Gradle Variables and Properties
Internal
Overview
Configuration scripts can declare variables during the initialization and configuration phases, and the values of those variables can be accessed and updated during the execution phase and used to drive build logic. There are two types of variables that can be declared: local variables and extra properties.
Properties can be displayed with:
gradle properties
The command displays project properties, and the properties added by various plugins.
Local Variables
Local variables, which are a feature of the underlying Groovy language, are declared with the "def" keyword. They are only visible in the scope where they have been declared.
def myVariable = "something"
...
println myVariable
Extra Properties
An extra property is a property that can be declared on most model object instances available to the closure being executed. In case of a settings script, the available model objects are Settings, Gradle, ProjectDescriptor, etc., but of those ProjectDescriptor does not allow defining extra properties, and Settings, even if allows defining extra properties, cannot be easily accessed at configuration and execution phase, so the best candidate for defining extra properties is Gradle. For build scripts, extra properties can be defined on any available object model instances. They can be declared with a special syntax described below. Once the properties have been added, they can be read and set like predefined properties. Extra properties can be accessed from anywhere their owning object can be accessed, giving them a wider scope than local variables. Extra properties on a project are visible from its sub-projects.
By requiring special syntax for adding a property, Gradle can fail fast when an attempt is made to set a predefined or extra property but the property is misspelled or does not exist.
TODO: Read Gradle_Java_Plugin#Properties and experiment with the properties added by the Java plugin.
Declaring and Using Extra Properties
The extra properties are declared using the "ext" DSL keyword, applied to the model object we intend to declare extra properties for. However, "ext" is not necessary to access the property once declared, as shown in the examples below:
Initialization Phase
The property is defined in settings.gradle:
...
gradle.ext.color = "blue"
...
The property can be accessed anywhere in a build or settings script:
println "gradle is $gradle.color"
At Configuration Phase
The property can be declared in a build script as follows:
project.ext.isApi = true
The property can be accessed anywhere in a build script:
println isApi
Declaring multiple extra properties in a closure:
...
ext {
log4jVersion = "2.1.7"
emailNotification = "build@example.com"
}
...
Auto-Delegation
Properties not defined in the build script are auto-delegating to the Project instance. For example:
name
and
project.name
are equivalent. Normally, using "name" is sufficient. In case you define a property or a method which has the same name as a member of the Project object, you will need to use the project property.
Predefined Properties
Project Coordinates
name
A String containing the name of the project directory. It automatically becomes the project's name coordinate. See Gradle Project Coordinates.
group
See Gradle Project Coordinates - Group.
version
See Gradle Project Coordinates - Version.
parent
Other Properties
project
The Project instance.
projectDir
The File instance corresponding to the directory containing the build script.
path
A String containing the absolute path of the project. The path of the root project is ":"
description
A String containing the description for the project.
displayName
buildDir
A File representing <projectDir>/build.
buildFile
rootDir
rootProject
rootProject.name
state
status
Plugin Properties
Plugins add specific properties. For a list of properties added by various plugins, consult the plugin pages.