Android Dynamic Delivery Feature Modules is the Future now
In Google I/O 2018, a new publishing format was introduced by Google is known as Android App Bundle(.aab). A few out of many benefits of using app bundle are dynamic delivery, automatic multi-APK distribution, smaller APK size, and dynamic feature modules.
What is Dynamic Delivery?
Google Play uses your app bundle to generate and serve optimized APKs for each user’s device configuration, so they download only the code and resources they need to run your app. For example, a user should not get x86libs if the device architecture is armeabi. Also, users should not get other resources like strings and drawables they are not using.
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Text Path Animation is to enter text, then set some animation...You can also convert your independent modules/features (without these modules your app is functional) into dynamic feature modules which can be downloaded later. Through Dynamic Delivery, users can then download and install app’s dynamic features on demand after they’ve already installed the base APK of your app. As a result, the initial download size of your app is less and users don’t need to have unused code/feature in their devices.
Dependency tree for an app server using Dynamic Delivery (Split APKs).
Dynamic Delivery with split APKs
Split APKs are very similar to regular APKs — they include compiled DEX bytecode, resources, and an Android manifest. However, the Android platform is able to treat multiple installed split APKs as a single app. The benefit of split APKs is the ability to break up a monolithic APK into smaller, discrete packages that are installed on a user’s device as required.
- Base APK: This APK contains code and resources that all other split APKs can access and provides the basic functionality for your app. When a user requests to download your app, this APK is downloaded and installed first. That’s because only the base APK’s manifest contains a full declaration of your app’s services, content-providers, permissions, platform version requirements, and dependencies on system features.
- Configuration APKs: Each of these APKs includes native libraries and resources for a specific screen density, CPU architecture, or language. When a user downloads your app, their device downloads and installs only the configuration APKs that target their device. Each configuration APK is a dependency of either a base APK or dynamic feature APK. That is, they are downloaded and installed along with the APK they provide code and resources for.
- Dynamic Feature APKs: Each of these APKs contains code and resources for a feature of your app that is not required when your app is first installed. That is, using the Play Core Library, dynamic APKs may be installed on demand after the base APK is installed on the device to provide additional functionality to the user.
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Note: Because devices running Android 4.4 (API level 19) and lower don’t support downloading and installing split APKs, Google Play instead serves those devices a single APK, called a multi-APK, that’s optimized for the device’s configuration.