Gradle Concepts
External
- API reference https://docs.gradle.org/current/javadoc/index.html
- DSL reference https://docs.gradle.org/current/dsl/
Internal
Overview
Gradle is a general-purpose build tool. It is primarily used to build Java and Groovy, but it can build other languages as well. The goal of a Gradle execution, also known as a Gradle build, is to execute a set of tasks, in sequence. Each build runs according to a well defined build lifecycle, during which Gradle instantiates a complex domain model of the project in memory: a Gradle instance, a Settings instance and the project itself.
Build Lifecycle
A build is a Gradle execution. Each build instantiates at least one project, which in turn contains tasks, and it can be configured and controlled with properties.
Initialization phase. In case of a simple project, Gradle creates the Project instance. For a multi-project build, and depending on which project is executed, Gradle figures out which of the project dependencies need to participate in the build. Extra properties for Gradle and Settings object instances can be declared at this phase. None of the build scripts is executed in this phase.
Configuration phase. The code declared in build.gradle is executed in order. Tasks are instantiated and configured. Gradle constructs a task DAG. The incremental build features determines if any of the tasks in the model are required to run.
Execution phase. Task actions are executed.
Convention over Configuration
Subjects
- Project, Dependencies and Configurations, Multi-Project Builds
- Task, Extending Gradle with a Custom Enhanced Task
- Gradle Runtime and Project Configuration
- Gradle Instance, Settings Instance
- Logging
- Plugins
- Extending Gradle
- Gradle File Resolution