React Native Android build using github-actions

androidBuild.yml

name: Android APK Build
on: push

env:
  YARN_MODULES_CACHE_KEY: v1
  YARN_PACKAGE_CACHE_KEY: v1
  YARN_CACHE_FOLDER: .cache/yarn
  FORCE_COLOR: true # display terminal colors

jobs:
  install:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 10
    if: "! contains(toJSON(github.event.head_commit.message), '[skip ci]')" # skip job if git message contains [skip ci]
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Cache node modules
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        env:
          cache-name: cache-node-modules
        with:
          path: '**/node_modules'
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-

      - name: Install npm dependencies
        run: yarn install

  lint:
    needs: install
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 10
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Cache node modules
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        env:
          cache-name: cache-node-modules
        with:
          path: '**/node_modules'
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-

      - name: Lint project
        run: yarn lint

  test:
    needs: install
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 10
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Cache node modules
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        env:
          cache-name: cache-node-modules
        with:
          path: '**/node_modules'
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
          restore-keys: |
            ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
            ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-

      - name: Test project
        run: yarn test --maxWorkers=2 --ci --coverage

      - name: Archive test results
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v1
        with:
          name: test-results
          path: test-results/test-report.html

      - name: Archive code coverage
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v1
        with:
          name: code-coverage
          path: coverage/lcov-report/

      - name: Upload coverage to Codecov
        uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1.0.7
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
          file: coverage/lcov.info

  build:
    needs: install
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Cache node modules
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        env:
          cache-name: cache-node-modules
        with:
          path: '**/node_modules'
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-

      - name: Create properties file
        run: |
          printf 'RELEASE_KEY_STORE=%s\n' ${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_STORE }} >> android/release-keystore.properties
          printf 'RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_NAME=%s\n' '${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_NAME }}' >> android/release-keystore.properties
          printf 'RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_PASSWORD=%s\n' '${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_PASSWORD }}' >> android/release-keystore.properties
          printf 'RELEASE_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD=%s\n' '${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD }}' >> android/release-keystore.properties

      - name: Decode Android key
        run: |
          echo "${{ secrets.KEYSTORE }}" > keystore-base64
          base64 -d -i keystore-base64 > android/app/release.keystore

      - name: Cache Android dependencies
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        env:
          cache-name: cache-android-dependencies
        with:
          path: |
            ~/.gradle/
            ~/.m2/
          key: jars-{{ hashFiles('android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties') }}-{{ hashFiles("android/build.gradle") }}-{{ hashFiles('android/app/build.gradle') }}
          restore-keys: jars-{{ hashFiles('android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties') }}-{{ hashFiles("android/build.gradle") }}-

      - name: Download Android dependencies
        run: |
          cd android
          ./gradlew androidDependencies
          cd ..

      - name: Generate .ENV file
        run: |
          printf 'BUILD_VERSION=%s\n' $(echo ${{ github.sha }} | cut -c -7) >> .env
          printf 'API_KEY=%s\n' '${{ secrets.API_KEY }}' >> .env

      - name: Build Android APK
        run: yarn build:android:release

      - name: Upload Artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v1
        with:
          name: app-release.apk
          path: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/

  release:
    needs: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Cache node modules
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        env:
          cache-name: cache-node-modules
        with:
          path: '**/node_modules'
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock') }}
          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-build-${{ env.cache-name }}-

      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
        with:
          name: app-release.apk
          path: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/

      - name: semantic-release
        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'
        run: yarn semantic-release --dry-run ${{github.ref != 'refs/heads/master'}} --ci ${{github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'}}
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

• What does it do?
• Github action assumptions
• Github-action Jobs
• Caveats
  • Android Release Keystore
  • Android release keystore properites
    • Gradle
      • Explanation
      • Credit
  • Github secrets

What does it do?

Used for building React Native Android release APK.

Github action assumptions

• The github action is used for React Native project
• The project is written in Typescript
• Contains .eslintrcjs file to be used by ESlint
• Contains jest.config.js file to be used by Jest
• Contains tsconfig.json to be used by Typescript

Github-action Jobs

• install: install npm packages
• lint: lint project using typescript and eslint
• test: test the project using jest
• build: build Android release APK
• release: semantic release the project
  • ONLY runs on master branch

Caveats

Android Release Keystore

Android Release keystore file is used to build a Release APK. It's a way sign and certify the APK.
Android release keystore filename is release.keystore
Android release keystore will be placed in <project root>/android/app/ folder

Android release keystore properites

The properties file is used by Gradle to build the APK.
It contains

• filename of the release keystore file
• Keystore alias
• Keystore alias password
• Keystore password

The Android keystore filename is release-keystore.properties
It will be placed <project root>/android/ folder

NOTE: Gradle must be configured to read the release-keystore-properties content to build the APK

Gradle

<project root>/android/app/build.gradle file will have to be configured for it to be able to use the Release keystore and it's properties

/**
 * Load release keystore properties.
 * Properties are stored in <project_root>/android/release-keystore.properties
 * Used for building a production app.
 */
def keyStorePropertiesFile = rootProject.file("./release-keystore.properties")
def keyStoreProperties = new Properties()
keyStoreProperties.load(new FileInputStream(keyStorePropertiesFile))

android {
  ... /** other configs */

  signingConfig {
    release {
      // release key is located in
      // <project_root>/android/app/release.keystore
      storeFile file(keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_STORE'])
      keyAlias keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_NAME']
      keyPassword keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_PASSWORD']
      storePassword keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD']
    }
  }
  buildTypes {
    release {
      // Caution! In production, you need to generate your own keystore file.
      // see https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/signed-apk-android.
      signingConfig signingConfigs.release
      minifyEnabled true
      proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile("proguard-android-optimize.txt"), "proguard-rules.pro"
    }
  }
}

Explanation

def keyStorePropertiesFile = rootProject.file("./release-keystore.properties")
def keyStoreProperties = new Properties()
keyStoreProperties.load(new FileInputStream(keyStorePropertiesFile))

Import keystore properties

---

android {
  signingConfig {
    release {
      // release key is located in
      // <project_root>/android/app/release.keystore
      storeFile file(keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_STORE'])
      keyAlias keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_NAME']
      keyPassword keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_PASSWORD']
      storePassword keyStoreProperties['RELEASE_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD']
    }
  }
}

Use keystore properties when signing the APK

---

android {
  buildTypes {
    release {
      // Caution! In production, you need to generate your own keystore file.
      // see https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/signed-apk-android.
      signingConfig signingConfigs.release
      minifyEnabled true
      proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile("proguard-android-optimize.txt"), "proguard-rules.pro"
    }
  }
}

Use the release signingConfig when building the APK

---

Credit

This config is based on link medium post

---

Github secrets

This github action uses the following github secrets

• API_KEY: api key for the application
• CODECOV_TOKEN: codecov token
• KEYSTORE: Android release keystore (note: encoded in base64)
• RELEASE_KEY_STORE: Android release keystore filename
• RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_NAME: release key alias name
• RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS_PASSWORD: release key alias password
• RELEASE_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD: release key password
• GITHUB_TOKEN: token auto generated for every repo

To use this github-action, add the secrets mentioned to repo secrets