Gradle is a JVM-based build automation tool that combines the flexibility of Ant with Maven's convention-over-configuration philosophy. Gradle uses Groovy or Kotlin DSL to define build scripts, providing both declarative and imperative build approaches.
Core concepts include:
- Project: Each Gradle build consists of one or more projects, each representing a buildable component (such as JAR, WAR, or Android application)
- Task: Tasks are atomic operation units in the build process, such as compiling code, running tests, packaging, etc.
- Build Script: Scripts written in Groovy or Kotlin that define project structure and build logic
- Dependency Management: Supports Maven and Ivy repositories with flexible dependency resolution mechanisms
- Plugin: Mechanism to extend Gradle functionality, such as Java plugin, Android plugin, etc.
Advantages of Gradle:
- Performance: Fast build speeds based on incremental builds and caching mechanisms
- Flexibility: Supports custom build logic with strong extensibility
- Multi-language Support: Not only supports Java but also Kotlin, Groovy, Scala, and other languages
- IDE Integration: Deep integration with IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, Android Studio, and other IDEs
Workflow:
- Initialization phase: Parse settings.gradle to determine project structure
- Configuration phase: Execute build scripts to create task graph
- Execution phase: Execute tasks in dependency order