Gradle_Different_Builds.md

#Different Build Types with Gradle

##app#build.gradle

###Declare Constants

def varVersionName = "1.1.1"
def varVersionNameLetters = "one.one.one"
def varVersionCode = 26

then inside the android{} tag:

For the default configuration:

defaultConfig {
        applicationId "de.example.app"
        minSdkVersion 14
        targetSdkVersion 23
        versionCode varVersionCode
        versionName "${varVersionName}"
        manifestPlaceholders = [nameApplicationLabel: "@string/app_name"]
    }

Then we play with our different build Types:

buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
            signingConfig signingConfigs.appReleaseKey
            resValue "string", "content_provider", "com.njiuko.dbb.providers.FavoriteContentProvider"
        }
        debug {
        	versionNameSuffix ".debug"
            applicationIdSuffix ".debug." + "${varVersionNameLetters}"
            manifestPlaceholders = [nameApplicationLabel: "AppName" + "${varVersionName}"]
            resValue "string", "content_provider", "com.njiuko.dbb.providers.debug.FavoriteContentProvider"
        }
}

##AndroidManifest.xml

Inside the application tag:

tools:replace="android:label"
android:label="${nameApplicationLabel}"

##Build Variants

In Android Studio in the left side we can see the Build Variants window where we can select the build type we want or if we have flavours, then the flavour also.

##Results

###Build Variant Release:

Our app will be created with the following:

• Application ID:

  1. In the app-build.gradle

  2. It will take it from defaultConfig

     • Result:

     applicationId "de.example.app"

• App name:

  1. Will go to the AndroidManifest.xml

  2. For the label it will have to check the value of the variable nameApplicationLabel

  3. Which in this case comes from the defaultConfig

     • Result:

     manifestPlaceholders = [nameApplicationLabel: "@string/app_name"]

• versionName:

  1. In the app-build.gradle

  2. It will get it from defaultConfig

  3. And get it from the varVersionName

     • Result:

     versionName "${varVersionName}"
     def varVersionName = "1.1.1"

###Build Variant Debug:

• Application ID:

  1. In the app-build.gradle

  2. It will take it from defaultConfig

  3. Will add applicationIdSuffix from the debug build type

  4. Which will contain Version Name in Letters from the variable varVersionNameLetters

     • Result:

     applicationId "de.example.app"
     applicationIdSuffix ".debug." + "${varVersionNameLetters}"
     def varVersionNameLetters = "one.one.one"

• App name:

  1. Will go to the AndroidManifest.xml

  2. For the label it will have to check the value of the variable nameApplicationLabel

  3. Which will be overritten in the debug build type

  4. And will add the varVersionName

     • Result:

     manifestPlaceholders = [nameApplicationLabel: "AppName" + "${varVersionName}"]
     versionName "${varVersionName}"
     def varVersionName = "1.1.1"

• versionName:

  1. In the app-build.gradle

  2. It will get it from defaultConfig

  3. And get it from the varVersionName

  4. And will add the versionNameSuffix from the debug build type

     • Result:

     def varVersionName = "1.1.1"
     versionName "${varVersionName}"
     versionNameSuffix ".debug"