Android buildTypes for Alpha/Beta/Production apk

Question

I want to release my apk on play store. Initially I will release it on alpha, then beta and if everything goes well I will release it on production. Can we define different api endpoint for each in buildType inside gradle. if yes then how? As I just want to change the end point of API I am calling throughout my application. Like if I release my apk on alpha the api that it points will be http://test.alpha.bla.bla

for beta: http://test.beta.bla.bla

for production: http://test.production.bla.bla .

so in this my all version of app (alpha/beta/production) will be having same version code without any need to upload new apk.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I assume that you mean you want 3 different build targets (and thus 3 different uploads to google play): in your build.gradle you have the android part, in there you can define productFlavors like the following:

 productFlavors{
    alpha{
         buildConfigField  'string', 'server','http://test.alpha.bla.bla'

    }
 }

But you could also make enums and refere those (instead of the type "string" you would have to specifiy the full package name + enum type , and in the last part (the value), the full package name + enum )

you can then reference the server by using (in java)

BuildConfig.server; //this would be http://test.alpha.bla.bla

Answer 2

I would put it in strings.xml . Each build variant can have its own copy with a different value.