Key Differences between Android Activities and Fragments

Android Activities and Fragments are essential components in Android app development, each serving a different purpose. The key difference between them lies in their functionality and lifecycle:

Activities:

• Represent a single screen with a user interface
• Have their own lifecycle methods like onCreate, onStart, onResume, etc.
• Usually used to implement complete user interactions and app navigation

Fragments:

• Can be seen as modular sections of an activity, allowing for more flexible UI designs
• Have their own lifecycle methods but are dependent on the hosting activity
• Can be reused across multiple activities, promoting code reusability

Deciding when to use each in an Android application depends on the user interface design requirements and the functionality you want to achieve:

• Use Activities when you need a complete user interaction flow or separate screens
• Use Fragments when you want to reuse UI components across multiple screens or create modular and flexible layouts

By understanding the differences between Android Activities and Fragments and considering your app design needs, you can effectively decide when to use each to optimize your Android application development process.