Getting Started with Huawei DevEco Studio for HarmonyOS Application Development

DevEco Studio is an IntelliJ IDEA‑based IDE designed for developing applications and services that run on HarmonyOS and OpenHarmony. It provides an all‑in‑one development platform.

1. Preparation

Download DevEco Studio from the official Huawei developer site. Choose the appropriate version, then download the SDK and toolchain. The IDE will guide you to install the required SDKs for API versions 4 to 9.

2. Run DevEco Studio

Launch the installed IDE. On first launch, select “Do not import settings” and click OK. Install Node.js (v14.19.1–v16.x) and OHPM as prompted, either by specifying existing installations or by using the built‑in installer.

3. Diagnose Development Environment

Use Help → Diagnose Development Environment (or via the menu Help → Diagnostic Tools → Diagnose Development Environment ) to verify that the development environment is correctly configured.

4. Create Your First HarmonyOS Application (Stage Model)

• Click “Create Project” (or File → New → Create Project ) to start a new project. • Choose “Application” as the project type, select the “Empty Ability” template, and click Next. • In the configuration screen, set the Compile SDK to “3.1.0 (API 9)”, choose the “Stage” model, and keep other settings at their defaults. • Click Finish; the IDE will generate sample code and resources.

5. ArkTS Project Directory Structure (Stage Model)

The generated project contains the following key directories and files:

.hvigor – build configuration files. .idea – IDE project settings. AppScope – global shared resources. resources – graphics, media, strings, layout files, etc. app.json5 – global application configuration. entry – module that builds the HAP package. src/main/ets – ArkTS source code. entryability – entry point of the app/service. pages – UI pages. src/main/resources – same as the shared resources directory. src/main/module.json5 – Stage model module configuration. build-profile.json5 – module and build options (targets, etc.). hvigorfile.ts – custom build task script. oh_modules – third‑party library dependencies. gitignore – Git exclusion rules. local.properties – local property definitions. oh‑package.json5 – dependency declarations.

6. Comparison with Android Project Files

The documentation provides a side‑by‑side comparison of HarmonyOS and Android project structures, highlighting differences in module packaging and configuration files.

7. Using the Emulator

Open Device Manager from the left‑hand side of the IDE, create a virtual device, and start it with the green launch button. If a Huawei developer account login is required, register or sign in as instructed.

References

• HarmonyOS Application Development Official Site • “HarmonyOS App Development Full Process” (WeChat Reading) • “5‑Minute Quick Start to HarmonyOS Development – Part 1: Development Environment” • “In‑Depth Guide to HarmonyOS Project Structure”