Is there a way to check within my android application if it's being debugged, like a DEBUG flag or somthing? I want to print a special message when the application is being debugged.
You can use BuildConfig.DEBUG. This is a boolean value that will be true for a debug build, false otherwise:
if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
// do something with debug build
}
There are two ways to check if the apk is being debugged or not
1. BuildConfig.DEBUG:
if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
// do something with debug build
}
Note: If you are using the first one then make sure BuildConfig is imported from your project or your app.
2.ApplicationInfo.FLAG_DEBUGGABLE
if (0 != (getApplicationInfo().flags & ApplicationInfo.FLAG_DEBUGGABLE)) {
//Debug APK
}
It is possible to set a variable in debug or release of buildTypes of app module. This doc has explained how to do that, Android: Managing different server URL for development and release.
However, my problem is different slightly. I have Project_A which is dependency to my App_Module. A class on my Project_A needs to know this build is Debug or Release. I created a variable in buildTypes based on what above doc's said (in App_Module). However, the variable seems is not visible to this dependency (Project_A).
I have following code in a class of Project_A:
if (BuildConfig.DEBUG)
{
MyConstants.URL_BASE = "https://my.debug.com";
}
else
{
MyConstants.URL_BASE = "https://my.release.com";
}
When I check the package of BuildConfig, the package belongs to Project_A (and there is no sign of App_Module in dropdown list of auto import packages). So what is your recommendation? How can I check build variant from dependency?
I used following solution for my problem. I defined Debug variable in Application class of Project_A:
// Placeholder for the BuildConfig.DEBUG flag. Should be overwritten by the final application class
// with the correct value based on build variant (debug/release).
public static boolean DEBUG = true;
Then, I'm set it from Application class of App_Module.
// Setup the debug flag
PassengerLibApplication.DEBUG = BuildConfig.DEBUG;
Therefore, my above code will be changed to
if (Project_A_Application.DEBUG)
{
MyConstants.URL_BASE = "https://my.debug.com";
}
else
{
MyConstants.URL_BASE = "https://my.release.com";
}
I am trying to remove logging from the release apk file. I followed the advice of using BuildConfig.DEBUG variable, which will be true for debug builds and false otherwise.
In a Constants file, I have:
public static final LOG_ENABLED = BuildConfig.DEBUG;
And then I check the variable before logging.
if(Constants.LOG_ENABLED){
// print Log
}
Then, in the gradle build file, I have added android
{ buildTypes { release { minifyEnabled true shrinkResources true } } } . I then ran gradle assembleRelease, but the logging still remains inside the apk file?
Can someone kindly show me the error of my ways?
in general now I would go with [this solution] 0
in your snippet I think you may have to explicit the boolean type:
public static final boolean LOG_ENABLED = BuildConfig.DEBUG;
to have it working, as in these other answers: [1], [2]
historically BuildConfig.DEBUG; has been affected by known issues - also with libraries - and a solution for both Eclipse and Android Studio can be found for example here
I am having trouble building apk in release mode. No matter what I do I always get BuildConfig.DEBUG flag set to true.
I tried the following
set android:debuggable="false" in manifest file.
Used Export option(by right clicking on project in eclipse) to create signed apk.
Use Android Tools->Export unsigned apk to create apk.
But when I decompiled the code using dex2jar and JD I saw BuildConfig.DEBUG set to true.
Also, when I used the following code in app to check debug flag, I always get result 'true'(in both debug and release mode)
Toast t=Toast.makeText(this, String.valueOf(BuildConfig.DEBUG), Toast.LENGTH_LONG);
t.show();
Please tell me the correct method to build the apk in release mode and to protect code from decompiling.
Please help me.
It has been a bug with ADT, which I am still able to reproduce
https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=27940
As a workaround you may use your own boolean to toggle (true/false) logging as this:
public final class AppConfig {
public static final boolean DEBUG = false;
}
// and later use it as
if (AppConfig.DEBUG) {
Log.d(TAG, "lorem ipsum..");
}
In the newest version of ADT (r17) a generated constant was added BuildConfig.DEBUG that is set according to the build type. The problem I have is that it is never set to false, I expected it to change when doing "Android Tools -> Export Signed Application Package" but it hasn't for me.
So how do I change the build type?
Added a feature that allows you to run some code only in debug mode.
Builds now generate a class called BuildConfig containing a DEBUG
constant that is automatically set according to your build type. You
can check the (BuildConfig.DEBUG) constant in your code to run
debug-only functions
Currently you can get the correct behavior by disabling "Build Automatically", cleaning the project and then export via "Android Tools -> Export Signed Application Package". When you run the application BuildConfig.DEBUG should be false.
With Eclipse, I always disable "Build Automatically" option before Exporting the app in release. Then I clean the project and export. Otherwise it starts compiling in debug mode, and then the value of BuildConfig.DEBUG may be wrong.
With Android Studio, I simply add my own custom variable in the build.gradle:
buildTypes {
debug {
buildConfigField "Boolean", "DEBUG_MODE", "true"
}
release {
buildConfigField "Boolean", "DEBUG_MODE", "false"
}
}
When I build the project, the BuildConfig.java is generated as follows:
public final class BuildConfig {
// Fields from build type: debug
public static final Boolean DEBUG_MODE = true;
}
Then in my code I can use:
if (BuildConfig.DEBUG_MODE) {
// do something
}
I recommand to clean after switching debug/release build.
It doesn't work properly:
Issue 27940: BuildConfig.DEBUG is "true" for exported application package
It's disappointing that they sometimes release buggy features.
Check for imports, sometimes BuildConfig is imported from any class of library unintentionally. For example:
import io.fabric.sdk.android.BuildConfig;
In this case BuildConfig.DEBUG will always return false;
import com.yourpackagename.BuildConfig;
In this case BuildConfig.DEBUG will return your real build variant.
p.s I just copy this one from my answer here:BuildConfig.DEBUG always false when building library projects with gradle
It does work, but note that the code file never changes, even when exporting the signed file. The export process changes the value of this variable to false, which might give you the false impression that it is not working.
I tested this with logging statements like
if (com.mypackage.BuildConfig.DEBUG)
Log.d(TAG, location.getProvider() + " location changed");
When testing, my Log statements no longer produce any output.
From Preparing for Release:
Turn off logging and debugging
Make sure you deactivate logging and disable the debugging option
before you build your application for release. You can deactivate
logging by removing calls to Log methods in your source files. You can
disable debugging by removing the android:debuggable attribute from
the tag in your manifest file, or by setting the
android:debuggable attribute to false in your manifest file. Also,
remove any log files or static test files that were created in your
project.
Also, you should remove all Debug tracing calls that you added to your
code, such as startMethodTracing() and stopMethodTracing() method
calls.
More information is following the link.
The solution for me:
Project -> Build Automatically
Project -> Clean
Project -> Build
Project Export Android application
It's work in r20
I would want to propose a simple workaround if you use proguard during APK export.
Proguard provides a way to remove calls to specific functions in release mode. Any calls for debugging logs can be removed with following setting in proguard-project.txt.
# Remove debug logs
-assumenosideeffects class android.util.Log {
public static *** d(...);
public static *** v(...);
}
And optimization setting in project.properties.
proguard.config=${sdk.dir}/tools/proguard/proguard-android-optimize.txt:proguard-project.txt
With this, you don't need to concern any unnecessary String computation passing to debug log to which #Jeremyfa pointed. The computations are just removed in release build.
So the workaround for BuildConfig.DEBUG uses the same feature of proguard like following.
public class DebugConfig {
private static boolean debug = false;
static {
setDebug(); // This line will be removed by proguard in release.
}
private static void setDebug() {
debug = true;
}
public static boolean isDebug() {
return debug;
}
}
And following setting in proguard-project.txt.
-assumenosideeffects class com.neofect.rapael.client.DebugConfig {
private static *** setDebug();
}
I would prefer using this to disabling the Build Automatically option, because this doesn't depend on the builder's individual IDE setting but is maintained as committed file which are shared among developers.
Does not work properly as far as I understood (Android issue 22241)
I had some trouble on a project (working with Eclipse), that constant was not set to true when exporting a signed APK of my project :(
Would love to hear it works though
a good way is creating your own class :
public class Log {
public static void d(String message) {
if (BuildConfig.DEBUG)
android.util.Log.d(
"[" + (new Exception().getStackTrace()[1].getClassName()) + "]",
"{" + (new Exception().getStackTrace()[1].getMethodName()) + "} "
+ message
);
}
}
will you check your app level build.gradle debuggable true for release build
buildTypes {
release {
debuggable true
}
}
instead you keep false or comment that line
buildTypes {
release {
//debuggable true
}
}
now you will get BuildConfig.DEBUG false for release build
I've seen some strange behavior that has to do with when the values in BuildConfig are set to their final values. This may have something to do with your issue.
The simple explanation is that default values are set initially before Proguard is run, then after Proguard runs, the BuildConfig file is regenerated with the proper values. However, Proguard has already optimized your code by this point and you have issues.
Here is a bug I created against Gradle. https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=182449