DependencyHandler

API Documentation:DependencyHandler

A DependencyHandler is used to declare dependencies. Dependencies are grouped into configurations (see Configuration).

To declare a specific dependency for a configuration you can use the following syntax:

dependencies {
    configurationName dependencyNotation1, dependencyNotation2, ...
}

Example shows a basic way of declaring dependencies. 

apply plugin: 'java'
//so that we can use 'compile', 'testCompile' for dependencies

dependencies {
  //for dependencies found in artifact repositories you can use
  //the group:name:version notation
  compile 'commons-lang:commons-lang:2.6'
  testCompile 'org.mockito:mockito:1.9.0-rc1'

  //map-style notation:
  compile group: 'com.google.code.guice', name: 'guice', version: '1.0'

  //declaring arbitrary files as dependencies
  compile files('hibernate.jar', 'libs/spring.jar')

  //putting all jars from 'libs' onto compile classpath
  compile fileTree('libs')
}

Advanced dependency configuration

To do some advanced configuration on a dependency when it is declared, you can additionally pass a configuration closure:

dependencies {
    configurationName(dependencyNotation){
        configStatement1
        configStatement2
    }
}
Example of advanced dependency declaration including:
  • forcing certain dependency version in case of the conflict
  • excluding certain dependencies by name, group or both
  • avoiding transitive dependencies for certain dependency
apply plugin: 'java' //so that I can declare 'compile' dependencies

dependencies {
  compile('org.hibernate:hibernate:3.1') {
    //in case of versions conflict '3.1' version of hibernate wins:
    force = true

    //excluding a particular transitive dependency:
    exclude module: 'cglib' //by artifact name
    exclude group: 'org.jmock' //by group
    exclude group: 'org.unwanted', module: 'iAmBuggy' //by both name and group

    //disabling all transitive dependencies of this dependency
    transitive = false
  }
}

Dependency notations

There are several supported dependency notations. These are described below. For each dependency declared this way, a Dependency object is created. You can use this object to query or further configure the dependency.

You can also always add instances of Dependency directly:

configurationName <instance>

External dependencies

There are 2 notations supported for declaring a dependency on an external module. One is a String notation formatted this way: group:name:version

configurationName "group:name:version:classifier"

The other is a map notation:

configurationName group: group:, name: name, version: version, classifier: classifier

In both notations, all properties, except name, are optional.

External dependencies are represented by a ExternalModuleDependency.

apply plugin: 'java'
//so that we can use 'compile', 'testCompile' for dependencies

dependencies {
  //for dependencies found in artifact repositories you can use
  //the string notation, e.g. group:name:version
  compile 'commons-lang:commons-lang:2.6'
  testCompile 'org.mockito:mockito:1.9.0-rc1'

  //map notation:
  compile group: 'com.google.code.guice', name: 'guice', version: '1.0'
}

Project dependencies

To add a project dependency, you use the following notation:

configurationName project(':someProject')

The notation project(':projectA') is similar to the syntax you use when configuring a projectA in a multi-module gradle project.

By default, when you declare dependency to projectA, you actually declare dependency to the 'default' configuration of the projectA. If you need to depend on a specific configuration of projectA, use map notation for projects:

configurationName project(path: ':projectA', configuration: 'someOtherConfiguration')

Project dependencies are represented using a ProjectDependency.

File dependencies

You can also add a dependency using a FileCollection:

configurationName files('a file')
apply plugin: 'java'
//so that we can use 'compile', 'testCompile' for dependencies

dependencies {
  //declaring arbitrary files as dependencies
  compile files('hibernate.jar', 'libs/spring.jar')

  //putting all jars from 'libs' onto compile classpath
  compile fileTree('libs')
}

File dependencies are represented using a SelfResolvingDependency.

Dependencies to other configurations

You can add a dependency using a Configuration.

When the configuration is from the same project as the target configuration, the target configuration is changed to extend from the provided configuration.

When the configuration is from a different project, a project dependency is added.

Client module dependencies

To add a client module to a configuration you can use the notation:

configurationName module(moduleNotation) {
    module dependencies
}
The module notation is the same as the dependency notations described above, except that the classifier property is not available. Client modules are represented using a ClientModule.

Properties

No properties

Script blocks

No script blocks

Methods

MethodDescription
add(configurationName, dependencyNotation)

Adds a dependency to the given configuration.

add(configurationName, dependencyNotation, configureClosure)

Adds a dependency to the given configuration, and configures the dependency using the given closure.

create(dependencyNotation)

Creates a dependency without adding it to a configuration.

create(dependencyNotation, configureClosure)

Creates a dependency without adding it to a configuration, and configures the dependency using the given closure.

gradleApi()

Creates a dependency on the API of the current version of Gradle.

localGroovy()

Creates a dependency on the Groovy that is distributed with the current version of Gradle.

module(notation)

Creates a dependency on a client module.

module(notation, configureClosure)

Creates a dependency on a client module. The dependency is configured using the given closure before it is returned.

project(notation)

Creates a dependency on a project.

Method details

Dependency add(String configurationName, Object dependencyNotation)

Adds a dependency to the given configuration.

Dependency add(String configurationName, Object dependencyNotation, Closure configureClosure)

Adds a dependency to the given configuration, and configures the dependency using the given closure.

Dependency create(Object dependencyNotation)

Creates a dependency without adding it to a configuration.

Dependency create(Object dependencyNotation, Closure configureClosure)

Creates a dependency without adding it to a configuration, and configures the dependency using the given closure.

Dependency gradleApi()

Creates a dependency on the API of the current version of Gradle.

Dependency localGroovy()

Creates a dependency on the Groovy that is distributed with the current version of Gradle.

Dependency module(Object notation)

Creates a dependency on a client module.

Dependency module(Object notation, Closure configureClosure)

Creates a dependency on a client module. The dependency is configured using the given closure before it is returned.

Dependency project(Map<String, ?> notation)

Creates a dependency on a project.