Declare Dependencies

How to add dependencies

The example below describes how to declare three different types of direct dependencies in the app/ module’s build.gradle file:

   android {...}
    ...
    dependencies {
        // The 'compile' configuration tells Gradle to add the dependency to the
        // compilation classpath and include it in the final package.
    
        // Dependency on the "mylibrary" module from this project
        compile project(":mylibrary")
    
        // Remote binary dependency
        compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24.1.0'
    
        // Local binary dependency
        compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    }

How to add a repository

To download dependencies, declare the repository so Gradle can find them. To do this, add a repositories { ... } to the app/ module’s build.gradle in the top-level file.

repositories {
  // Gradle's Java plugin allows the addition of these two repositories via method calls:
  jcenter()
  mavenCentral()

  maven { url "https://repository.of/dependency" }

  maven { 
      credentials {
          username 'xxx'
          password 'xxx'
      }

  url 'https://my.maven
  }
}

Module dependencies

In a multi-project gradle build, you can have a dependency with another module in your build.

Example:

  dependencies {
        // Dependency on the "mylibrary" module from this project
        compile project(":mylibrary")
  }

The compile project(':mylibrary') line declares a local Android library module named “mylibrary” as a dependency, and requires the build system to compile and include the local module when building your app.

Local binary dependencies

You can have a dependency with a single jar or multiple jar files.

With a single jar file you can add:

dependencies {
    compile files('libs/local_dependency.jar')
}

It’s possible to add a directory of jars to compile.

dependencies {
        compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
}

The compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar']) line tells the build system to include any JAR files inside the app/libs/ directory in the compilation classpath and in the final package of your app.

If you have modules that require local binary dependencies, copy the JAR files for these dependencies into <moduleName>/libs inside your project.

If you need to add an aar files you can read more details here.

Remote binary dependencies

You can add remote dependencies in Gradle usign this structure:

compile 'group:name:version'

or this alternative syntax:

compile group: 'xxx', name: 'xxxxx', version: 'xxxx'

For example:

compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24.1.0'

The compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24.1.0’ line declares a dependency on version 24.1.0 of the Android Support Library.

Declare Dependencies for Configurations

Dependencies can be added for specific configuration like test/androidTest

androidTestCompile 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:2.2.1'
testCompile 'junit:junit:3.8.1'

Alternatively create your own configuration

configurations {
    myconfig
}

And then download dependency for this config

myconfig group: 'com.mycompany', name: 'my_artifact', version: '1.0.0'

Declare dependencies for flavors

Dependencies can be added for specific product flavors in a similar fashion as build configurations.

android {
    ...   
    productFlavors {
        flavor1 {
            //...
        }
        flavor2 {
            //...
        }
    }
}

dependencies {
    flavor1Compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24.1.1'
    flavor1Compile 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crash:9.4.0'
        
    flavor2Compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24.1.1'
}

Declare dependencies for build types

Dependencies can be added for specific Build types:

android {
    ...   
    buildTypes {
        release {
            //...
        }

        debug {
            //....
        }
    }
}

dependencies {
    debugCompile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:24.1.1'
    releaseCompile 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crash:9.4.0'            
}