Automating Dependency Management in Gradle Projects: A Step Towards Efficient Code Review
In a quiet place, far from the rush of life, I saw something amazing — a white peacock. Unlike the colorful ones we often see, this one was pure white, like a creature from a fairy tale. When I took its photo, it felt like it posed just for me. That moment, magical and rare, reminds me how we stumble upon unique beauty when we least expect it.
In the realm of software development, maintaining a clean and efficient project structure is paramount. This becomes particularly challenging as projects grow and evolve, often leading to the duplication of dependencies across various modules. During a recent code review, I encountered such an issue, which sparked an idea: could we automate the detection of these duplicate dependencies to streamline our code review process?
The Inspiration
The incident involved a pull request that added several dependencies to our project. While scrutinizing the Gradle files, I discovered a dependency declared twice — once in the common Gradle plugin and again in the module’s Gradle file.
The Proposal: A Gradle Plugin for Duplicate Detection
To address this, I proposed the development of a Gradle plugin. This plugin would scan the project’s configurations for duplicate dependencies, alerting us to any redundancies. This idea was well-received, as it promised to automate a crucial aspect of our code review process, potentially saving time and reducing human error.
The Implementation
Crafting the Plugin
The heart of our solution is the DetectRepeatingDependenciesPlugin, a custom Gradle plugin designed to identify and report duplicate dependencies. The plugin defines a task, detectDuplicateDependencies, which examines the project’s dependency configurations.
The Core Logic
The plugin operates by iterating through specified configurations (e.g., api, implementation, testImplementation) and compiling a list of dependencies. It then checks for duplicates, excluding allowed redundancies in test configurations to avoid false positives.
When duplicates are detected, the plugin generates a detailed report, listing the offending dependencies and suggesting remediation steps. This feedback is invaluable for developers, guiding them in cleaning up their project dependencies.
Software Engineering Principle: DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself)
The development and implementation of this plugin embody the DRY principle, a fundamental concept in software engineering. By automating the detection of duplicate dependencies, we reduce repetition not only in our code but also in our processes. This efficiency gain allows developers to focus on more complex and creative tasks, enhancing productivity and project quality.
Conclusion: The Impact of Automation
Integrating this plugin into our CI pipeline has significantly improved our code review process. It serves as a testament to the power of automation in software development, enabling us to maintain a cleaner, more efficient codebase.
By sharing this experience and the code behind our solution, I hope to inspire others to explore automation in their projects. The journey from identifying a problem to implementing a solution has reinforced the value of innovative thinking and the continuous pursuit of efficiency in software engineering.
The Plugin Code
Below is the DetectRepeatingDependenciesPlugin implementation:
internal class DetectRepeatingDependenciesPlugin : Plugin<Project> {
override fun apply(project: Project) {
project.tasks.register("detectDuplicateDependencies") {
doLast {
// Define configurations to check
val configurationsToCheck = listOf(
"api", "implementation", "testApi", "testImplementation", "androidTestApi", "androidTestImplementation"
)
// Define allowed duplicate configurations
val allowedDuplicateConfigurations = setOf(
setOf("testImplementation", "androidTestImplementation"),
setOf("testImplementation", "androidTestApi"),
setOf("testApi", "androidTestImplementation"),
setOf("testApi", "androidTestApi")
)
// Track occurrences of dependencies
val dependencyOccurrences = mutableMapOf<String, MutableList<String>>()
// Scan configurations for dependencies
configurationsToCheck.forEach { configurationName ->
val configuration = project.configurations.getByName(configurationName)
configuration.dependencies.forEach { dependency ->
val identifier = "${dependency.group}:${dependency.name}:${dependency.version}"
dependencyOccurrences.computeIfAbsent(identifier) { mutableListOf() }.add(configurationName)
}
}
// Identify duplicate dependencies
val duplicateDependencies = dependencyOccurrences.filter { (_, configurations) ->
val configSet = configurations.toSet()
when {
configSet.size != configurations.size -> true
configSet in allowedDuplicateConfigurations -> false
else -> configurations.size > 1
}
}
// Report found duplicates
if (duplicateDependencies.isNotEmpty()) {
val message = buildString {
append("🔎 Duplicate Dependencies Detected in Project ${project.name} 🔍\n\n")
// Details omitted for brevity
}
println(message)
throw GradleException(message)
} else {
println("✅ All Clear: No repetition of dependencies found in ${project.name} ✨")
}
}
}
}
}Wrapping Up
This plugin not only streamlines our code review process but also serves as a practical application of the DRY principle, enhancing our project’s maintainability and scalability. As we continue to evolve our practices, the lessons learned here will undoubtedly influence future automation efforts, further embedding efficiency and quality into our development culture.
Cheers! Happy Coding! 🚀
