Packaging Your Android Screenlets

To reuse your Screenlet in another app or distribute it, you can package it in a module (Android library). You can optionally share it with other developers via jCenter or Maven Central. Developers can then use your Screenlet by adding its module as a project dependency in their apps. This tutorial explains how to package and distribute Screenlets by following these steps:

1. Create a new Android module.
2. Configure dependencies between each module.
3. Distribute the module by uploading it to jCenter or Maven Central.

Now get ready to package and distribute Screenlets like a pro!

Create a New Android Module

Android Studio’s Create New Module wizard can automatically create a module and add it to your settings.gradle file. Go to File → New Module…, select Android Library in the More Modules section, and click Next. Then name your module and click Next. The wizard’s final step lets you add a new activity. Since your module doesn’t need one, select Blank Activity and click Finish. Android Studio creates a new build.gradle file with an Android Library configuration and adds the new module to your settings.gradle file.

If you prefer to create a new module manually, examine the build.gradle file from the Material View set or Westeros app as an example. After creating the module, import it into your project by specifying its location in settings.gradle. Here’s an example configuration:

// Change YOUR_MODULE_NAME and RELATIVE_ROUTE_TO_YOUR_MODULE to match your module

include ':YOUR_MODULE_NAME'
project(':YOUR_MODULE_NAME').projectDir = new File(settingsDir, 'RELATIVE_ROUTE_TO_YOUR_MODULE')

Now that you have a module, you’re ready to configure its dependencies.

Configure Dependencies Between Each Module

Next, you must configure your app to use the module. To do so, add a project compile statement to your build.gradle file’s dependencies:

// Change YOUR_MODULE_NAME to match your module's name

dependencies {
    ...
    compile project (':YOUR_MODULE_NAME')
    ...
}

Your module must also specify dependencies for overriding existing Screenlets and creating new ones. This usually requires adding Liferay Screens and the View Sets your Screenlet currently uses to your build.gradle file’s dependencies. To add Liferay Screens as a dependency, add to your build.gradle file’s dependencies the following project compile statement:

compile 'com.liferay.mobile:liferay-screens:+'

Awesome! Now you’re ready to share your Screenlet with the world!

Upload the Module to jCenter or Maven Central

To make your module available to anyone, you can upload your module to jCenter or Maven Central. Before doing so, you must configure your build.gradle file appropriately for those repositories. Use the material or Westeros View Set’s build.gradle file as an example. After entering your bintray api key, execute gradlew bintrayupload to upload your project to jCenter. Developers can then use your Screenlet as any other Android dependency by specifying its repository, artifact, group ID, and version in their Gradle files. Congratulations on publishing your Screenlet!

Related Topics

Creating Android Screenlets

Preparing Android Projects for Liferay Screens

Using Screenlets in Android Apps

Creating Android Views