I've been spinning a jar for android library project and including this jar in my other apps. But on developer.android.com, I see this statement that I can't distribute a library in a jar:
You cannot export a library project to a JAR file
A library cannot be distributed as a binary file (such as a JAR file).
This will be added in a future version of the SDK Tools.
I really don't understand what does that mean.
It is possible to create an Android library project that does not
include source code. The limitations are:
You still have to ship the resources.
You have to rewrite your code to avoid using R. values, as they
will be wrong. You will have to look up all resource IDs using
getResources().getIdentifier() and/or reflection.
I have the instructions in The Busy Coder's Guide to Advanced Android
Development (http://commonsware.com/AdvAndroid), though the
instructions are new enough that none of my free versions have them.
Quoting some of the instructions from the current edition:
"You can create a binary-only library project via the following steps:
Create an Android library project, with your source code and such –
this is your master project, from which you will create a version of
the library project for distribution.
Compile the Java source (e.g., ant compile) and turn it into a JAR file
Create a distribution Android library project, with the same
resources as the master library project, but no source code
Put the JAR file in the distribution Android library project's libs/
directory
The resulting distribution Android library project will have everything a
main project will need, just without the source code."
Personally, I'd just wait a bit. I am hopeful that the official
support for library-projects-as-JARs will be available soonish.
It means that (at the current time) you must distribute your entire project folder. Rather than just a jar file like you can for java libraries.
When someone wants to use your library they will import your project into eclipse, and then in project properties->android they will add your project as an android library.
A few common ways used to distribute a Library project are by using git, or zipping your project folder and making it available online.
Related
I need to import this library project into my eclipse. While i am trying to use this project it have some error. Can you help me on this. https://github.com/daimajia/AndroidImageSlider
That project is created for use with Gradle for Android. Eclipse does not support that yet. It is also distributed as an AAR, which Eclipse does not support. There are recipes for converting AARs into Eclipse-friendly Android library projects that you can try. Otherwise, you will need to reorganize the project code yourself to support the classic Eclipse-style project structure. Mostly, that will involve moving the contents of library/src/main/ into a regular Eclipse Android library project:
The res/ directory and AndroidManifest.xml file would go in the library project root directory
The java/ directory would be renamed src/ and also go in the library project directory
However, you will have to repeat this process each and every time the library's author updates the library, at least for those updates that you are interested in.
You may wish to see if there is an alternative library that meets your needs but is better packaged for use with Eclipse.
Basically there are some changes to be done to eclipse project before importing it to eclipse like src folder.
The project you posted may contains many error since it have two more android project dependency.
I tired to convert above project with its dependency :
Checkout Complete Source Code
There is one more project lib u need to add LIB
Has anyone found a good way to utilize Android .aar libraries within Unity3D, other than unzipping them?
Snippets from the Unity 4.2 Release Notes:
Android: Added support for Android Library Projects (no compilation
support, so the libraries have to be pre-compiled).
Android: Remove Eclipse project support in favor of Android project support.
Android: Support for Android SDK rev22.
The Unity documentation clarifies
Pre-compiled means all .java files must have been compiled into jar files located in either the bin/ or the libs/ folder of the project.
I'm familiar with using the jar + res/ solution; but I am specifically trying to identify the best way of incorporating the precompiled aar. Is there something better than unzipping it?
With Unity 5, just place .aar files in the project. (They don't even need to be in /Plugins/Android anymore, just check the inspector and make sure they are turned on for Android platform).
I have a project that uses some resources.I want to create a library from it and publish it.I create a jar file with export option of eclipse,but it did not work.Then I search the we b and it seems that way works if and only if project does not use resources.But I saw this post.Here CommonsWare saya there is a way to create a jar file from a project that uses resources.But that answer has two link that do not open any page on the web and I could not test CommonsWare's answer.So my question is:
Is there any way to create jar library file from project that uses resources?
Note:
I read docs that say:
If you have source code and resources that are common to multiple
Android projects, you can move them to a library project so that it is
easier to maintain across applications and versions.
But as I said before,I want to publish my jar and docs say we can not create jar file from library project.And so I can not publish it.
Here CommonsWare saya there is a way to create a jar file from a project that uses resources.
Not in that answer. You can tell that by actually reading the answer.
But that answer has two link that do not open any page on the web
Sorry, Google reorganized their site and broke the original links. The answer has been updated with current links.
Is there any way to create jar library file from project that uses resources?
No.
You can create an Android library project that includes a JAR instead of Java source code. AFAIK, this recipe still works:
Create an Android library project, with your source code, resources, and such, and get it working
Compile the Java source (e.g., via Ant) and turn it into a JAR file
Create a copy of your original Android library project to serve as a distribution Android library project
Place the compiled JAR from step #2 and put it in libs/ of the distribution library project from step #3.
Delete everything in src/ of the distribution library project (but leave the now-empty src/ directory there)
Distribute the distribution library project (e.g., ZIP it up)
And the new Gradle-based build system supports the AAR package for distributing libraries and such, though I have not played with this yet.
As the topic indicates I would like to create a jar library that uses some android functions (no layouts) and that will be included in an Android project.
Is that possible and how?
From the research I've made I managed to include a simple jar file that uses pure Java (JAVA SE 1.6), but
when I tried creating a jar file I encountered the following exception when I tried to run the Andoid app: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: mylib.pleasework.amen
I tried including android.jar in my library and removing the java library, so that the jar file is build against android sdk, but it didn't work.
I tried including the jar file under a /libs folder as it is said to be the correct way to import jars in android projects from ADT v17 and after, but that didn't work either.
The jar I want to create will not use any resources (xml layouts, strings.xml) just Log.d and WifiManager.I am aware of Android Library Project but my library source is sensitive and I am afraid that it won't be safe if exposed in a Android library project. I was thinking of creating a jar and using ProGuard ( http://developer.android.com/tools/help/proguard.html ) obfuscate it.
I think I mentioned everything. Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Thomas
As the topic indicates I would like to create a jar library that uses some android functions (no layouts) and that will be included in an Android project. Is that possible and how?
Use the jar command, or the <jar> Ant task. I am sure that there are ways to export a JAR from Eclipse, but I personally have never used them.
For example, in this GitHub repo I have a reusable component and a sub-project that is a sample app. My build.xml for the repo contains the following custom task:
<target name="jar" depends="debug">
<jar
destfile="bin/CWAC-WakefulIntentService.jar"
basedir="bin/classes"
/>
</target>
This generates a JAR file, that other Android applications can use by adding to their libs/ directories.
I am aware of Android Library Project but my library source is sensitive and I am afraid that it won't be safe if exposed in a Android library project.
It won't be safe exposed as a JAR, then, either. You can create an Android library project for public consumption that replaces the src/ tree's contents with a compiled JAR in libs/ in the library.
The way I did it in the end was: to create an Android Library project (check isLibrary checkbox in project properties) export it through Eclipse (right click on the project->export->jar file, careful to deselect all resources - res folder, androidmanifest.xml, *.png etc) and put it in the project you want by importing it under /libs folder. I don't know if this is the best solution but it worked for me.Used ADT r20, Eclipse 3.7.1, Android api level 7
all.
I've created an android library project and it's works perfectly when i reference it from main project. But when i build the library project apart it doesn't contains R.java and resources. Is there way to build a library project with resources and R.java?
It's not possible now.
Now we can create a binary-only library project via the following steps:
Create an Android library project, with your source code and such –
this is your master project, from which you will create a version of
the library project for distribution
Compile the Java source (e.g., ant compile) and turn it into a JAR file
Create a distribution Android library project, with the same
resources as the master library project, but no source code
Put the JAR file in the distribution Android library project's libs/
directory
The resulting distribution Android library project will have everything a
main project will need, just without the source code.
There is some restrictions in this solution:
We still have to ship the resources.
We have to rewrite our code to avoid using R. values, as they
will be wrong. We will have to look up all resource IDs using
getResources().getIdentifier() and/or reflection.
I use Eclipse and never manually build my Android Library Project independently, but I think the development considerations stated on official dev guide here should answer your question:
Each library project creates its own R class
When you build the dependent application project, library projects are compiled and merged with the application project. Each library has its own R class, named according to the library's package name. The R class generated from main project and the library project is created in all the packages that are needed including the main project's package and the libraries' packages.
Update with Another note quoted from the official dev giude Library Projects:
However, a library project differs from an standard Android application project in that you cannot compile it directly to its own .apk and run it on an Android device. Similarly, you cannot export the library project to a self-contained JAR file, as you would do for a true library. Instead, you must compile the library indirectly, by referencing the library in the dependent application and building that application.