Android : Setup Eclipse Dev Environment

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The official documentation is at: http://docs.alfresco.com

Table of Contents

• 1 Introduction


• 2 Build Alfresco Mobile using Eclipse & Maven
  
  
  
  • 2.1 Prerequisites
  
  
  • 2.2 Retrieve Project from Git
  
  
  • 2.3 Import Eclipse Projects
  
  
  • 2.4 Associate library projects
  
  
  • 2.5 Build Alfresco Mobile
  
  


• 3 Eclipse Project Dependencies Pattern
  
  
  
  • 3.1 Alfresco Project Dependencies
    
    
    
    • 3.1.1 Alfresco SDK
    
    
    • 3.1.2 Alfresco Application (without extension)
    
    
    • 3.1.3 Alfresco Application with extension
    
    
    • 3.1.4 Complete Alfresco Android Dev env
    
    
  
  
  • 3.2 Custom Dependencies
    
    
    
    • 3.2.1 Custom SDK Extension
    
    
    • 3.2.2 Custom Application based on Alfresco SDK
    
    
    • 3.2.3 Custom version of Alfresco Mobile
    
    
  
  

Introduction

This wiki page explains how to setup an Eclipse Development Environment to build and customize Alfresco Mobile SDK & App for Android.
This procedure will use mostly the 'Maven' approach. Nevertheless it's also possible to setup an Android Alfresco development environment without using Maven. Other alternatives are Gradle, Ant or Eclipse only.

Before setting up any development environment in combination with Alfresco Mobile source code it's important to know which component (eclipse project) the developer are going to use.
If the component used is a(n)

• Java library (jar) : Can be integrated directly into an Android libs project folder or declared as dependencies inside the pom.xml of your maven project or as eclipse project dependency inside your build path.
  
• Application Library (apklib) : Must be integrated as Eclipse project inside your workspace.
  

NB : The goal of this page is not to describe precisely each component installation process. It's here to give enough hints.

Build Alfresco Mobile using Eclipse & Maven

In this example we will build the release of Alfresco Mobile 1.3.1

The most important things to know in this configuration example is everything is done by Maven and associated Eclipse plugins.
In other words most of the configuration are done via pom.xml files.

Prerequisites

• Follow installation instructions in Android Development Tools.
  

NB : In this example Maven & Eclipse plugins are mandatory

• Follow instruction to setup your Maven Repository
  

NB : In this example we use Samsung Mobile SDK 1.0.2

Retrieve Project from Git

• Clone https://github.com/Alfresco/alfresco-android-sdk & https://github.com/Alfresco/alfresco-android-app locally
  

Import Eclipse Projects

To build Alfresco Mobile 1.3.1, the minimum Eclipse projects required are the following :

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-commons (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-extension-samsung (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android (apk)
  

NB : Other transitive dependencies (jar essentially) are managed by Maven regarding pom.xml files of each project.

For each preceding projects

• Inside your workspace > Import > Git > Projects from Git > Local > <Selected Projects>
  
• If necessary you can import/convert those projects as Maven Project.
  

For reference, this is eclipse .project file for apklib eclipse project

<projectDescription>
 <name>Your Application Project Name</name>
 <comment></comment>
 <projects>
 </projects>
 <buildSpec>
  <buildCommand>
   <name>com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.ResourceManagerBuilder</name>
   <arguments>
   </arguments>
  </buildCommand>
  <buildCommand>
   <name>com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.PreCompilerBuilder</name>
   <arguments>
   </arguments>
  </buildCommand>
  <buildCommand>
   <name>org.eclipse.jdt.core.javabuilder</name>
   <arguments>
   </arguments>
  </buildCommand>
  <buildCommand>
   <name>com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.ApkBuilder</name>
   <arguments>
   </arguments>
  </buildCommand>
  <buildCommand>
   <name>org.eclipse.m2e.core.maven2Builder</name>
   <arguments>
   </arguments>
  </buildCommand>
 </buildSpec>
 <natures>
  <nature>com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.AndroidNature</nature>
  <nature>org.eclipse.jdt.core.javanature</nature>
  <nature>org.eclipse.m2e.core.maven2Nature</nature>
 </natures>
</projectDescription>

and .classpath file

<classpath>
 <classpathentry exported='true' kind='con' path='com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.DEPENDENCIES'/>
 <classpathentry kind='con' path='com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.ANDROID_FRAMEWORK'/>
 <classpathentry kind='src' path='gen'>
  <attributes>
   <attribute name='maven.pomderived' value='true'/>
  </attributes>
 </classpathentry>
 <classpathentry kind='con' path='org.eclipse.m2e.MAVEN2_CLASSPATH_CONTAINER'>
  <attributes>
   <attribute name='maven.pomderived' value='true'/>
  </attributes>
 </classpathentry>
 <classpathentry kind='src' output='bin/classes' path='src'>
  <attributes>
   <attribute name='optional' value='true'/>
   <attribute name='maven.pomderived' value='true'/>
  </attributes>
 </classpathentry>
 <classpathentry exported='true' kind='con' path='com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.LIBRARIES'/>
 <classpathentry kind='output' path='bin/classes'/>
</classpath>

Associate library projects

• Select Alfresco Mobile Eclipse Project
  
• Right Click on the project > Properties
  
• On the left Menu select > Android
  
• In library section select > Add... and then select all 3 libraries : alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library / alfresco-mobile-android-commons / alfresco-mobile-android-extension-samsung
  
• Apply & Validate
  

• Select alfresco-mobile-android-commons Eclipse Project
  
• Right Click on the project > Properties
  
• On the left Menu select > Android
  
• In library section select > Add... and then select alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library
  
• Apply & Validate
  

• Select alfresco-mobile-android-extension-samsung Eclipse Project
  
• Right Click on the project > Properties
  
• On the left Menu select > Android
  
• In library section select > Add... and then select alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library /  alfresco-mobile-android-commons
  
• Apply & Validate
  

Build Alfresco Mobile

• Select Alfresco Mobile Eclipse Project
  
• Right Click on the project > Run As > Android Application Project
  

or

• Right Click on the project > Run As > Run configurations >  mvn clean install -P android-release,extension-samsung
  

Eclipse Project Dependencies Pattern

Below you will find the minimum eclipse project you must have inside your Eclipse Workspace regarding the goal you want to achieve.

Alfresco Project Dependencies

Those dependencies pattern are used by Alfresco Android Team to change/modify Alfresco Mobile SDK & App.

Alfresco SDK

Goal : develop / extend / modify Alfresco Android SDK

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-client-api (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-async (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  

Alfresco Application (without extension)

Goal : develop / extend / modify Alfresco Android APP (without extension)

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-commons (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android (apk)
  

Alfresco Application with extension

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-commons (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-extension-samsung (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android (apk)
  

Complete Alfresco Android Dev env

Goal : develop / extend / modify Alfresco Android SDK & APP

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-client-api (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-async (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-commons (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-extension-samsung (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android (apk)
  

Custom Dependencies

Those project dependencies pattern are typically used by third party developers to create Android Application or extends Alfresco Mobile.

Custom SDK Extension

Goal : create an Alfresco Android SDK extension

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-client-api (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-async (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• <Your Custom SDK Extension Project>  (apklib/jar)
  

Custom Application based on Alfresco SDK

Goal : create a new Android application based on Android SDK

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-client-api (jar)
  
• <Your Custom Application Project>  (apk)
  

or

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-client-api (jar)
  
• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-async (jar)
  
• <Your Custom Application Project>  (apk)
  

or

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• <Your Custom Application Project>  (apk)
  

Custom version of Alfresco Mobile

Goal : create a new Android application based on Android App Components or Alfresco Mobile Source code

• SDK > alfresco-mobile-android-ui-library (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-commons (apklib)
  
• APP > alfresco-mobile-android-extension-samsung (apklib)
  
• <Your Custom Application Project>  (apk)
  

Android