I am building a Android library which contains some add-on features on top of support library, adding support library increases the library size, how can I ask the developer using my library to add the support library explicitly or use the one if the developer has already added it. I don't want to package the support library in my own distribution.
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I'm building an Android Library and I would like some of its features to be downloaded only on-demand, as dynamic feature modules.
Is it possible to use Dynamic Delivery (from Google Play Core library) in an Android Library project?
I tried adding dynamicFeatures = [':my_dynamic_feature'] to my Library project's build.gradle, but when I try to do a Gradle sync, I'm getting the following error:
Could not set unknown property 'dynamicFeatures' for object of type com.android.build.gradle.LibraryExtension.
For this reason I suspect that Dynamic Delivery is only supported for 'com.android.application' but not for 'com.android.library'.
Can someone confirm whether this is supported or not?
Or at least planned for a future release of Play Core library?
Thanks!
Yes, currently it can only be used from the application class.
If you want to design your library in a way that it can later support a dynamic feature, you can move the dynamic feature related code to a separate library, let's call it DFLibrary.
Instead of directly calling the DFLibrary methods, you can use reflection.
Now, any client that wants to use your library and the DFLibrary but does not want to handle dynamic feature installation can include the dependencies of both your library and DFLibrary.
In case the client wants to use DFLibrary as a dynamic feature module, it can itself create a Dynamic feature module and include the DFLibrary dependency in it and then handle the downloading of that dynamic feature module.
In my mind, androidx.* is optional for an Android project, I find that androidx.* is necessary when I update to Android Studio to 3.4.2.
See the Image. So androidx.* will be standard, right?
Image
AndroidX is a major improvement to the original Android Support Library.
Like the Support Library, AndroidX ships separately from the Android OS and provides backwards-compatibility across Android releases. androidX fully replaces the Support Library by providing feature parity and new libraries.
Here
If your app currently depends on the original Design Support Library, you can make use of the Refactor to androidX option provided by Android Studio. Doing so will update your app’s dependencies and code to use the newly packaged androidx.
New Design support library requires andriodX migration too! You should consider using androidX for your future projects! Here
Add the library to the in your build.gradle(app-level) dependencies section:
implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:version' Latest Version
you can still make app absolutely..androidx is just a extension of the android library itself...so if you completely know android libraries,you can make any app,same as what androidx can,as the name implies,its a "support library" so without using it you can still make full blown app...again its a support library to make your life not worrying of compatibility for your app,but if your really know android programming,your dont need androidx.infact making app in android(not androidx)is better because you dont need transitions in the future same to what happen to those who rely on android support libraries..
I just created a new library, Powerful Image View.
My library is a custom AppCompatImageView, so I need the appcompat-v7 library. And here comes the question:
How should I add it to my library?
Should I use 'compile', or 'provided' and let the user add the library to its own dependencies?
And how should i handle different versions of the libraries used, since i'm not depending on a specific version?
I added to the library's gradle file this line:
provided 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:+'
I'd like to know your thoughts about this :)
Should I use 'compile', or 'provided' and let the user add the library to its own dependencies?
I would use compile and make sure that the developer using your library understands that your library relies upon appcompat-v7, as that in turn places lots of other requirements (e.g., using AppCompatActivity, using Theme.AppCompat).
And how should i handle different versions of the libraries used, since i'm not depending on a specific version?
Well, you are requiring some version. AppCompatImageView does not exist in all versions of appcompat-v7. I recommend depending upon a concrete version (i.e., not +), ideally the latest-and-greatest version.
This question already has an answer here:
How do make sure there is no conflict of "v7 appcompat or support" of my library when any application uses my library?
(1 answer)
Closed 6 years ago.
I have a android library with com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.0.1 dependency in the gradle with compliedSDK of 23
I have following doubts
case 1) Say any applicaion with different version com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.3.0 uses my library.
which version does the android take? Lower one or Higher one? How do i see it?
How do i make sure there is no conflict of v7 appcompat when any app uses my library?
case 2) Say any applicaion with different version com.android.support:appcompat-v7:25.0.1 or com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24+ and different compiledSDk(24 or 25) uses my library.
I know that The support library should not use a different version than the compileSdkVersion.
How does the android merge the support libraries now? (Since the support library version(appcompat-v7:23.0.1) of my library is different from that of the application's compiledSDK (25) )
How do i make sure there is no conflict of v7 appcompat when any app uses my library?
Anyone Please clear my doubts
which version does the android take? Lower one or Higher one? How do i see it?
When building library you put the dependency explicitly in build.gradle. The same is done by the creator of app, that uses your library as a dependency declared in his build.gradle. If the creator explicitly declares support library as a dependency, that version is taken (regardless the versions declared by dependencies). If he does not do that, the highest version declared by any dependency is taken (such support library is regarded as a transitive dependency).
Example: Your library uses appcompat-v7:23.3.0. The creator of app declared appcompat-v7:25.0.1. Simple case: appcompat-v7:25.0.1 is taken.
Example 2: Your library uses appcompat-v7:23.3.0. The creator of app does not use appcompat-v7. appcompat-v7:23.3.0 will be in output app.
Example 3: Your library uses appcompat-v7:23.3.0. Another library uses appcompat-v7:24.1.0. If the creator does not explicitly declare appcompat-v7:xx.x.x the version appcompat-v7:24.1.0 will be in output app.
Hope you understand.
How do i make sure there is no conflict of v7 appcompat when any app uses my library?
You can't assure that. That is why you should always put the highest version of support libraries in the library. I can't even assure you the support libraries maintain backward compatibility. Here is the example that they don't.
I know that The support library should not use a different version than the compileSdkVersion.
That is only a suggestion. However, you should conform to it, but you don't have to.
Sorry might be silly question here. First of all i am a bit new to android.There is always confusion in my mind when it comes to Support Library. What killing me most is if I have multiple libraries in my dependencies and each use different Support Library versions. One use V4 and other use "v7" with different build version. Project it's self use another version. Wouldn't be any conflict or duplicate entries cuz each one has separate versions. :-)
Edited
Library A ( v7:22.1.1 )
Library B ( v4:19.1.0 )
Library C ( v4:18.0.0 )
app ( v4:18.0.0 )
As my expectation , there should be conflict but i can run project without any flaw which make me big confusion.
Edited
It is said that v7 include v4 so i removed support library in all sub modules and put v7 in app module. After i had changed ,i've errors and can't even build ..
Would be very appreciate for explanation cuz mostly all beginner might have those confusion
Actually v7 includes the v4 support library. There wont be any conflict and duplicate entries between them.
v4 Support Library
This library is designed to be used with Android 1.6 (API level 4) and higher. It includes the largest set of APIs compared to the other libraries, including support for application components, user interface features, accessibility, data handling, network connectivity, and programming utilities.
v7 Support Libraries
It contains several libraries designed to be used with Android 2.1 (API level 7) and higher. These libraries provide specific feature sets and can be included in your application independently from each other and added extra features.
v7 include v4 support library so if you are importing v7 than no need to add v4
You can check in v7 libs folder it includes v4 library
Now if you have multiple library(module) project which has some hierarchy than attach library to the main parent library and add that parent library to your sub library project or main project
Library_A (Required v4 or v7's some of the classes)
Library_A1 (Required v4 or v7's some of the classes)
Main_Porject(Final one)
Add Support v7 to Library_A only
Add Library_A to Library_A1 as a module
No need to add v7 to both Library_A & Library_A1 it can cause conflicts
Attach only Library_A1 to Main_Project as a Module.
And Using multiple v7 library with different version will cause problem.