1page.title=Building and Running from the Command Line
2parent.title=Building and Running
3parent.link=index.html
4@jd:body
5
6 <div id="qv-wrapper">
7    <div id="qv">
8      <h2>In this document</h2>
9      <ol>
10        <li><a href="#DebugMode">Building in Debug Mode</a></li>
11        <li><a href="#ReleaseMode">Building in Release Mode</a>
12          <ol>
13            <li><a href="#ManualReleaseMode">Build unsigned</a></li>
14            <li><a href="#AutoReleaseMode">Build signed and aligned</a></li>
15            <li><a href="#OnceBuilt">Once built and signed in release mode</a></li>
16          </ol>
17        </li>
18        <li><a href="#RunningOnEmulator">Running on the Emulator</a></li>
19        <li><a href="#RunningOnDevice">Running on a Device</a></li>
20        <li><a href="#Signing">Application Signing</a></li>
21        <li><a href="#PluginReference">Plugin Language Reference</a></li>
22      </ol>
23  <h2>See also</h2>
24  <ol>
25    <li><a href="{@docRoot}sdk/installing/studio-build.html">
26      Build System</a></li>
27    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/managing-avds-cmdline.html">
28      Managing AVDs from the Command Line</a></li>
29    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/emulator.html">
30      Using the Android Emulator</a></li>
31    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/app-signing.html">
32      Signing Your Applications</a></li>
33  </ol>
34    </div>
35  </div>
36
37  <p>By default, there are two build types to build your application using the gradle.build settings:
38  one for debugging your application &mdash; <em>debug</em> &mdash; and one for building your
39  final package for release &mdash; <em>release mode</em>. Regardless of which way you build type
40  your modules use, the app must be signed before it can install on an emulator or device&mdash;with
41  a debug key when building in debug mode and with your own private key when building in release mode.</p>
42
43  <p>Whether you're building with the debug or release build type, you need to run
44  and build your module. This will create the .apk file that you can install on an emulator or device.
45  When you build using the debug build type, the .apk file is automatically signed by the SDK tools
46  with a debug key based on the <code>debuggable true</code> setting in the module's gradle.build file,
47  so it's instantly ready for installation onto an emulator or attached
48  development device. You cannot distribute an application that is signed with a debug key.
49  When you build using the release build type, the .apk file is <em>unsigned</em>, so you
50  must manually sign it with your own private key, using Keytool and Jarsigner settings in the
51  module's gradle.build file.</p>
52
53  <p>It's important that you read and understand <a href=
54  "{@docRoot}tools/publishing/app-signing.html">Signing Your Applications</a>, particularly once
55  you're ready to release your application and share it with end-users. That document describes the
56  procedure for generating a private key and then using it to sign your .apk file. If you're just
57  getting started, however, you can quickly run your applications on an emulator or your own
58  development device by building in debug mode.</p>
59
60  <p>If you don't have <a href="http://www.gradle.org/">Gradle</a>, you can obtain it from the <a href="http://gradle.org/">Gradle
61  home page</a>. Install it and make sure it is in your executable PATH. Before calling Ant, you
62  need to declare the JAVA_HOME environment variable to specify the path to where the JDK is
63  installed.</p>
64
65  <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> When installing JDK on Windows, the default is to install
66  in the "Program Files" directory. This location will cause <code>ant</code> to fail, because of
67  the space. To fix the problem, you can specify the JAVA_HOME variable like this:
68  <pre>set JAVA_HOME=c:\Progra~1\Java\&lt;jdkdir&gt;</pre>
69
70  <p>The easiest solution, however, is to install JDK in a non-space directory, for example:</p>
71
72  <pre>c:\java\jdk1.7</pre>
73
74  <h2 id="DebugMode">Building in Debug Mode</h2>
75
76  <p>For immediate application testing and debugging, you can build your application in debug mode
77  and immediately install it on an emulator. In debug mode, the build tools automatically sign your
78  application with a debug key and optimize the package with {@code zipalign}.</p>
79
80  <p>To build in debug mode, open a command-line and navigate to the root of your project directory.
81  Use Gradle to build your project in debug mode, invoke the <code>assembleDebug</code> build task
82  using the Gradle wrapper script (<code>gradlew assembleRelease</code>).
83
84  <p>This creates your debug <code>.apk</code> file inside the module <code>build/</code>
85  directory, named <code>&lt;your_module_name&gt;-debug.apk</code>. The file is already signed
86  with the debug key and has been aligned with
87  <a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/zipalign.html"><code>zipalign</code></a>. </p>
88
89  <p>On Windows platforms, type this command:</p>
90
91<pre>
92> gradlew.bat assembleDebug
93</pre>
94
95<p>On Mac OS and Linux platforms, type these commands:</p>
96
97<pre>
98$ chmod +x gradlew
99$ ./gradlew assembleDebug
100</pre>
101
102  <p>The first command (<code>chmod</code>) adds the execution permission to the Gradle wrapper
103  script and is only necessary the first time you build this project from the command line.</p>
104
105  <p>After you build the project, the output APK for the app module is located in
106  <code>app/build/outputs/apk/</code>, and the output AAR for any lib modules is located in
107  <code>lib/build/outputs/libs/</code>.</p>
108
109  <p>To see a list of all available build tasks for your project, type this command:</p>
110
111<pre>
112$ ./gradlew tasks
113</pre>
114
115  <p>Each time you change a source file or resource, you must run Gradle again in order to package up
116  the latest version of the application.</p>
117
118  <p>To install and run your application on an emulator, see the section about <a href=
119  "{@docRoot}tools/building/building-studio.html">Running on the Emulator</a>.</p>
120
121  <h2 id="ReleaseMode">Building in Release Mode</h2>
122
123  <p>When you're ready to release and distribute your application to end-users, you must build your
124  application in release mode. Once you have built in release mode, it's a good idea to perform
125  additional testing and debugging with the final .apk.</p>
126
127  <p>Before you start building your application in release mode, be aware that you must sign the
128  resulting application package with your private key, and should then align it using the {@code
129  zipalign} tool. There are two approaches to building in release mode: build an unsigned package
130  in release mode and then manually sign and align the package, or allow the build script to sign
131  and align the package for you.</p>
132
133  <h3 id="ManualReleaseMode">Build unsigned</h3>
134
135  <p>If you build your application <em>unsigned</em>, then you will need to manually sign and align
136  the package.</p>
137
138  <p>To build an <em>unsigned</em> .apk in release mode, open a command-line and navigate to the
139  root of your module directory. Invoke the <code>assembleRelease</code> build task.</li>
140
141  <p>On Windows platforms, type this command:</p>
142
143<pre>
144> gradlew.bat assembleRelease
145</pre>
146
147<p>On Mac OS and Linux platforms, type this command:</p>
148
149<pre>
150$ ./gradlew assembleRelease
151</pre>
152
153
154  <p>This creates your Android application .apk file inside the project <code>bin/</code>
155  directory, named <code><em>&lt;your_module_name&gt;</em>-unsigned.apk</code>.</p>
156
157  <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> The .apk file is <em>unsigned</em> at this point and can't
158  be installed until signed with your private key.</p>
159
160  <p>Once you have created the unsigned .apk, your next step is to sign the .apk with your private
161  key and then align it with {@code zipalign}. To complete this procedure, read <a href=
162  "{@docRoot}tools/publishing/app-signing.html">Signing Your Applications</a>.</p>
163
164  <p>When your <code>.apk</code> has been signed and aligned, it's ready to be distributed to end-users.
165  You should test the final build on different devices or AVDs to ensure that it
166  runs properly on different platforms.</p>
167
168  <h3 id="AutoReleaseMode">Build signed and aligned</h3>
169
170  <p>If you would like, you can configure the Android build script to automatically sign and align
171  your application package. To do so, you must provide the path to your keystore and the name of
172  your key alias in your modules's build.gradle file. With this information provided,
173  the build will prompt you for your keystore and alias password when you build using the release
174  build type and produce your final application package, which will be ready for distribution.</p>
175
176  <p>To specify your keystore and alias, open the module gradle.build file (found in
177  the root of the module directory) and add entries for {@code storeFile}, {@code storePassword},
178  {@code keyAlias} and {@code keyPassword}.
179  For example:</p>
180  <pre>
181storeFile file("myreleasekey.keystore")
182keyAlias "MyReleaseKey"
183</pre>
184
185  <p>Save your changes. Now you can build a <em>signed</em> .apk in release mode:</p>
186
187  <ol>
188    <li>Open a command-line and navigate to the root of your module directory.</li>
189
190    <li>Edit the gradle.build file to build your project in release mode:
191      <p><pre>
192...
193android {
194    ...
195    defaultConfig { ... }
196    signingConfigs {
197        release {
198            storeFile file("myreleasekey.keystore")
199            storePassword "password"
200            keyAlias "MyReleaseKey"
201            keyPassword "password"
202        }
203    }
204    buildTypes {
205        release {
206            ...
207            signingConfig signingConfigs.release
208        }
209    }
210}
211...
212</pre></p>
213    </li>
214
215    <li>When prompted, enter you keystore and alias passwords.
216
217      <p class="caution"><strong>Caution:</strong> As described above, your password will be
218      visible on the screen.</p>
219    </li>
220  </ol>
221
222  <p>This creates your Android application .apk file inside the module <code>build/</code>
223  directory, named <code><em>&lt;your_module_name&gt;</em>-release.apk</code>. This .apk file has
224  been signed with the private key specified in gradle.build file and aligned with {@code
225  zipalign}. It's ready for installation and distribution.</p>
226
227  <h3 id="OnceBuilt">Once built and signed in release mode</h3>
228
229  <p>Once you have signed your application with a private key, you can install and run it on an
230  <a href="#RunningOnEmulator">emulator</a> or <a href="#RunningOnDevice">device</a>. You can
231  also try installing it onto a device from a web server. Simply upload the signed .apk to a web
232  site, then load the .apk URL in your Android web browser to download the application and begin
233  installation. (On your device, be sure you have enabled
234  <em>Settings &gt; Applications &gt; Unknown sources</em>.)</p>
235
236  <h2 id="RunningOnEmulator">Running on the Emulator</h2>
237
238  <p>Before you can run your application on the Android Emulator, you must <a href=
239  "{@docRoot}tools/devices/managing-avds.html">create an AVD</a>.</p>
240
241  <p>To run your application:</p>
242
243  <ol>
244    <li>
245      <strong>Open the AVD Manager and launch a virtual device</strong>
246
247      <p>From your SDK's <code>platform-tools/</code> directory, execute the {@code android} tool
248with the <code>avd</code> options:</p>
249      <pre>
250android avd
251</pre>
252
253      <p>In the <em>Virtual Devices</em> view, select an AVD and click <strong>Start</strong>.</p>
254    </li>
255
256    <li>
257      <strong>Install your application</strong>
258
259      <p>From your SDK's <code>tools/</code> directory, install the {@code .apk} on the
260      emulator:</p>
261      <pre>
262adb install <em>&lt;path_to_your_bin&gt;</em>.apk
263</pre>
264
265      <p>Your .apk file (signed with either a release or debug key) is in your module {@code build/}
266      directory after you build your application.</p>
267
268      <p>If there is more than one emulator running, you must specify the emulator upon which to
269      install the application, by its serial number, with the <code>-s</code> option. For
270      example:</p>
271      <pre>
272adb -s emulator-5554 install <em>path/to/your/app</em>.apk
273</pre>
274
275      <p>To see a list of available device serial numbers, execute {@code adb devices}.</p>
276    </li>
277  </ol>
278
279  <p>If you don't see your application on the emulator, try closing the emulator and launching the
280  virtual device again from the AVD Manager. Sometimes when you install an application for the
281  first time, it won't show up in the application launcher or be accessible by other applications.
282  This is because the package manager usually examines manifests completely only on emulator
283  startup.</p>
284
285  <p>Be certain to create multiple AVDs upon which to test your application. You should have one
286  AVD for each platform and screen type with which your application is compatible. For instance, if
287  your application compiles against the Android 4.0 (API Level 14) platform, you should create an
288  AVD for each platform equal to and greater than 4.0 and an AVD for each <a href=
289  "{@docRoot}guide/practices/screens_support.html">screen type</a> you support, then test your
290  application on each one.</p>
291
292  <p class="note"><strong>Tip:</strong> If you have <em>only one</em> emulator running, you can
293  build your application and install it on the emulator in one simple step. Navigate to the root of
294  your project directory and use Ant to compile the project with <em>install mode</em>: <code>ant
295  install</code>. This will build your application, sign it with the debug key, and install it on
296  the currently running emulator.</p>
297
298  <h2 id="RunningOnDevice">Running on a Device</h2>
299
300  <p>Before you can run your application on a device, you must perform some basic setup for your
301  device:</p>
302
303  <ul>
304    <li>Enable <strong>USB debugging</strong> on your device.
305      <ul>
306        <li>On most devices running Android 3.2 or older, you can find the option under
307          <strong>Settings > Applications > Development</strong>.</li>
308        <li>On Android 4.0 and newer, it's in <strong>Settings > Developer options</strong>.
309          <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> On Android 4.2 and newer, <strong>Developer
310          options</strong> is hidden by default. To make it available, go
311          to <strong>Settings > About phone</strong> and tap <strong>Build number</strong>
312          seven times. Return to the previous screen to find <strong>Developer options</strong>.</p>
313        </li>
314      </ul>
315    </li>
316
317    <li>Ensure that your development computer can detect your device when connected via USB</li>
318  </ul>
319
320  <p>Read <a href="{@docRoot}tools/device.html#setting-up">Setting up a Device for
321  Development</a> for more information.</p>
322
323  <p>Once your device is set up and connected via USB, navigate to your SDK's <code>platform-tools/</code>
324  directory and install the <code>.apk</code> on the device:</p>
325  <pre>
326adb -d install <em>path/to/your/app</em>.apk
327</pre>
328
329  <p>The {@code -d} flag specifies that you want to use the attached device (in case you also have
330  an emulator running).</p>
331
332  <p>For more information on the tools used above, please see the following documents:</p>
333
334  <ul>
335    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/android.html">android Tool</a></li>
336
337    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/devices/emulator.html">Android Emulator</a></li>
338
339    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/help/adb.html">Android Debug Bridge</a> (ADB)</li>
340  </ul>
341
342  <h2 id="Signing">Application Signing</h2>
343
344  <p>As you begin developing Android applications, understand that all Android applications must be
345  digitally signed before the system will install them on an emulator or device. There are two ways
346  to do this: with a <em>debug key</em> (for immediate testing on an emulator or development
347  device) or with a <em>private key</em> (for application distribution).</p>
348
349  <p>The Android build tools help you get started by automatically signing your .apk files with a
350  debug key at build time. This means that you can build your application and install it on the
351  emulator without having to generate your own private key. However, please note that if you intend
352  to publish your application, you <strong>must</strong> sign the application with your own private
353  key, rather than the debug key generated by the SDK tools.</p>
354
355  <p>Android Studio helps you get started quickly by signing your .apk files with a debug key,
356  prior to installing them on an emulator or development device. This means that you can quickly
357  run your application from Android Studio without having to generate your own private key. No
358  specific action on your part is needed, provided ADT has access to Keytool. However, please note
359  that if you intend to publish your application, you <strong>must</strong> sign the application
360  with your own private key, rather than the debug key generated by the SDK tools.</p>
361
362  <p>Please read <a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/app-signing.html">Signing Your
363  Applications</a>, which provides a thorough guide to application signing on Android and what it
364  means to you as an Android application developer. The document also includes a guide to publishing
365  and signing your application.</p>
366
367 <h2 id="PluginReference">Android Plugin for Gradle</h2>
368
369 <p>The Android build system uses the Android plugin for Gradle to support the Gradle Domain
370 Specific Language (DSL) and declarative language elements. See the
371 <a href="{@docRoot}tools/building/plugin-for-gradle.html">Android Plug-in for Gradle</a> section for
372 a description of the plugin and a link to the complete list of the supported Gradle DSL elements.</p>
373
374
375
376