Gradle is a powerful build tool, and when setup properly offers one of the most efficient ways to build a Java project. Follow these tutorial series to gain a solid understanding and learn the best-practice approach to common problems.
Many of these tutorials are available in video format, and come with full worked examples you can try out yourself by downloading the attached Git repository.
Get Going with Gradle FREE intro course
If you’ve recently started with Gradle, this course will get you to a level where you can work with simple projects effectively. It covers the fundamentals, with a mixture of theory and practical lessons amounting to over 1 hour of free video content.
See full details and enrol over on the course page.
Gradle build script essentials
These tutorials will help you understand the core principles so you can work effectively with build scripts..
Gradle tutorial for complete beginners
Have you heard of Gradle, but you’re not really sure what it is, why you should use it, and how to get started? This tutorial answers all of these questions and helps you take your first steps with this powerful build tool.
✅ includes video + Git repo
Anatomy of a Gradle build script: the key to understanding Gradle
Did you every look at a Gradle build script and end up scratching your head? In this article you’ll learn the most important components to make understanding build scripts a breeze.
✅ includes Git repo
Gradle implementation vs. compile dependencies
Understand properly the difference between these two dependency configurations.
How to exclude Gradle dependencies
Some combinations of transitive dependencies can cause issues, but fortunately Gradle has several ways to exclude them. Learn why you’d want to exclude dependencies, as well as how to use each option.
✅ includes Git repo
Interacting with Gradle effectively
Learn how to work effectively with Gradle on the command line and beyond.
How to update Gradle
Understand the full details of updating Gradle, including how it works in the background and some of the version incompatibilities to bear in mind.
✅ includes video
gradle vs. gradlew – what’s the difference?
A common source of confusion is understanding the difference between the gradle and gradlew commands. Learn what each command does and when to use it.
What is the Gradle wrapper and why should you use it?
The Gradle wrapper is an important script which forces your project to use a specific Gradle version. Discover how to make the best use of it, including setting up new projects, executing builds, and upgrading it.
✅ includes video
10 Tips to Use Gradle With IntelliJ IDEA in 2022
Discover how to make the most of your IDE when using Gradle, to get your work done quicker and more efficiently.
✅ includes video
Building production-ready projects with Gradle
Learn how to build and maintain larger and more complex projects, with these more advanced Gradle techniques.
How to use Gradle api vs. implementation dependencies with the Java Library plugin
Discover how to properly build libraries which will be consumed by another project, with the Java library plugin.
✅ includes video + Git repo
Annotation processors in Gradle with the annotationProcessor dependency configuration
Annotation processing enables the generation of additional files during Java compilation. Learn how Gradle abstracts away the complexity of passing the correct compile options with the annotationProcessor dependency configuration
✅ includes video + Git repo
Gradle project properties best practices
Learn how to pass in and use Gradle project properties to more effectively control the execution of your build.
✅ includes video
All about the Gradle task graph
A powerful Gradle feature is its ability to setup dependencies between tasks, creating a task graph. Learn all about the task graph, how to add tasks to it, and how to print it out.
Gradle dependency tree
In this article you’ll learn how to view the dependency tree, so you can understand fully how you project is built and resolve common issues.
5 reasons to switch to the Gradle Kotlin DSL
Gradle versions 5.0+ feature the Kotlin DSL, where you define your build script using the Kotlin language from JetBrains. The Groovy DSL is still more common, but here are 5 reasons to switch to the Kotlin DSL.
✅ includes video
Testing with Gradle
Test your application making the most of Gradle’s productivity enhancing features.
Running integration tests in Gradle
Your Gradle project can easily be setup to run integration tests using a specific Gradle task and source directory. This separates the integration tests from unit tests, making the project easier to understand and helping developers to work more productively.
✅ includes Git repo
Getting to grips with Gradle integrations
Understand how to use some popular Gradle integrations with these tutorials.
Unleashing the Spring Boot Gradle plugin
Learn how to use the Spring Boot Gradle plugin to more effectively build a Spring Boot project, including customising it your specific requirements.
✅ includes video + Git repo
How to build Gradle projects with GitHub Actions
Learn how to easily build Gradle projects with GitHub Actions, optimise build performance, and use the event driven approach to handle common scenarios like PR creation.
✅ includes video + Git repo
How to secure your Gradle credentials In Jenkins
Discover how to securely setup credentials for your private repository using Jenkins credentials, and inject them into your Gradle builds.
✅ includes video + Git repo
Automating Docker builds with Gradle
Discover the best way to automate Docker in your project, allowing developers and CI servers to easily build images and run containers.
✅ includes Git repo
Leveraging the full power of Gradle
These advanced tutorials lift the covers on Gradle, showing you how to effectively control builds and reuse build logic.
Gradle task inputs and outputs
Declaring Gradle task inputs and outputs is essential to use the incremental build feature, improving the performance of your build. It also follows best practice, allowing you to create more complex projects.
✅ includes Git repo
Introduction to writing Gradle plugins
Most Gradle builds use at least a few external plugins to add extra functionality. So why not make use of this powerful mechanism by learning how to encapsulate your own Gradle build logic into a plugin?
✅ includes video + Git repo
Gradle lifecycle evaluation order for multi-project builds
Multi-project builds in Gradle provide a better way to organise your project. Learn about the evaluation order of these types of project, and how to set things up to work the way you want them to.
✅ includes video + Git repo
How to do a Maven to Gradle migration on a Java Spring Boot project
Discover the 8 steps to migrate your Java Spring Boot project from Maven to Gradle, to get the job done as easily as possible.
✅ includes video + Git repo
