Troubleshooting Indefinite Builds in Android with Jetpack Compose and Gradle

Discover how to effectively investigate and resolve build stalls in Android projects when using `Jetpack Compose`. Learn about known issues with deprecated libraries and necessary workarounds.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/65452642/ asked by the user 'Yannick' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/5131883/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/65461305/ provided by the user 'Yannick' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/5131883/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Troubleshooting Indefinite Builds in Android with Jetpack Compose and Gradle

When developing Android applications, encountering build issues can be frustrating, especially when you are doing everything right, and the build process still gets stuck. One common problem reported by developers involves adding buildFeatures { compose true } to their build.gradle file, which can result in an indefinite build time. If you recently experienced the same situation, you're not alone. Let's dive into the problem and explore effective solutions to investigate and resolve this issue.

The Problem: Indefinite Build Times

A developer reported that after adding Jetpack Compose to an existing project, the build process hung indefinitely at the stage of ui:compileDebugKotlin. Despite waiting for a lengthy 45 minutes, there was no error message, which left the developer puzzled about where to start troubleshooting. The build completed quickly without the Compose feature, indicating that the issue was not related to overall performance or system resources.

Key Factors of the Problem:

Indefinite Build Time: The build does not complete and hangs indefinitely during the compilation phase.

No Visible Error Messages: The absence of error codes makes diagnosing the issue more challenging.

Existing Project with New Changes: The problem occurs when introducing changes to an existing project as opposed to a fresh start.

The Solution: Investigating the Cause

After investigating, it was revealed that issues arise when using the deprecated kotlin-android-extensions alongside Jetpack Compose. Here’s a breakdown of how to resolve this issue:

Step 1: Check for Deprecated Libraries

Identify Deprecated Libraries:

Make sure that your project is not using the kotlin-android-extensions plugin. It has been deprecated and can cause compatibility issues with Jetpack Compose.

Edit Your build.gradle:

Remove the line:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Migrate to ViewBinding

Migrate to ViewBinding:

Since the kotlin-android-extensions provide a way of accessing Views without boilerplate code, switching to ViewBinding might require refactoring your codebase.

Be aware this can be time-consuming, but it’s essential for proper functionality with Jetpack Compose.

Step 3: Acknowledge Backward Compatibility Issues

Understand Backward Compatibility:

One drawback of moving to ViewBinding is that it can make Compose's backward compatibility feel less useful, given the time and effort required for migration.

Documentation and Community Solutions:

Consult Jetpack Compose's official documentation and community forums for any tips, shared experiences, or updated methods that ease this transition.

Conclusion

Dealing with build issues can be a significant obstacle, especially when they arise after integrating new features like Jetpack Compose. By identifying deprecated libraries, migrating to ViewBinding, and acknowledging compatibility concerns, you can effectively troubleshoot problematic builds.

If you find yourself in a similar predicament, remember that you're not alone in this journey, and there's always a path forward. Happy coding!