Difference between Make Project, Make Module app, Build APK and Generate Signed APK

Question

What is the difference between the Make Project , Make Module app , Build APK and Generate Signed APK options that you can find in the menu bar-> Build and when to use them?

Answer 1

Make Project : means that you are creating a real application that runs on the device and has an executable file such as an APK.

Create module : means that you are creating a library project for your application that runs with this project and does not have an executable file, such as an APK, but contains a .jar file that works like a library.

Build APK : When you usually launch your application, the APK file is generated locally, it looks like a ZIP file and it is easy to unzip, protection is not implemented, and you can get the code from this APK file. It is used mainly for local testing.

Signed APK : This is what the APK you can create with password and security, and it’s not easy to unzip it, and it is used for production.

Answer 2

According to IntelliJ:

Project:

In the IntelliJ platform, the project encapsulates all source codes, libraries, and creation instructions into a single organizational unit. Everything you do using the IntelliJ Platform SDK is done in the context of the project. A project defines collections called modules and libraries. Depending on the logical and functional requirements for the project, you can create a single-module or multi-module project.

Module:

A module is a discrete unit of functionality that can be run, tested, and debugged independently. Modules include things like source code, build scripts, unit tests, deployment descriptors, etc. In a project, each module can use a specific SDK or inherit an SDK defined at the project level (see SDK Section later in this document). The module may depend on other project modules.

Signed APK:

Signed packages for deploying and running your applications on physical devices. Based on this signature, the Android system identifies the author of each deployed application. You do not need to apply for a personal signature in any authority, a signature created by IntelliJ IDEA is sufficient.

Create APK:

In debug mode, you sign the application using the debug certificate generated by the Android SDK tools. This certificate has a private key with a known password, so you can start and debug your application without typing a password each time you make changes to your project.

Android Studio signs your application in debug mode automatically when you start or debug your project from the IDE.

Answer 3

Make a project : - Here, Android Studio considers this as a workspace, as in Eclipse. All modules that are required in the application are in the project directory.

Module : - You create a module when you want to create your own library. You can import the module if you want to include the library in your application, where you can also make changes. Other parameters are a dependency or a JAR file. But they are precompiled code, and you cannot make changes to it. The module allows you to make changes to the code and compile when the application starts.

Build APK : - When we launch the application, the code is compiled and an APK file is created. It is unsafe and can be easily decompiled, and anyone can get code from it. There are several ways to do this. So here comes the signature APK.

Signed APK : - A signed APK is required to download your apk to play the store for security purposes. To create it, you need to make it signed using Keystore and make this password secure. He will assure you that your code is secure and not faked.

Answer 4

Note. Starting a project using Shift + F10 automatically starts an updated build, so you do not need to do a Make-Project with Ctrl + F9 before starting with Shift + F10.

But if you just want to, can it build? check and want to AVOID the overhead of running your application, it is useful to use Ctrl + F9. (I came to this topic to find out if I need to run C-F9 and S-F10 at the same time.)