Support Library Upgrade to AndroidX

Introduction

AndroidX is a major step forward in the Android development platform, introduced by Google in 2018. It replaces the old Support Library and provides enhanced features and improved performance. This article will guide you through the process of upgrading your existing project from the Support Library to AndroidX.

Background

Before we dive into the upgrade process, let's understand the need for AndroidX. The Support Library was introduced to provide backward compatibility for newer features on older Android versions. However, over time, the Support Library became bulky and had numerous dependencies. AndroidX is a clean and modular approach to handle these dependencies, resulting in a smaller app size and improved performance.

Upgrade Process

The process of upgrading from the Support Library to AndroidX involves two main steps:

  1. Migrating the Support Library dependencies to AndroidX: This step involves updating the dependencies in your project's build.gradle file. Let's take a look at an example:
dependencies {
    implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:28.0.0'
    implementation 'com.android.support:design:28.0.0'
    ...
}

To migrate to AndroidX, you need to replace these dependencies with their AndroidX equivalents:

dependencies {
    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.0.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.0.0'
    ...
}
  1. Refactoring package imports: After updating the dependencies, you need to refactor your package imports to use the new AndroidX packages. For example:
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;

should be replaced with:

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;

This needs to be done for all the references to the Support Library packages.

Benefits of AndroidX

Now that we have seen the upgrade process, let's understand the benefits of using AndroidX:

  1. Modularity: AndroidX provides a modular approach with separate libraries for different components. This allows you to include only the required modules, resulting in a smaller app size.

  2. Improved Performance: AndroidX is optimized for performance, resulting in faster rendering and smoother user experience.

  3. Backward Compatibility: AndroidX ensures backward compatibility by providing support for older Android versions, just like the Support Library.

Conclusion

In conclusion, upgrading from the Support Library to AndroidX is a necessary step to modernize your Android app. It brings numerous benefits like improved performance, smaller app size, and backward compatibility. The migration process involves updating the dependencies and refactoring the package imports. With AndroidX, you can take advantage of the latest features and optimizations in the Android platform.

So, what are you waiting for? Start upgrading your app to AndroidX today and provide a better experience to your users!

Pie Chart

Here is a pie chart illustrating the benefits of AndroidX:

pie
    title Benefits of AndroidX
    "Modularity" : 40
    "Improved Performance" : 30
    "Backward Compatibility" : 30

References

  • [AndroidX Documentation](
  • [Migrating to AndroidX](