Automation for Android release build

Question

I have ten Android projects in one folder. For each project, I can use ant debug to build it. So it is no problem to write a simple script to compile all these projects. I use Hudson to build these projects daily, and it works fine.

But now our project needs to go to release phase. So the compile command becomes ant release. For compiling a release project, I have to enter the password for the certificate every time during compilation. So I can't do the automation for release.

This compiling job kills me since I have ten projects that all need to interact with inputting the password.

How can I make the release build still be automatic?

Answer 1

Assuming you're using recent Android tools, say v9 or v10.

If you look at tools/ant/main_rules.xml in the Android SDK directory:

<!-- called through target 'release'. Only executed if the keystore and      key alias are known but not their password. --> <target name="-release-prompt-for-password" if="has.keystore" unless="has.password">     <!-- Gets passwords -->     <input             message="Please enter keystore password (store:${key.store}):"             addproperty="key.store.password" />     <input             message="Please enter password for alias '${key.alias}':"             addproperty="key.alias.password" /> </target>  <!-- called through target 'release'. Only executed if there's no      keystore/key alias set --> <target name="-release-nosign" unless="has.keystore">     <echo>No key.store and key.alias properties found in build.properties.</echo>     <echo>Please sign ${out.unsigned.file} manually</echo>     <echo>and run zipalign from the Android SDK tools.</echo> </target> 

Searching the XML file for has.keystore reveals:

<!-- properties for signing in release mode --> <condition property="has.keystore">     <and>         <isset property="key.store" />         <length string="${key.store}" when="greater" length="0" />         <isset property="key.alias" />     </and> </condition> <condition property="has.password">     <and>         <isset property="has.keystore" />         <isset property="key.store.password" />         <isset property="key.alias.password" />     </and> </condition> 

So I'd assume you have to pass in four defines to the build.xml: key.store, key.alias, key.store.password, key.alias.password.

And remember not to pass those defines on the command line for security reasons. :)