What is the difference between gradlew build and gradlew assembleRelease – Gradle

The Problem:

As a developer, I need to build an APK file for release flavors using Gradle from the command line. However, I am unsure of the specific command to use that will solely generate the APK file for release flavors. I need assistance in identifying the appropriate command for this task.

The Solutions:

Solution 1: Difference Between gradlew build and gradlew assembleRelease

gradlew build: The gradlew build command is a versatile command that can be used to perform various tasks related to your Android project. It essentially initiates a build process, which includes compiling your code, running tests, and generating an APK file. This command serves as a comprehensive tool that encompasses the entire build lifecycle, from start to finish.

gradlew assembleRelease: On the other hand, gradlew assembleRelease is a more specific command that is tailored specifically for building and assembling your project’s release APK. It streamlines the build process by focusing solely on the release flavor of your app. This command is particularly useful when you are ready to prepare your app for distribution on the Play Store or other app marketplaces.

Key Differences:

• Scope: gradlew build has a broader scope as it encompasses the entire build process, including compiling code, running tests, and generating APKs for all flavors (debug and release). In contrast, gradlew assembleRelease is laser-focused on building and assembling the release APK.
• Usage: gradlew build is typically used during the development and testing phases of your project. It allows you to quickly iterate through changes, compile your code, and run tests. gradlew assembleRelease, on the other hand, is primarily used when you are ready to build your release APK for distribution.

Solution 2: Using Gradle Commands to Build APK for Specific Flavors

Explanation:

1. assembleDebug and assembleRelease:

   • These commands are used to build the project for specific flavors or build types.
   • assembleDebug builds all variants with the Debug build type, while assembleRelease builds all variants with the Release build type.

2. Specific Usage:

   • In your case, you want to build only APKs for the Release flavors. To do this, you should use the assembleRelease command.

Example:

To build APKs for only Release flavors using Gradle, you can run the following command:

./gradlew assembleRelease

This command will build all variants of your project with the Release build type and generate the corresponding APKs.

Solution 3: Using `gradlew assembleRelease` Command

The gradlew assembleRelease command is used to build and assemble the release version of your Android app. This command will generate a signed APK file that can be uploaded to the Google Play Store. The key difference between gradlew build and gradlew assembleRelease is that assembleRelease will perform additional tasks such as:

• Signing the APK file: The APK file generated by assembleRelease will be signed with a release key. This key is different from the debug key that is used to sign APK files generated by gradlew build.
• Generating a mapping file: A mapping file is generated along with the signed APK file. This file maps the original code to the optimized code in the APK file. This is used for stack traces and crash reports.
• Zipping the APK file: The signed APK file and the mapping file are zipped into a single file. This file can be uploaded to the Google Play Store.

By using the gradlew assembleRelease command, you can generate a release version of your app that is ready to be published on the Google Play Store.