Visualizing Your Android App's Module Relationships with Gradle Module Dependency Graph Plugin

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Post

status

Published

date

Apr 10, 2023

slug

visualize-android-app-code-gradle-module-dependency-graph-plugin

summary

Simplify Android app development with Gradle Module Dependency Graph Plugin generating Mermaid graphs to visualize module relationships. Customize for better understanding.

Visualize Your Android App Code with the Gradle Module Dependency Graph Plugin

As Android applications grow in size and complexity, keeping track of their dependencies and module relationships can become a challenging task. This is where the Gradle Module Dependency Graph Plugin comes into play. It is a Gradle plugin that generates a Mermaid graph for your project, providing a visual representation of your app's module relationships.

If you're not familiar with Mermaid, it's a tool that allows you to generate diagrams, such as flowcharts or sequence diagrams, from the text in a similar way to markdown. Essentially, you write out your diagram in plain text using a simple syntax, and Mermaid takes care of the rest, converting your text into a visual diagram that you can use to convey your ideas and concepts more effectively.

You don’t need to know about Mermaid to use the plugin!

How to use Module Graph Gradle Plugin in the Android app

The plugin is straightforward to use and can be easily integrated into your Gradle project. To get started, you need to add the plugin to your Gradle file using the plugin DSL. Here's how you can do it:


plugins {
    id("dev.iurysouza.modulegraph") version "0.3.0"
}

Once you have added the plugin, you can configure it to generate the Mermaid graph for your project. The plugin provides several configuration options that you can use to customize the graph's appearance and placement. For example, you can specify the location where the graph should be appended to your project's README file using the readmePath option, and you can set the heading that should be used for the graph using the heading option.

Here is an example of how you can configure the plugin:


moduleGraphConfig {
    readmePath.set("$projectDir/README.md")
    heading.set("### Dependency Diagram")
    theme.set(Theme.NEUTRAL) // optional
    orientation.set(Orientation.LEFT_TO_RIGHT) //optional
}

Once you have configured the plugin, you can generate the Mermaid graph by running the following command:


./gradlew createModuleGraph

The generated diagram code will be added to your README file automatically. All you need to do is push your code to GitHub and see it! The Mermaid graph provides a clear overview of your app's module relationships, making it easier to understand the project's structure and dependencies.

Demo of Module Graph in action

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Gradle Module Dependency Graph Plugin is a useful tool for Android developers who want to keep track of their app's module relationships. By generating a Mermaid graph, the plugin provides a clear visual representation of your project's structure, making it easier to manage your dependencies and module relationships. If you're an Android developer, I highly recommend giving this plugin a try!

Reference

module-graph

iurysza • Updated May 23, 2023