Gradle

This document serves as a reference guide for using Gradle, a powerful build automation tool widely used for building, testing, and deploying software projects. Gradle provides a flexible and declarative approach to defining build configurations, allowing developers to automate various tasks and manage dependencies efficiently.

Installation

To install Gradle, follow the instructions for your operating system from the official Gradle documentation:

Gradle Installation Documentation (opens in a new tab)

Project Initialization

Create a new Gradle project:
```
gradle init
```
The gradle init command initializes a new Gradle project in the current directory. It prompts you to select a project type (Java, Groovy, Kotlin, etc.) and generates the necessary project structure and build files.

Build Files

A Gradle build is defined using build files, which typically have the name build.gradle or build.gradle.kts (for Kotlin DSL). These files contain the project configuration, including dependencies, tasks, and custom settings. Here are some common configurations:

Define project dependencies:
```
dependencies {
    implementation 'group:name:version'
    testImplementation 'group:name:version'
}
```
This block specifies the dependencies required for the project. The implementation configuration is used for dependencies required during runtime, while testImplementation is for dependencies used only for testing.
Create a custom task:
```
task customTask {
    // Task configuration
    doLast {
        // Task actions
    }
}
```
This code snippet defines a custom Gradle task named customTask. You can configure the task and specify the actions to be executed when the task is run.
Apply plugins:
```
plugins {
    id 'java'
    id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '7.0.0'
}
```
The plugins block applies plugins to the project. Plugins provide additional functionality and tasks that can be used in the build process. In this example, the java plugin and the shadow plugin (version 7.0.0) are applied.

Gradle Wrapper

The Gradle Wrapper is a script that allows you to run Gradle builds without having Gradle installed globally. It ensures that the build uses a specific version of Gradle, making your project more portable and independent of the Gradle installation on the build machine.

To use the Gradle Wrapper, perform the following steps:

Include the Gradle Wrapper files in your project:
```
gradle wrapper --gradle-version <version>
```
Replace <version> with the desired Gradle version. This command generates the necessary wrapper files, including gradlew (for Unix-based systems) and gradlew.bat (for Windows).
Run Gradle commands using the Gradle Wrapper:
- On Unix-based systems (Linux, macOS):
```
./gradlew <task_name>
```
- On Windows:
```
gradlew.bat <task_name>
```
Replace <task_name> with the name of the task you want to execute.

Gradle Tasks

Gradle tasks represent the different actions that can be performed during the build process. Here are some commonly used tasks:

Compile the Java source code:
```
./gradlew compileJava
```
This command compiles the Java source code in the project.
Run the Java application:
```
./gradlew run
```
The run task executes the main class of the Java application.
Clean the build directory:
```
./gradlew clean
```
The clean task deletes the build directory, removing all generated files.
Run tests:
```
./gradlew test
```
The test task runs the tests in the project.
Build the project (including tests):
```
./gradlew build
```
The build task compiles the source code, runs tests, and creates the output artifacts.
Generate a JAR file:
```
./gradlew jar
```
The jar task generates a JAR file containing the compiled classes and resources.
Create a distribution package:
```
./gradlew distZip
```
This command creates a distribution package, typically a ZIP file, containing the application and its dependencies.
Generate API documentation:
```
./gradlew javadoc
```
The javadoc task generates API documentation from the project's Java source code.

Dependency Management

Download dependencies:
```
./gradlew dependencies
```
The dependencies task displays the resolved dependencies for the project.
Update dependencies:
```
./gradlew dependencyUpdates
```
This command checks for newer versions of the project's dependencies.
Display dependency tree:
```
./gradlew dependencyTree
```
The dependencyTree task shows a tree-like representation of the project's dependencies.

Additional Resources

For more detailed information on Gradle and its usage, refer to the official Gradle documentation:

GTK Maven