Managing Dependencies with Version Catalogs

Using Gradle version catalogs makes managing dependencies and plugins easier when you have multiple modules. Instead of hardcoding dependency names and versions in individual build files and updating each entry whenever you need to upgrade a dependency, you can create a central version catalog of dependencies that various modules can reference in a type-safe way with Android Studio assistance.

Benefits for Developers : Ability to make libraries and plugins generic across multiple applications or modules in a project.

1.1 Version Catalog Structure

Sections:
1. Versions
2. Libraries
3. Plugins
Libraries Section: Contains group, name, and version reference (version.ref) for each library.
Plugins Section: Contains ID and version reference (version.ref) for each plugin.

Important

After initializing libraries and plugins in the libs.versions.toml file, you must sync the project to generate the dependencies in Android Studio.

[versions]
# initialize the versions number of the libraries and plugins

[libraries]
# initialize the libraries group, name and version number

[plugins]
# initialize the plugins id, and version number

Version Catalogs with Kotlin

The group section refers to the first part before the colon (:)
- For example, in androidx.activity:activity-compose, the group section is androidx.activity.
The name section refers to the second part after the colon. In the example androidx.activity:activity-compose, the name section is activity-compose.
The version section refers to the library version number that follows.

Example:
androidx.activity:activity-compose:1.3.1

Group: androidx.activity
Name: activity-compose
Version: 1.3.1

libs.versions.toml

[version]
activityCompose = "1.3.1"

[libraries]
androidx-activity-compose = { group = "androidx.activity", name = "activity-compose", version.ref = "activityCompose" }

Application Gradle | build.gradle.kts

dependencies {
    implementation(libs.androidx.activity.compose)
}

1.2 Version Catalog Plugins

( OLD way )

Application Gradle | app /-> build.gradle.kts

plugins {
    id("com.android.application")
    id("org.jetbrains.kotlin.android")
}

( NEW way )

libs.versions.toml

[version]
agp = "8.5.2"
kotlin = "2.0.20"

# Here is the library section

[plugins]
android-application = { id = "com.android.application", version.ref = "agp" }
jetbrains-kotlin-android = { id = "org.jetbrains.kotlin.android", version.ref = "kotlin" }

Application Gradle | app /-> build.gradle.kts

plugins {
    alias(libs.plugins.android.application)
    alias(libs.plugins.jetbrains.kotlin.android)
}

1.3 Top Libraries and Plugins for Project Development

libs.versions.toml

[versions]
agp = "8.5.2"
kotlin = "2.0.20"
coreKtx = "1.13.1"
junit = "4.13.2"
junitVersion = "1.2.1"
espressoCore = "3.6.1"
lifecycleRuntimeKtx = "2.8.6"
activityCompose = "1.9.2"
composeVersion = "1.7.3"
composeHiltNavigationVersion = "1.2.0"
composeNavigationVersion = "2.8.2"
uiComposeVersion = "1.7.3"
animationComposeVersion = "1.7.3"
foundationComposeVersion = "1.7.3"
composeBom = "2024.09.03"
roomVersion = "2.6.1"
kspVersion = "2.0.20-1.0.25"
retrofitVersion = "2.11.0"
okHttpVersion = "4.12.0"
coilVersion = "2.7.0"
coroutineVersion = "1.9.0"
materialVersion = "1.12.0"
hiltVersion = "2.52"
hiltCompilerVersion = "1.2.0"
swipeRefreshLayoutVersion = "1.1.0"
gsonVersion = "2.11.0"
paletteVersion = "1.0.0"
splashscreen = "1.0.1"


[libraries]
# Architecture
androidx-core-ktx = { group = "androidx.core", name = "core-ktx", version.ref = "coreKtx" }
androidx-lifecycle-runtime-ktx = { group = "androidx.lifecycle", name = "lifecycle-runtime-ktx", version.ref = "lifecycleRuntimeKtx" }
androidx-swipe-refresh-layout = { group = "androidx.swiperefreshlayout", name = "swiperefreshlayout", version.ref = "swipeRefreshLayoutVersion" }
# Compose
androidx-activity-compose = { group = "androidx.activity", name = "activity-compose", version.ref = "activityCompose" }
androidx-compose-bom = { group = "androidx.compose", name = "compose-bom", version.ref = "composeBom" }
androidx-ui = { group = "androidx.compose.ui", name = "ui", version.ref = "uiComposeVersion" }
androidx-ui-graphics = { group = "androidx.compose.ui", name = "ui-graphics" }
androidx-ui-tooling = { group = "androidx.compose.ui", name = "ui-tooling" }
androidx-material3 = { group = "androidx.compose.material3", name = "material3" }
androidx-ui-tooling-preview = { group = "androidx.compose.ui", name = "ui-tooling-preview" }
androidx-navigate-compose = { group = "androidx.navigation", name = "navigation-compose", version.ref = "composeNavigationVersion" }
androidx-hilt-compose = { group = "androidx.hilt", name = "hilt-navigation-compose", version.ref = "composeHiltNavigationVersion" }
androidx-compose-runtime = { group = "androidx.compose.runtime", name = "runtime", version.ref = "composeVersion" }
androidx-compose-runtime-livedata = { group = "androidx.compose.runtime", name = "runtime-livedata", version.ref = "composeVersion" }
androidx-lifecycle-viewmodel-compose = { group = "androidx.lifecycle", name = "lifecycle-viewmodel-compose", version.ref = "lifecycleRuntimeKtx" }
androidx-animation = { group = "androidx.compose.animation", name = "animation", version.ref = "animationComposeVersion" }
androidx-foundation = { group = "androidx.compose.foundation", name = "foundation", version.ref = "foundationComposeVersion" }
# Room Database
androidx-room-runtime = { group = "androidx.room", name = "room-runtime", version.ref = "roomVersion" }
androidx-room-compiler = { group = "androidx.room", name = "room-compiler", version.ref = "roomVersion" }
androidx-room-ktx = { group = "androidx.room", name = "room-ktx", version.ref = "roomVersion" }
# Retrofit
retrofit = { group = "com.squareup.retrofit2", name = "retrofit", version.ref = "retrofitVersion" }
retrofit-gson = { group = "com.squareup.retrofit2", name = "converter-gson", version.ref = "retrofitVersion" }
# OkHttp
okHttp = { group = "com.squareup.okhttp3", name = "okhttp", version.ref = "okHttpVersion" }
# Gson
gson = { group = "com.google.code.gson", name = "gson", version.ref = "gsonVersion" }
# Coil
coil = { group = "io.coil-kt", name = "coil-compose", version.ref = "coilVersion" }
# Coroutine
coroutine-core = { group = "org.jetbrains.kotlinx", name = "kotlinx-coroutines-core", version.ref = "coroutineVersion" }
coroutine-android = { group = "org.jetbrains.kotlinx", name = "kotlinx-coroutines-android", version.ref = "coroutineVersion" }
# Material
material = { group = "com.google.android.material", name = "material", version.ref = "materialVersion" }
# Hilt
dagger-android = { group = "com.google.dagger", name = "hilt-android", version.ref = "hiltVersion" }
dagger-compiler = { group = "com.google.dagger", name = "hilt-compiler", version.ref = "hiltVersion" }
hilt-compiler = { group = "androidx.hilt", name = "hilt-compiler", version.ref = "hiltCompilerVersion" }
# Palette
androidx-palette-ktx = { group = "androidx.palette", name = "palette-ktx", version.ref = "paletteVersion" }
# Unit Test
junit = { group = "junit", name = "junit", version.ref = "junit" }
androidx-junit = { group = "androidx.test.ext", name = "junit", version.ref = "junitVersion" }
androidx-espresso-core = { group = "androidx.test.espresso", name = "espresso-core", version.ref = "espressoCore" }
androidx-ui-test-manifest = { group = "androidx.compose.ui", name = "ui-test-manifest", version.ref = "composeVersion" }
androidx-ui-test-junit4 = { group = "androidx.compose.ui", name = "ui-test-junit4" }
androidx-core-splashscreen = { group = "androidx.core", name = "core-splashscreen", version.ref = "splashscreen" }

[plugins]
android-application = { id = "com.android.application", version.ref = "agp" }
jetbrains-kotlin-android = { id = "org.jetbrains.kotlin.android", version.ref = "kotlin" }
ksp = { id = "com.google.devtools.ksp", version.ref = "kspVersion" }
hilt-android = { id = "com.google.dagger.hilt.android", version.ref = "hiltVersion" }
compose-compiler = { id = "org.jetbrains.kotlin.plugin.compose", version.ref = "kotlin" }

View Current Project's Version Catalogs -->

Application Gradle | app /-> build.gradle.kts

plugins {
    alias(libs.plugins.androidApplication)
    alias(libs.plugins.jetbrainsKotlinAndroid)
    alias(libs.plugins.ksp)
    alias(libs.plugins.hilt.android)
    alias(libs.plugins.compose.compiler)
}

dependencies {
    
    //Architecture
    implementation(libs.androidx.core.ktx)
    implementation(libs.androidx.swipe.refresh.layout)
    implementation(libs.androidx.lifecycle.runtime.ktx)
    //Compose
    implementation(libs.androidx.activity.compose)
    implementation(platform(libs.androidx.compose.bom))
    implementation(libs.androidx.ui)
    implementation(libs.androidx.ui.graphics)
    implementation(libs.androidx.ui.tooling.preview)
    implementation(libs.androidx.material3)
    implementation(libs.androidx.navigate.compose)
    implementation(libs.androidx.hilt.compose)
    implementation(libs.androidx.compose.runtime)
    implementation(libs.androidx.compose.runtime.livedata)
    implementation(libs.androidx.lifecycle.viewmodel.compose)
    implementation(libs.androidx.animation)
    implementation(libs.androidx.foundation)
    //Room Database
    implementation(libs.androidx.room.runtime)
    ksp(libs.androidx.room.compiler)
    implementation(libs.androidx.room.ktx)
    //Retrofit
    implementation(libs.retrofit)
    implementation(libs.retrofit.gson)
    //OkHttp
    implementation(libs.okHttp)
    //Gson
    implementation(libs.gson)
    //Coil
    implementation(libs.coil)
    //Coroutines
    implementation(libs.coroutine.core)
    implementation(libs.coroutine.android)
    //Material
    implementation(libs.material)
    //Hilt
    implementation(libs.dagger.android)
    ksp(libs.dagger.compiler)
    ksp(libs.hilt.compiler)
    //Palette
    implementation(libs.androidx.palette.ktx)
    //Unit Test
    testImplementation(libs.junit)
    androidTestImplementation(libs.androidx.junit)
    androidTestImplementation(libs.androidx.espresso.core)
    androidTestImplementation(platform(libs.androidx.compose.bom))
    androidTestImplementation(libs.androidx.ui.test.junit4)
    debugImplementation(libs.androidx.ui.tooling)
    debugImplementation(libs.androidx.ui.test.manifest)
}

Top Level Gradle | build.gradle.kts

plugins {
    alias(libs.plugins.androidApplication) apply false
    alias(libs.plugins.jetbrainsKotlinAndroid) apply false
    alias(libs.plugins.ksp) apply false
    alias(libs.plugins.hilt.android) apply false
    alias(libs.plugins.compose.compiler) apply false
}

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Managing Dependencies with Version Catalogs

1.1 Version Catalog Structure

Version Catalogs with Kotlin

1.2 Version Catalog Plugins

1.3 Top Libraries and Plugins for Project Development

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Managing Dependencies with Version Catalogs

1.1 Version Catalog Structure

Version Catalogs with Kotlin

1.2 Version Catalog Plugins

1.3 Top Libraries and Plugins for Project Development