Android: Updated the example to build with gradle

[MarioLiebisch]

This PR is mostly for visibility and you should consider it a work in progress.
It basically addresses #1311 and supercedes/includes #1315.

This updates the Android example to use Gradle rather than Ant for building.

To configure the example, simply run gradle. To build it, run gradle build, and to install it, run gradle installDebug or gradle installRelease.

Here are some known and so far not fixed issues (at least on my Nexus 5), but I don't think they're actually demo project related:

• Loading canary.wav fails for me.
• Once you switch to another app, the EGL context is no longer valid/restored.
• There's something broken with loading the shared STL libraries.

Feedback and bugfixes are appreciated, I'm really short on time right now. :(

[eXpl0it3r]

I assume this isn't SFML 2.5 ready, right? Will you find time anytime soon, to get it ready?

[MarioLiebisch]

As far as I know the issues I've mentioned aren't related to the demo itself. It just needs testing/feedback. Considering the current demo in the master branch is broken/unusable with up to date tools anyway, including this should be as good (or better) than keeping the current state.

[eXpl0it3r]

@MarioLiebisch The CI build failed. Anything that needs to be update on the CI or with this branch?

[MarioLiebisch]

The whole build process for the example is outdated (starting at step 20). You'll need Gradle installed, then only run gradle debug or gradle release in the example directory (calling gradle without parameters will run the configure step only).

You might need a local local.properties file in the example directory defining the SDK/NDK paths:

sdk.dir=X:/Android
ndk.dir=X:/Android/ndk

[binary1248]

Is there a tutorial or step by step guide for this somewhere? 😛

[MarioLiebisch]

It's really just that. Get Gradle, standalone or by using npm, and invoke it for everything:

cd path/to/example
npm install -g gradle
gradle build

[binary1248]

There... after 2 hours of trial and error it actually builds. Better merge this quick since all other branches will fail to build on Android now. 😁

[texus]

If I run gradle release then it gives the error Task 'release' not found in root project 'android' (same for debug). Using gradle build and gradle installDebug did work.

In order to build for x86 I also had to edit app/build.gradle as it has the armeabi-v7a hardcoded.

Gradle also doens't seem to run in my gnome-terminal, I had to run it using xterm or add TERM=dumb before the command. Otherwise it would complain about not being able to get the termcap entry.

I haven't gotten the apk to actually run without crashing, but I'll just wait with that until SFML 2.6, hopefully things will be more stable by then.

[MarioLiebisch]

ah, sorry, yeah, the correct/valid targets are build (or assemble), assembleDebug, and assembleRelease (plus install variants.).

[binary1248]

Are you really sure? 😁 I tried those and they didn't work. I ended up having to run gradle assembleDebug and gradle assembleRelease instead.

[MarioLiebisch]

Hm yeah, haven't touched it for too long it seems. For some reason there's a target build, but not buildRelease or buildDebug. There's assemble for all three though.

[eXpl0it3r]

@MarioLiebisch Can you check why this fails? https://ci.sfml-dev.org/#/builders/12/builds/143

[MarioLiebisch]

Patching fails due to missing file or file permission. No idea, but that's not really related to the changes from what I can see.

[binary1248]

It was still based on a revision before this PR was merged. Can be safely ignored.

[MarioLiebisch]

If that's not the issue, what's the output of gradle tasks?

[binary1248]

Whatever it is supposed to be. 😁

All the other branches based off a revision after this PR build correctly, so no need to invest more effort here.

[MarioLiebisch]

Ah okay, so it was really just that patching issue then. Fine with me. :D

[eXpl0it3r]

Ah sorry didn't think it through properly 😄