Build multiple (test/prod) versions of Android APKs in Eclipse

Question

I\'m looking to optimize generating of slightly different APKs of the same Android app, the only difference being the http API server it\'s using (dev/staging/prod).

Answer 1

Move all you code to a library project see http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/projects/projects-eclipse.html#SettingUpLibraryProject

Then create separate projects in eclipse for test and production each with a unique package name. You can then use the package name to distinguish between versions.

Something like:

public static boolean isProductionVersion(){
  return context.getPackageName().toLowerCase().contains("production");
}

This may seem like overkill for managing different http end points but it will make the code more manageable. You can also do useful things like:

• flag the test version with a different application icon
• run test and production versions side by side on one device

This can all be done in eclipse without using and third party tools.