Publishing Your Android Library, The Local Way

Introduction

If you've ever developed an Android library intended for use in multiple projects, you've likely encountered the need to publish it for testing and integration into your target apps. Traditionally, Android libraries are published to remote repositories like MavenCentral or JCenter. However, there are situations where publishing to a remote repository might not be the most efficient or convenient option. This could be due to frequent changes in your library or issues with internet connectivity. In such cases, using the Maven local repository can be a time-saving and practical alternative. In this article, we will explore how to publish your Android library locally and integrate it into your projects.

Understanding Maven Local Repository

Maven local is essentially a repository, but it's located on your own computer. This local repository serves as a storage location for your project dependencies. The default location of the Maven local repository may vary depending on your computer's operating system:

Mac: /Users/[username]/.m2
Linux: /home/[username]/.m2
Windows: C:\Users[username].m2

Publishing Your Library Locally

To publish your library locally, follow these steps:

Create a Gradle File: Navigate to your library's module and create a Gradle file named publishLocal.gradle. This file will contain the necessary code to publish the library locally.

Configure the Gradle File: In the publishLocal.gradle file, include the following code inside the build.gradle block:

project.afterEvaluate {
publishing {
publications {
library(MavenPublication) {
setGroupId groupId
setArtifactId artifactId
version android.defaultConfig.versionName
artifact bundleReleaseAar
}
}
}
}

Additionally, define the following information:

id 'maven-publish'
def artifactId = 'testlibCompose'
def groupId = 'android.example.testlibCompose'
versionName "11.0"

Make sure to remove any unnecessary plugins and configurations

Use Your Project as a Library: Once these steps are completed, your project can be used as a library.

Publishing to Maven Local

If you check Gradle's task tree, you will find various tasks available for publishing. Depending on your needs, you can run these tasks. A successful execution of publishToMavenLocal will make your library available in the local repository.

Integrating Your Library into a Project

To import your library into another Android app or module, follow these steps:

Configure settings.gradle: Open your project's settings.gradle file and specify mavenLocal() as a repository:
```
dependencyResolutionManagement {
repositories {
mavenLocal()
}
}
```
Include the Library: In your app-level or module-level build.gradle file, add your library as a dependency:
```
dependencies {
implementation 'android.example.testlib:testlibVersion:1.0'
}
```

The format for your library's identifier should match the one you specified earlier: groupId:artifactId:versionName.

Compile and Verify: Finally, compile your project and ensure that your library is correctly imported.

Conclusion

Today, we explored an alternative approach to publishing Android libraries that can streamline your development process. By configuring a Gradle file to publish your library to the Maven local repository, you can expedite the testing and integration of your library into various projects. This article provides you with another valuable tool for your daily work as an Android library developer. With this method, you can efficiently manage and test your libraries without the need for a remote repository.