroidManifest.xml file.
• Verify that the package name and activity name are correct in the ‘adb shell am start -D’ command.
• Check for any errors in your activity’s code, such as missing dependencies or incorrect permissions.

Advantages of Debugging with ‘adb shell am start -D’

Overall, using ‘adb shell am start -D’ offers a convenient approach for targeted debugging of specific activities in your Android application.