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Gradle

How to keep version catalog up-to-date ?

Use dependabot.

  • Create a dependencies.gradle file with all versions and package constants.
ext {
// Version sorted alphabetically
versions = [
  android_gradle_plugin              : '7.0.0-beta03',
  firebase_analytics                 : "18.0.2",
  flipper                            : "0.74.0",
  fresco                             : "2.4.0",
  google_gson                        : "2.8.6"
  //...
]

runDependencies = [
  androidx_appcompat                  : "androidx.appcompat:appcompat:${versions.androidx_appcompat}",
  androidx_biometric                  : "androidx.biometric:biometric:${versions.androidx_biometric}",
  androidx_browser                    : "androidx.browser:browser:${versions.androidx_browser}",
  androidx_constraintlayout           : "androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:${versions.androidx_constraintlayout}",
  androidx_camera                     : "androidx.camera:camera-camera2:${versions.androidx_camera}",
  androidx_camera_lifecycle           : "androidx.camera:camera-lifecycle:${versions.androidx_camera}",
  androidx_camera_view                : "androidx.camera:camera-view:${versions.androidx_camera_view}",
  androidx_core                       : "androidx.core:core-ktx:${versions.androidx_core}"
  //...
]
}
  • Add this file to all projects in the root build.gradle.
allprojects {
project.apply from: rootProject.file("dependencies.gradle")
}
  • Use it in modules build.gradle files.
 implementation runDependencies.kotlin_std_lib
implementation runDependencies.koin_android
implementation runDependencies.koin_android_view_model
implementation runDependencies.androidx_appcompat
 implementation runDependencies.androidx_core
 ...
Pros Cons
➕ one location for all dependencies declaration ➖ no auto-complete

Other approach to try out : refreshVersions

refreshVersions

Pros Cons
➕ one location for all dependencies declaration ➖ no auto-complete
➕ auto-complete ➖ automatic pull-requests to setup manually (but doable)
➕ choose among all available versions

Other approach to try out : Centralized dependency versions with Gradle 7.0

See the releases notes.

Pros Cons
➕ one location for all dependencies declaration ➖ no auto-complete
➖ toml not supported in Android Studio
➖ is it supported by Dependabot ?

How to speed up Gradle Builds ?

Enable build cache

Add the following to your gradle properties file gradle.properties.

# Cache builds
# By default, build cache is not enabled.
org.gradle.caching=true

# Kapt Worker
# Running kapt tasks in parallel (https://kotlinlang.org/docs/kapt.html#running-kapt-tasks-in-parallel-since-1-2-60).
kapt.use.worker.api=true

# Kapt Compile Avoidance
# https://kotlinlang.org/docs/kapt.html#compile-avoidance-for-kapt-since-1-3-20
kapt.include.compile.classpath=false

Modularize your project

Try out a shared cache with gradle/build-cache-node docker image

Last update: August 24, 2021
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