Introduction

Android Studio is the official Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used for developing Android applications. When a new Android project is created, Android Studio automatically generates a directory structure that organizes all project files such as Java code, XML layouts, images, and configuration files.

Understanding the Android project directory structure is important because it helps developers easily locate files and manage their Android applications efficiently.

1. Manifests Folder

The AndroidManifest.xml file is located inside this folder.

Purpose:

  • Declares application information
  • Defines permissions
  • Registers activities and services
  • Specifies minimum Android version

Example:

<manifest>
    <application>
        <activity android:name=".MainActivity">
        </activity>
    </application>
</manifest>

2. Java / Kotlin Folder

This folder contains the source code of the application.

Inside this folder you will find:

  • MainActivity.java
  • Other activity classes
  • Business logic of the application

Example structure:

java
 └── com.example.myapp
        └── MainActivity.java

Here developers write the program logic of the app.

3. Res (Resources) Folder

The res folder stores all application resources such as layouts, images, strings, and styles.

Main subfolders inside res:

layout

Contains XML files used to design the UI.

Example:

res
 └── layout
        └── activity_main.xml

drawable

Stores images, icons, and graphic resources.

Example:

res
 └── drawable
        └── logo.png

mipmap

Contains launcher icons for the application.

Example:

res
 └── mipmap
        └── ic_launcher.png

values

Stores configuration files like colors, strings, and styles.

Example:

res
 └── values
        ├── strings.xml
        ├── colors.xml
        └── styles.xml

4. Gradle Scripts

This section contains build configuration files used to compile and build the application.

Important files include:

  • build.gradle (Project)
  • build.gradle (Module)
  • settings.gradle

These files define:

  • Dependencies
  • SDK versions
  • Build configurations

5. Assets Folder

The assets folder is used to store raw files like:

  • HTML files
  • Fonts
  • Databases
  • JSON files

These files can be accessed directly from the application.

6. External Libraries

This section contains libraries used in the project such as:

  • AndroidX libraries
  • Third-party dependencies

These libraries add extra functionality to the application.

Basic Android Project Structure

Project
│
├── manifests
│     └── AndroidManifest.xml
│
├── java
│     └── com.example.app
│           └── MainActivity.java
│
├── res
│     ├── layout
│     ├── drawable
│     ├── mipmap
│     └── values
│
└── Gradle Scripts

Conclusion

The Android Studio directory structure helps developers organize application files properly. By understanding these folders, students can easily locate important files such as activities, layouts, images, and configuration settings.

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Last Update: March 9, 2026