How to configure Build Variants with Android Studio

Definition
What is the purpose of using Build Variant? We can use it to create different versions of your app from a single project, and how to properly manage your dependencies and signing configurations.

Note:
buildType configure how we package our app
• shrinkResources
• progaurdFile
• etc.

Flavor configure different classes and resources.
• in Flavor1 your MainActivity can do something, and in Flavor2 different implementation
• difference App name
• etc.

Each product flavor can have its own values of the following properties, among others, which are based on the same properties from default config:

• applicationId
• minSdkVersion
• targetSdkVersion
• versionCode
• versionName

Example

For example, you can do like:
- One app can build into free version and paid version (without creating 2 projects)
- We can limit contents and configuration instead of building multiple APK

Implementation

1. How to recognize which product flavor we are using

Step 1: Add below code into gradle in "android" section:

	productFlavors {
	production {
	}
	development {
	}
	}

view raw build.gradle hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Step 2: In your MainActivity, let's check if the app is production or development, you will also notice that there is a constant:

	@Override
	protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
	super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
	setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
	tvExample= (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tvExample);
	if(BuildConfig.FLAVOR.equals(ConstantRTK.DEVELOPMENT)){
	tvExample.setText(ConstantRTK.DEVELOPMENT);
	}else if(BuildConfig.FLAVOR.equals(ConstantRTK.PRODUCTION)){
	tvExample.setText(ConstantRTK.PRODUCTION);
	}else{
	tvExample.setText("Don't know too");
	}
	}

view raw MainActivity.java hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Constant :

	package com.number.ratanakpek.productflavorrtk.constant;
	/**
	* Created by RatanakPek on 10/1/2017.
	*/
	public class ConstantRTK {
	public static final String DEVELOPMENT="development";
	public static final String PRODUCTION="production";
	}

view raw ConstantRTK.java hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Step 3: If you chose productionDebug mode from Build Variant it will print like below:

Output:

2. Make app have different's name:

You can add more code into Gradle like below and please remove app_name in file string.xml (if not it will duplicate):

	productFlavors {
	production {
	resValue "string", "app_name", "Production APP"
	}
	development {
	resValue "string", "app_name", "Development APP"
	}
	}

view raw app.gradle hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Output :

3. Make different app icon:

It's pretty easy, I have 2 icons :

ic_launcher.png & ic_launcher_test.png

Please add some code like below:

	productFlavors {
	production {
	resValue "string", "app_name", "Production APP"
	manifestPlaceholders = [
	appIcon: "@mipmap/ic_launcher"
	]
	}
	development {
	resValue "string", "app_name", "Development APP"
	manifestPlaceholders = [
	appIcon: "@mipmap/ic_launcher_test"
	]
	}
	}

view raw app_icon.gradle hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Don't forget edit appIcon in the manifest to "${appIcon}" :

If you chose "developmentDebug" from Build Variant on the left of Android Studio, you will see your icon like below:

Here is the source in github.