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Getting Started

This guide will help you set up and run the project on your local machine.

Quick Start

  1. Clone the repository (with depth 1 to reduce clone size):

    git clone --depth 1 -b main https://github.com/atick-faisal/Jetpack-Android-Starter.git

  2. Open the project in Android Studio Hedgehog or newer

  3. Run the debug build variant:

    ./gradlew assembleDebug

Note

The debug variant should work out of the box with the template google-services.json file. However, Firebase features like authentication and Firestore won't be functional until you set up your own Firebase project.

Prerequisites

  • Android Studio Hedgehog or newer
  • JDK 21
  • An Android device or emulator running API 24 (Android 7.0) or higher

Setting Up Firebase Features

To use Firebase authentication, Firestore, and analytics:

  1. Follow our Firebase Setup Guide to:

    • Create your Firebase project
    • Configure Authentication
    • Set up Firestore
    • Get your google-services.json

  2. Before replacing the template google-services.json, prevent Git from tracking changes:

    git update-index --skip-worktree app/google-services.json

  3. Replace the template file at app/google-services.json with your own

Release Build Setup

To create release builds, you'll need to set up signing:

  1. Create a keystore file

  2. Create keystore.properties in the project root:

    storePassword=your-store-password
keyPassword=your-key-password
keyAlias=your-key-alias
storeFile=your-keystore-file.jks

  3. Place your keystore file in the app/ directory

  4. Build the release variant:

    ./gradlew assembleRelease

Tip

Use Android Studio's "Generate Signed Bundle/APK" tool to help create your keystore if you don't have one.

Next Steps

  1. Understand the Architecture: Read our Architecture Overview to understand how the app is structured

  2. Setup CI/CD: Follow the GitHub CI/CD Guide to set up automation

  3. Code Style: Review the Spotless Setup for code formatting guidelines

Common Issues

  1. Build Fails:

    • Ensure you have JDK 21 set in Android Studio
    • Run ./gradlew clean and try again
    • Check if all dependencies are resolved

  2. Firebase Features Not Working:

    • Verify you've replaced google-services.json
    • Check Firebase Console for proper setup
    • Ensure SHA-1 is added for authentication

  3. Release Build Fails:

    • Verify keystore.properties exists and has correct values
    • Confirm keystore file is in the correct location
    • Check signing configuration in build.gradle

Important

Never commit sensitive files like keystore.properties, your keystore file, or your real

google-services.json to version control.

IDE Setup

For the best development experience:

  1. Enable Compose Preview:

    • Ensure "Live Edit of Literals" is enabled
    • Configure appropriate preview devices

  2. Run Configurations:

    • Use provided run configurations for common tasks
    • Signing Report configuration helps get SHA-1 for Firebase

  3. Code Style:

    • Import the project's .editorconfig
    • Enable "Format on Save" for Kotlin files
    • Use the Spotless plugin for consistent formatting

Further Reading