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Handling Deprecated flavorDimensions in Android's build.gradle

— Android, Gradle, Build Configuration, Migration, Development — 1 min read

Android developers who maintain or update older projects might encounter deprecation warnings related to flavorDimensions in their build.gradle files. Let's explore why this happened and how to fix it properly.

Understanding the Deprecation

The traditional way of defining flavor dimensions using the method syntax has been deprecated:

1// Old, deprecated way
2flavorDimensions "version", "api"

This deprecation comes with the message: "Replaced by flavorDimensions property", indicating a shift in how Gradle wants us to define these configurations.

The Modern Approach

The new approach treats flavorDimensions as a property rather than a method call. Here's how to properly define it:

1// New way - Groovy DSL
2flavorDimensions = ["version", "api"]
3

4// Alternative syntax for single dimension
5flavorDimensions = ["version"]

If you're using Kotlin DSL (build.gradle.kts), the syntax is slightly different:

1// Kotlin DSL
2flavorDimensions += "version"

Complete Example

Here's a complete example showing how to set up product flavors with the new syntax:

1android {
2    // Define dimensions first
3    flavorDimensions = ["version", "api"]
4

5    // Define product flavors
6    productFlavors {
7        demo {
8            dimension = "version"
9            // other configurations...
10        }
11        full {
12            dimension = "version"
13            // other configurations...
14        }
15        online {
16            dimension = "api"
17            // other configurations...
18        }
19        offline {
20            dimension = "api"
21            // other configurations...
22        }
23    }
24}

Common Issues and Solutions

Missing Dimension

If you encounter the error "All flavors must now belong to a named flavor dimension", make sure:

  1. You're using the correct syntax with the equals sign (=)
  2. All product flavors have a corresponding dimension defined
  3. The dimension is declared before it's used in product flavors

Build Errors

If you're getting build errors after updating:

1// Try clearing the project first
2./gradlew clean
3

4// Then rebuild
5./gradlew build

Best Practices

When working with flavor dimensions:

  • Keep dimension names descriptive and meaningful
  • Document the purpose of each dimension in comments
  • Consider using constants for dimension names to avoid typos
  • Maintain a clear hierarchy of dimensions if using multiple

Migration Tips

When migrating from the old syntax:

  1. First, identify all uses of flavorDimensions in your project
  2. Update each occurrence to use the property syntax with brackets
  3. Verify that all product flavors reference valid dimensions
  4. Run a test build to ensure everything works as expected