Publishing Your Android Kotlin Library with Source Code

Learn how to **publish an Android Kotlin library** with embedded source code seamlessly. This guide explains the process step-by-step, resolving common issues faced during publishing with practical solutions.
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How to Publish Your Android Kotlin Library with Source Code

Creating and publishing your own library can be a daunting task, especially if you want to include the source code along with your compiled artifacts. If you're developing with Android and Kotlin, you might face challenges while trying to do this. In this guide, we'll walk you through a structured approach to publish an Android Kotlin library along with its source code.

The Problem

You may have encountered issues when attempting to reference the correct source set for your Kotlin files in the Gradle configuration. For instance, using a line such as:

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This is a common source of confusion, especially with the Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) 7.1.0-beta01, where you might receive an error. Therefore, understanding how to correctly access the source sets is crucial for successful library publication.

The Solution

The key takeaway here is how to reference your Kotlin source directories correctly when setting up your Gradle build scripts. Let's break it down into sections.

Step 1: Register the Maven Publish Plugin

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Step 2: Configure the Android Plugin

Next, set up your Android configuration. If the source sets block isn't present, AGP will automatically recognize src/main/kotlin as your Kotlin source directory. Make sure your configuration is set properly.

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Step 3: Specify the Publication

Use the afterEvaluate block to define what should be published. It’s essential to make sure your library's group ID, artifact ID, and version are set correctly.

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Step 4: Create the Source Jar Task

To include the source code in your publication, you need to create a task that generates a Jar file containing your sources.

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If you wish to combine sources from different variants, you can do so by adding them to a list, like this:

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Final Output

Putting this all together, your Gradle configuration to publish the library along with its source code will look something like this:

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Testing Your Configuration

It's important to verify your setup runs smoothly. You can test these settings with AGP version 7.1.0-beta01 and Gradle 7.3.3 to ensure everything functions as expected.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully publish your Android Kotlin library with the source code included in a seamless manner. Whether you're publishing to a private or public repository, having the source code available can be invaluable for users of your library.

Embrace the power of Kotlin and Gradle in your Android development. Happy coding!