Feature request: maven_aar

[cgrushko]

... similar to maven_jar, but downloads aar files and makes them available in the build.

[cgrushko]

@menny

[cgrushko]

Actually, there's no .aar support in Bazel at all.
Since this is probably a separate problem, filed #564.

[kchodorow]

In the interim, you should be able to use new_http_archive to download/extract .aar files. Something like:

new_http_archive(
    name = "yarr",
    url = "http://pirate.co/y.arr",
    sha256 = "...",
    type = "zip",
)

The type = "zip" will tell bazel that it should be extracted like a zip file, even though it has the "wrong" extension. See http://bazel.io/docs/be/workspace.html#new_http_archive.

[menny]

@kchodorow , build_file is marked as required. What should I use there?

This is the error I get when trying this out:
missing value for mandatory attribute 'build_file' in 'new_http_archive' rule.

[kchodorow]

new_http_archive creates a little Bazel workspace in the directory created by unzipping the zip. So the build_file is the BUILD file you want to build/expose everything in that "workspace." I'm not too familiar with Android, but from http://tools.android.com/tech-docs/new-build-system/aar-format it looks like you might want something like:

java_import(
    name = "all-the-jars",
    srcs = ["classes.jar", "lint.jar"] + glob(["libs/*.jar"]),
    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
)

exports_files([...everything else...])

Put that content in a file called, say, yarr.BUILD and then set build_file = "yarr.BUILD".

Then you can depend on @yarr//:all-the-jars from your project's BUILD files.

You can also try building it with the BUILD file I suggested above and take a look at $(bazel info output_base)/external/yarr, that might give you a clearer idea of what's happening.

[cgrushko]

IIRC, changing the type to zip didn't work - Bazel complained about
wrong type for the file.

On Wed, Nov 4, 2015 at 1:46 PM, Kristina notifications@github.com wrote:

new_http_archive creates a little Bazel workspace in the directory
created by unzipping the zip. So the build_file is the BUILD file you
want to build/expose everything in that "workspace." I'm not too familiar
with Android, but from
http://tools.android.com/tech-docs/new-build-system/aar-format it looks
like you might want something like:

java_import(
name = "all-the-jars",
srcs = ["classes.jar", "lint.jar"] + glob(["libs/*.jar"]),
visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
)

exports_files([...everything else...])

Put that content in a file called, say, yarr.BUILD and then set build_file
= "yarr.BUILD".

Then you can depend on @yarr//:all-the-jars from your project's BUILD
files.

You can also try building it with the BUILD file I suggested above and
take a look at $(bazel info output_base)/external/yarr, that might give
you a clearer idea of what's happening.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#561 (comment).

[kchodorow]

I tried a simple example and it seems to work for me, let me know if you guys get any errors.

[menny]

@kchodorow , can you share the code you used? I fail to get that to work.

To be clear, we have a few AAR we want to import

[tomorrowkey]

The Workaround works fine. Thank you.

This is a sample project which is using aar library.
https://github.com/tomorrowkey/HelloBazel/tree/28a2bcfdbaff264fcecff263f61a70d12968577e

[kchodorow]

@menny The workaround @tomorrowkey posted is basically what I did, if that isn't working for you could you post some steps to reproduce?

[menny]

@tomorrowkey @kchodorow , the workaround works. I forgot to reply.
Thank you.