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https://github.com/ajinasokan/apkc

apkc is a bare-bones Android app build system that lets you build simple native Android apps without entire Android IDE
https://github.com/ajinasokan/apkc

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apkc is a bare-bones Android app build system that lets you build simple native Android apps without entire Android IDE

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README 

        
**apkc** is a bare-bones Android app build system. It lets you build simple native Android apps in APK or AAB format without entire Android IDE. It does a subset of what Android Gradle plugin does. This makes it quick and runs with low resources. apkc is mostly suitable for learning purposes.



## Features



- Base project has zero dependencies. APK is <20 KB.

- Builds base project in <3 seconds.

- Can use external JAR libraries.

- Can use external native shared libs built with C/Go/Rust etc.

- Code completion can be setup in VSCode or other editors.



## Getting started



1. Install JDK and Android SDK and make sure to have `ANDROID_HOME` and `JAVA_HOME` env variables setup.

2. Download `apkc` from Github releases for your OS/ARCH.

3. Use `doctor` command to verify all the paths are correct.



```shell

$ apkc doctor



[doctor] java /usr/local/opt/openjdk@11/ 

[doctor] javac /usr/local/opt/openjdk@11/bin/javac 

[doctor] jarsigner /usr/local/opt/openjdk@11/bin/jarsigner 

[doctor] sdk /Users/ajinasokan/Library/Android/sdk 

[doctor] aapt /Users/ajinasokan/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/30.0.3/aapt 

[doctor] aapt2 /Users/ajinasokan/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/30.0.3/aapt2 

[doctor] d8 /Users/ajinasokan/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/30.0.3/d8 

[doctor] zipalign /Users/ajinasokan/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/30.0.3/zipalign 

[doctor] android jar /Users/ajinasokan/Library/Android/sdk/platforms/android-30/android.jar

```

4. Create a hello world project.



```shell

$ apkc create myapp



Package name (com.myapp): com.ajinasokan.myapp

App name (My App): Hello World

```



5. Build APK and run in connected device. Logs from app will be streamed after successful run.



```shell

$ cd myapp



$ apkc build



[build] compiling res/layout/main.xml 

[build] compiling res/values/styles.xml 

[build] bundling resources 

[build] compiling java files 

[build] bundling classes and jars 

[build] bundling native libs 

[build] no native libs 

[build] signing apk 

[build] running zipalign 

[apkc] finished in 1.580135483s



$ apkc run



[run] installing in device(serialabcxyz) 

[run] launching main activity 



07-06 11:23:29.894 22390 22390 I libc    : SetHeapTaggingLevel: tag level set to 0

07-06 11:23:29.933 22390 22390 E jinasokan.myap: Not starting debugger since process cannot load the jdwp agent.

....

....

```



To build APK with custom key store run `apkc build --keystore "/path/to/keystore.jks" --storepass "password" --keyalias "alias"`.



To build AAB run `apkc build --aab`. Output file will be at `build/app.{apk/aab}`.



You can add external jar dependencies to `myapp/jar` directory and native libs to `myapp/lib` in appropriate architecture sub directories.



You can add [raw assets](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/providing-resources#OriginalFiles) to `myapp/assets` directory.



## Code completion in VSCode



1. Install [Java extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=redhat.java)

2. Add `android.jar` path from `doctor` command output to `referencedLibraries` list of your workspace VSCode settings file. `myapp/.vscode/settings.json`



```json

{

    "java.project.referencedLibraries": [

        "/platforms/android-30/android.jar"

    ]

}

```

3. You could also add other external jar file dependencies



## Backstory



apkc was born in 2016 as a bash script for some of [my experiments](https://ajinasokan.com/posts/smallest-app/). It then evolved into a Makefile and was used for production builds of one of [my apps](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innoventionist.artham). Since the Play Store started enforcing AAB files for publishing I had to move away from apkc. This project is a rewrite of the Makefile, without the incremental compilation. Incremental compilation is in the todo list.