Android Studio implementation Library Location

Introduction

In Android development, it's common to use libraries to add additional functionality to your app. When you want to include a library in your project, you need to specify it in your build.gradle file using the implementation keyword. In this article, we will discuss where Android Studio stores these libraries and how to specify them in your project.

Implementation Library Location

When you add a library using the implementation keyword in your build.gradle file, Android Studio downloads the library and stores it in the build directory of your project. Specifically, the libraries are stored in the build/intermediates/exploded-aar directory. Within this directory, you will find subdirectories for each library you have included in your project.

Specifying Libraries in build.gradle

To add a library to your project, you need to specify it in the dependencies block of your build.gradle file. Here is an example of how to include the Retrofit library in your project:

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit:2.9.0'
}

In this example, we are adding the Retrofit library with version 2.9.0 to our project. When you sync your project with the Gradle files, Android Studio will download the library and store it in the build directory.

Class Diagram

Below is a class diagram showing the relationship between the Retrofit library and its related classes:

classDiagram
    class Retrofit {
        -baseUrl: String
        -client: OkHttpClient
        -converterFactories: List<Converter.Factory>
        -callFactory: Call.Factory
        -callbackExecutor: Executor
        +Retrofit(Builder builder)
        +create(Class<T> service)
    }

    class OkHttpClient {
        -dispatcher: Dispatcher
        -proxy: Proxy
        -protocols: List<Protocol>
        -connectionSpecs: List<ConnectionSpec>
        -interceptors: List<Interceptor>
        -networkInterceptors: List<Interceptor>
        +newBuilder()
        +addInterceptor(Interceptor interceptor)
        +addNetworkInterceptor(Interceptor interceptor)
    }

    class Converter.Factory {
        +RequestBodyConverter<?> requestBodyConverter(Type type, Annotation[] parameterAnnotations, Annotation[] methodAnnotations, Retrofit retrofit)
        +ResponseBodyConverter<?> responseBodyConverter(Type type, Annotation[] annotations, Retrofit retrofit)
    }

    class Call.Factory {
        +newCall(Request request)
    }

    class Executor {
        +execute(Runnable command)
    }

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the location where Android Studio stores libraries added using the implementation keyword in the build.gradle file. By understanding where these libraries are stored, you can better manage dependencies in your projects. Remember to always include only the necessary libraries to keep your project lean and efficient. Happy coding!