Module 3: Gradle

Learning Objectives

• Understand what Gradle is, and what a build tool does
• Understand what dependencies are and how you can find and include them in your projects
• Understand Gradle tasks and how to run them
• Know how to run tests using Gradle tasks
• Know how to create builds using Gradle

Gradle Explained

Gradle is a powerful and flexible build automation tool that helps manage project dependencies, compile code, run tests, and package applications. It's widely used in Java development and is the official build system for Android.

What is a Build Tool?

A build tool automates repetitive tasks in the software development process:

• Downloading and managing external libraries (dependencies)
• Compiling source code
• Running automated tests
• Packaging applications for distribution
• Deploying applications to various environments

Key Gradle Concepts

• build.gradle: The main configuration file that defines project settings, dependencies, and tasks
• Repositories: Where Gradle looks for dependencies (e.g., Maven Central, JCenter)
• Dependencies: External libraries your project needs
• Tasks: Units of work that Gradle executes (e.g., compile, test, build)
• Plugins: Extensions that provide additional functionality (e.g., Java, application)

Working with Dependencies

Dependencies are added to your build.gradle file:

dependencies {
    implementation 'org.springframework:spring-core:5.3.9'
    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.13.2'
}

Running Gradle Tasks

Tasks are executed from the command line:

./gradlew build    # Compiles and packages the project
./gradlew test     # Runs all tests
./gradlew clean    # Removes build directories
./gradlew run      # Runs the application (if application plugin is applied)

Benefits of Gradle

• Flexible and customizable build process
• Efficient dependency management
• Incremental builds that save time
• Support for multi-project builds
• Rich ecosystem of plugins

Key Topics

Resources

Practice Exercises

Next Steps