Benefits of Version Catalogs

Utilizing version catalogs allows you to consolidate all dependencies and their corresponding versions into a single, easily shareable file. This approach enhances organization and simplifies dependency management across various modules.

Migration Steps

To begin the migration, switch to the project view and create a libs.versions.toml file within your root project's Gradle directory. In this file, add the following three sections and synchronize your project:

[versions]

[libraries]

[plugins]

Let’s break down these sections:

• [versions] — This section holds all versions of your dependencies and plugins.
• [libraries] — This section contains your dependencies.
• [plugins] — This section includes all your plugins.

Now, if you access your build.gradle file, you will notice that your dependencies are highlighted in yellow. To replace them with the version catalog, simply press Alt+Enter.

Some dependencies will require you to define them in the version catalog. For instance, consider the Compose BOM:

In your build.gradle, it currently appears as follows:

implementation(platform("androidx.compose:compose-bom:2024.04.00"))

In the version catalog, you will define it this way:

[versions]

composeBom = "2024.04.00"

[libraries]

androidx-compose-bom = { module = "androidx.compose:compose-bom", version.ref = "composeBom" }

Next, return to your build.gradle file and replace the old declaration with:

implementation(platform(libs.androidx.compose.bom))

To migrate a plugin, let’s take this example:

id("com.android.application") version "8.2.2" apply false

In your version catalog, create a version for it and a corresponding plugin:

[versions]

agp = "8.2.2"

[plugins]

androidApplication = { id = "com.android.application", version.ref = "agp" }

Now, substitute the old declaration with:

alias(libs.plugins.androidApplication) apply false

As you can see, migrating to the version catalog is quite straightforward. Should you face any challenges, feel free to leave a comment!

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