gradle

JVM build automation tool

TLDR

Build project

$ gradle build

Run tests

$ gradle test

Clean and rebuild

$ gradle clean build

List available tasks

$ gradle tasks

Build with parallel execution

$ gradle build --parallel

Run with a build scan for detailed reporting

$ gradle build --scan

Use the configuration cache for faster repeat builds

$ gradle build --configuration-cache

Use a specific build file

$ gradle -b [path/to/build.gradle] build

gradle is a build automation tool for Java, Kotlin, Android, and other JVM projects. It uses Groovy or Kotlin DSL for build scripts and provides dependency management, incremental builds, and an extensive plugin ecosystem.Gradle is the standard build system for Android development and supports multi-project builds. The Gradle daemon runs persistently in the background to improve build performance and is enabled by default. In most projects, the Gradle Wrapper (`./gradlew`) is preferred over invoking `gradle` directly to ensure consistent build tool versions.

PARAMETERS

TASKS

Tasks to execute.

--daemon

Use Gradle daemon (enabled by default).

--no-daemon

Do not use the Gradle daemon.

-q, --quiet

Log errors only.

-i, --info

Set log level to info.

-d, --debug

Set log level to debug.

--parallel

Build projects in parallel.

--configuration-cache

Enable the configuration cache for faster repeat builds.

--scan

Create a build scan at scans.gradle.com.

-b, --build-file file

Specify the build file.

-c, --settings-file file

Specify the settings file.

--refresh-dependencies

Refresh the state of dependencies.

-x, --exclude-task task

Exclude a task from execution.

--continuous

Continuous build; re-execute on file changes.

--help

Display help information.

CONFIGURATION

build.gradle / build.gradle.kts

Project build script defining tasks, dependencies, and plugins.

gradle.properties

Project and user-level properties for build configuration.

settings.gradle / settings.gradle.kts

Multi-project build settings and included modules.

~/.gradle/gradle.properties

User-level Gradle properties applied to all builds.

CAVEATS

JVM required. First run downloads dependencies and the Gradle distribution. The daemon is enabled by default; use --no-daemon to disable. Prefer the Gradle Wrapper (./gradlew) to ensure reproducible builds.

HISTORY

Gradle was created by Hans Dockter, first released in 2007, becoming the official Android build system in 2013. Kotlin DSL support was added in Gradle 5.0 (2018). The configuration cache for faster builds was stabilized in Gradle 8.1 (2023).