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Difference between module, libraries, jar, library projects, gradle projects, aar and jar

I work for a company which has a android mobile application developed by an offshore team. I have access to GitHub repositories.
I am piecing together the android app block by block and it is giving me hell.
How do I distinguish between module, libraries, jar, library projects, gradle projects, aar and jar. Can someone please give me a practical definition. NOT out of a freaking google search. I have Google too.
PS yes I am a noob and not proud of it.

I'm just giving a brief description about each of these. I hope I'm clear.
Module : A Module is an component of your application that can build / test independently and re use it in another application if required.
Libraries : AAR files, JAR files etc.
JAR : Java library
AAR : Just like JAR, only difference is that it also contains android specific files like resources etc.
Gradle Project : Gradle is just a build system which is used by Android Studio to build the android project. Its very much powerful as compared to the build system which was used in Eclipse earlier.
Library Project : An Android library project is similar to an Android app project in that it also includes a project manifest file in the project’s root directory. Also, this directory contains src, res, and other directories that you also find when building an app project.
However, there is a significant difference. You cannot compile a library project into an APK file because a library project doesn’t describe an app. Instead, it provides reusable code and resources that contribute to an app when the app’s project and source code refer to the library project. At build time, this code and these resources are merged into the app’s APK file.
To explain more on this, let me give you an example :
Say you want to use a networking library volley for making API calls, now since this is an open source library from Google you can clone it making customisations as per your requirement.
You can make volley library as your Library Project, build it independently, unit test, etc.
Now say you started building an application where you need to make HTTP calls so you need to add volley library to your project. You have two choices for that :
Compile your library project volley, generate the aar file and add it your app Project.
Add Volley as module in your project. (If you choose this option you can make changes to volley library in same studio project since it will act as a component in your project)
Please let me know if something is not clear.

1.) Module
A module is a collection of source files and build settings that allow you to divide your project into discrete units of functionality. Your project can have one or many modules and one module may use another module as a dependency. Each module can be independently built, tested, and debugged.
There are 4 type of module in Android Studio.
Phone & Table Module
Android Wear Module
Android TV Module
Glass Module
2.) Support Library
The Android Support Library offers a number of features that are not built into the framework. These libraries offer backward-compatible versions of new features, provide useful UI elements that are not included in the framework, and provide a range of utilities that apps can draw on.
Support libraries provide a range of different features:
Backward-compatible versions of framework components.
UI elements to implement the recommended Android layout patterns.
Support for different form factors.
Miscellaneous utility functions.
3.) Jar file
JarFile is used to read jar entries and their associated data from jar files.
for more detail visit this : https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/jar/JarFile.html
4.) Android Library Project
The Android team introduced a new binary distribution format called Android ARchive(AAR). The .aar bundle is the binary distribution of an Android Library Project.
An AAR is similar to a JAR file, but it can contain resources as well as compiled byte-code. This allows that an AAR file is included in the build process of an Android application similar to a JAR file
5.) Gradle and Gradle Project
Gradle is an automated build toolkit that allows the way in which projects are built to be configured and managed through a set of build configuration files. This includes defining how a project is to be built, what dependencies need to be fulfilled for the project to build successfully and what the end result (or results) of the build process should be. The strength of Gradle lies in the flexibility that it provides to the developer. The Gradle system is a self-contained, command-line based environment that can be integrated into other environments through the use of plug-ins. In the case of Android Studio, Gradle integration is provided through the appropriately named Android Studio Plug-in.
for more detail visit this : http://www.techotopia.com/index.php/An_Overview_of_Gradle_in_Android_Studio

Android Studio Java Library Module vs. Android Library Module

My desired end result is to have a Project that can output different productflavors of Mobile, Tv, and Wear apps, that share the same code-base. So I would like the codebase to be a dependency for all three app-types, where each app module would only contain activities and interaction with the codebase.
My first idea was to add a "Android Library Module" to my newly created project, but I noticed that this is really just a new app module with its own resources and everything. I would like the codebase to function more like a "Java Library", but it needs access to packages like "android.graphics.Color".
So in short, is the correct way of achieving this result to use a java library that has a reference to an android sdk or am i just going about this the wrong way?
Continuation of this question at:Does an Android Library need a manifest ,app_name,Icon?

There's no in-between. If you want access to Android APIs, then the library needs to be an Android library so that the build system can properly link it in to dependent projects. It's true that Android Libraries have resources and other things you may not need, but you can ignore those bits and treat it essentially as a plain Java library if you wish. Even if you're not using resources, you may find useful the ability to specify AndroidManifest.xml attributes to be merged into the dependent app.
The Android Library project doesn't build a fully-fledged APK as its output; it generates an AAR, which is conceptually similar to a JAR archive, but has resources and meta-information useful to Android projects.

Supplemental answer defining terms
The Android Studio documentation defines a module as follows:
A module is a collection of source files and build settings that allow
you to divide your project into discrete units of functionality. Your
project can have one or many modules and one module may use another
module as a dependency. Each module can be independently built,
tested, and debugged.
So basically a module is a subproject in your bigger project.
Types of modules
Android app module - The app module is usually what you are working with in a normal project. When you compile it you get an APK file that will run on a device. Here are the different types of app modules that exist:
Phone & Tablet Module
Android Wear Module
Android TV Module
Glass Module
Library module - The purpose of a library is to share code. For example, you could have a project with a couple different app modules. The common code that they both use could be located in the library.
Android Library - In addition to Java code, this allows you to also include Android resource files and a manifest. If you are making an Android project and are wondering what kind of library to use, then choose the Android Library. When compiled it creates an AAR (Android Archive) file.
Java Library - This only allows you to include Java code files, no Android resource files. This is useful for cross-platform code sharing. When compiled it creates a JAR (Java Archive) file.
Google Cloud module - This type of module is the Google Cloud backend for communication with your client side app.

One additional point that I've not seen well documented: An android library module can have a dependency on another android library module or java library module, but a java library module cannot have a dependency on an android library module.

Android Studio make my test module depend of application module

I want to make in Android Studio my test module to be dependent of application module, but can not achieve this, have mistake
Error:Dependency AndroidApp:app:unspecified on project TestsRobotium resolves to an APK archive which is not supported as a compilation dependency. File: D:\android\MEWE\AndroidApp\app\build\apk\MeWe.apk
In my test.gradle I added provided project(':app') in dependency tag (it is done by Android studio automatically)
How would I resolve this? I need dependency on src, res folders of my main app and need to know R file

This is now possible using com.android.test plugin. Works fine for Java and resources stuff.
An example by Google can be found here.
Basically you create a separate module for testing and define which module and flavor should be tested. I've just checked it and it has some issues with working with the IDE, but runs fine with gradle command line.

Adding library with and without resources in android

I'm new to android development. I wanted to implement Navigation Drawer feature in my application, which requires android.support.v4.jar file to be included in my project. I'm using Android Studio to develop my application so I included the compile "com.android.support:support-v4:18.0.+" in my build.gradle file as mentioned in https://developer.android.com/tools/support-library/setup.html. My project is working fine, I was able to successfully include my library. I did adding library without resources.
What I couldn't figure out is the difference between adding library without resources and adding library with resources. Does adding library with resources mean including some sample project?
Thanks

For Android Studio projects using Gradle (which is what your project is), there isn't an important distinction between libraries with resources and without resources. The Gradle build system's support for Android is more advanced than anything available to Eclipse and can support libraries with and without resources the same way (you just add the compile statement to your dependencies as you have; you can also do it more easily via the Project Structure dialog).
In Eclipse, if you want to include a library with resources, you have to add it as a project (similar to an Android Studio module) to ensure the resources get included directly; there you can't include resourceful libraries as simple jar files.

How to test an Android Library Project

I am writing an Android Library Project basing on Android Bitmap class (call it AndroindLib) which contains only utility class (no activity). I tried to test it using Android JUnit, but it keeps complaining that can't find the AnroidLib.apk
What's the right way to Unit test Android Library Project?

Quoting the documentation:
"There are two recommended ways of setting up testing on code and resources in a library project:
You can set up a test project that instruments an application project that depends on the library project. You can then add tests to the project for library-specific features.
You can set up a standard application project that depends on the library and put the instrumentation in that project. This lets you create a self-contained project that contains both the tests/instrumentations and the code to test."

In your test project simply change the package name so that it's the same as your library's package.
For example, you have a library whose package is "com.example.lib". Create a test project targeting your library. In the manifest file you'll see package="com.example.lib.test", and targetPackage="com.example.lib". Just change the package from "com.example.lib.test" to "com.example.lib" (targetPackage leave as is).
Also, make sure that the library is referenced to your test project NOT in Java build path, but as a usual Android library : in Eclipse it must be shown as library in Project->Properties->Android tab, but not in Project->Properties->Java Build Path tab.
Then run you tests.

Per the documentation:
Testing a library module is the same as testing an app.
The main difference is that the library and its dependencies are automatically included as dependencies of the test APK. This means that the test APK includes not only its own code, but also the library's AAR and all its dependencies. Because there is no separate "app under test," the androidTest task installs (and uninstalls) only the test APK.
When merging multiple manifest files, Gradle follows the default priority order and merges the library's manifest into the test APK's main manifest.

NOTE: This solution is based on using Eclipse Indigo (3.8.2) and might have to be implemented slightly differently for another IDE although the basic principles will be the same.
I had similar issues and I found that do the following always works:
(NOTE: These instructions are for building a new project group from scratch. If you have already built parts of the project group, then you may have to modify your projects so that they connect in the same way.)
Create a new Android Library project by checking the "Is Library" checkbox during creation. (for example an Android project named "RemingtonAndroidTools").
Build the Android Library project and verify that it created a jar file in the bin folder. (for example a jar file named "RemingtonAndroidTools.jar".)
Create an empty Android Project for testing the Android app that will serve as an Android Test App. (For example an Android project named "RemingtonAndroidToolsTestApp"). You will not need to modify the source code or resources of the Android Test App project unless you have something that must be added for testing. Many things can be tested without any modifications to the Android Test App Project. The Android Test App project is a bridge between your Android Library project and the Android Junit project that makes testing of the Android Library project via Android Junit possible.
Go the Library tab of Java Build Path for the Android Test App project ("RemingtonAndroidToolsTestApp" in this example).
Add the jar file ("RemingtonAndroidTools.jar" in this example) of the Android Library Project ("RemingtonAndroidTools" in this example) via the "Add Jars..." button.
Create a new Android Test project (for example "RemingtonAndroidToolsTester") that will serve as an Android Library Tester and select the Android Test App project ("RemingtonAndroidToolsTestApp" in this example) as the target.
Go the Library tab of Java Build Path for the Android Library Tester project ("RemingtonAndroidToolsTester" in this example).
Add the jar file ("RemingtonAndroidTools.jar" in this example) of the Android Library Project ("RemingtonAndroidTools" in this example) via the "Add Jars..." button.
Find the last folder of your Android package in the Android Library Tester project ("danny.remington.remington_android_tools_test_app.test" for example) and add a test class ("MainActivityTest" for example) that inherits from ActivityInstrumentationTestCase2.
Edit the test class ("TestActivityTest" in this example) to use the activity (for example "TestActivity") of the Android Test App ("RemingtonAndroidToolsTestApp" in this example) as the parameter for ActivityInstrumentationTestCase2.
Edit the test class ("TestActivityTest" in this example) and create a default constructor that makes a call to super(Class) and passing in the class of the Android Test App ("TestActivity.class" for example).
You should end up with three projects (Android Library, Android Test App, Android Library Tester) that look similar to this:
You should end up with a class for testing your Android Library that looks similar to this:
package danny.remington.remington_android_tools_test_app.test;
import android.test.ActivityInstrumentationTestCase2;
import danny.remington.remington_android_tools_test_app.TestActivity;
/**
*
*/
public class TestActivityTest extends
ActivityInstrumentationTestCase2<TestActivity> {
public TestActivityTest() {
super(TestActivity.class);
}
}
You can then add any test that you want. You will not need to reference the Android Test App ("RemingtonAndroidToolsTestApp" in this example) further to run your tests unless they require access to an Android specific component (like the Assets folder, for example). If you need to access any Android specific components you can do so by modifying the Android Test App ("RemingtonAndroidToolsTestApp" in this example) and then referencing it via the instrumentation provided by the standard Android Junit API. (You can read more about that here: http://developer.android.com/tools/testing/testing_android.html)

If your ulitiy classes do not depend on any android specific code, you can just use standard JUnit unit tests. No need to use the Android versions.