Why architecture scales codebases in Android Kotlin - Build It to Prove It

Build: Architecture Explanation

This screen explains why using architecture helps scale Android codebases by showing a simple example with and without architecture.

Target UI

----------------------------------
| Architecture Scales Codebases   |
|--------------------------------|
| Without Architecture:           |
| - Code is tangled              |
| - Hard to add features         |
|                                |
| With Architecture:             |
| - Clear layers                 |
| - Easy to maintain            |
|                                |
| [Show Example]                 |
----------------------------------

Display a title at the top

Show two sections: 'Without Architecture' and 'With Architecture' with bullet points

Add a button labeled 'Show Example' at the bottom

When the button is tapped, show a simple dialog explaining how architecture separates concerns

Starter Code

Android Kotlin

package com.example.architecture

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
import android.widget.Button
import android.widget.TextView
import androidx.appcompat.app.AlertDialog

class ArchitectureActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_architecture)

        val showExampleButton: Button = findViewById(R.id.showExampleButton)
        // TODO: Add button click listener to show dialog
    }
}

Task 1

Task 2

Solution

Android Kotlin

package com.example.architecture

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
import android.widget.Button
import androidx.appcompat.app.AlertDialog

class ArchitectureActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_architecture)

        val showExampleButton: Button = findViewById(R.id.showExampleButton)
        showExampleButton.setOnClickListener {
            AlertDialog.Builder(this)
                .setTitle("Architecture Example")
                .setMessage("Architecture separates code into layers like UI, business logic, and data. This makes it easier to add features and fix bugs without breaking other parts.")
                .setPositiveButton("OK", null)
                .show()
        }
    }
}

This code adds a click listener to the button. When tapped, it shows a dialog explaining how architecture separates concerns into layers. This separation helps keep code organized and easier to maintain as the app grows.

Final Result

Completed Screen

----------------------------------
| Architecture Scales Codebases   |
|--------------------------------|
| Without Architecture:           |
| - Code is tangled              |
| - Hard to add features         |
|                                |
| With Architecture:             |
| - Clear layers                 |
| - Easy to maintain            |
|                                |
| [Show Example]                 |
----------------------------------

User taps 'Show Example' button

An alert dialog appears with title 'Architecture Example' and message explaining separation of concerns

User taps OK to dismiss the dialog

Stretch Goal

Add a dark mode toggle that switches the screen background and text colors

💡 Hint

Use AppCompatDelegate.setDefaultNightMode() and update UI colors accordingly