CI/CD for Android: A Comprehensive Guide

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) has become essential in Android development, helping developers automate building, testing, and deploying applications. In this article, we’ll create a straightforward CI/CD pipeline for Android using GitHub Actions, focusing on building, testing, and artifact management.

Step 1: Initialize a Workflow File
GitHub Actions workflows are configured in YAML files stored in .github/workflows. In your project, create a file named android-ci.yml with the following content.

name: Android CI/CD

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master  # Run the workflow on pushes to the main branch
      - main    # Run the workflow on pushes to the main branch
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - master # Run the workflow on pushes to the master branch
      - main.  # Run the workflow on pushes to the main branch

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Set up JDK
        uses: actions/setup-java@v2
        with:
          distribution: 'zulu'
          java-version: '17' # Change to the version you need for your project

      - name: Cache Gradle files
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        with:
          path: |
            ~/.gradle/caches
            ~/.gradle/wrapper
          key: gradle-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('**/*.gradle*', '**/gradle-wrapper.properties') }}
          restore-keys: |
            gradle-${{ runner.os }}

      - name: Build and test
        run: ./gradlew build --no-daemon

      - name: Run unit tests
        run: ./gradlew test --no-daemon

      # Upload debug APK as an artifact
      - name: Build debug APK
        run: ./gradlew assembleDebug --no-daemon

      - name: Upload APK
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
        with:
          name: movie-world-apk
          path: app/build/outputs/apk/develop/debug/app-develop-debug.apk # Path to your APK

Workflow Explanation

1. Triggers: This workflow runs on pushes and pull requests to main and master branches.

2. Checkout Code: Uses actions/checkout@v2 to retrieve your code.

3. Set Up JDK: Installs the required Java Development Kit (JDK) with actions/setup-java@v2.

4. Cache Gradle Dependencies: Speeds up builds by caching Gradle files, saving dependencies between builds.

5. Build and Test: Runs ./gradlew build to build the project and ./gradlew test to execute unit tests.

6. Assemble Debug APK: Builds a debug APK with assembleDebug.

7. Upload Artifact: Stores the generated APK as an artifact for download and further review.

GitHub link: https://github.com/piashcse/Hilt-MVVM-Compose-Movie/tree/master/.github/workflows
Blog: https://piashcse.blogspot.com/2024/11/cdcd-for-android-comprehensive-guide.html