Document generating and using a custom Android source ZIP

[Calinou]

[jasonwinterpixel]

gradlew zipCustomBuild should be documented on this page https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/getting_started/workflow/export/android_custom_build.html

This is a requirement to produce an android app bundle with a custom build of godot. Android app bundles are the only way to publish a game on android.

Additionally, the version file res://android/.build_version should be generated by zipCustomBuild. This way, it will be more correct (currently it isnt actually the version of godot that built the android_source, it's the version of godot which installed the android_source.zip) and it will be far easier to work with.

Ideally, android_source.zip should be exactly what is expected in res://android, including the build version file, and build folder. No modifications should be necessary during the 'install' phase, because those modifications have to be duplicated by users (like us) who need to set up this file system in a CI/CD pipeline.

[Calinou]

gradlew zipCustomBuild should be documented on this page docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/getting_started/workflow/export/android_custom_build.html

This is precisely what this PR does :slightly_smiling_face:

This is a requirement to produce an android app bundle with a custom build of godot. Android app bundles are the only way to publish a game on android.

The old APK-based way of exporting to Android will likely have to be removed in 4.0 because of this. The whole Android export system is due for another refactor to handle this change, but again, opening a proposal is likely what should be done here.

What about one-click deploy though? The APK-based approach still works here, and it generally provides the quickest iteration times when you don't need custom Android plugins.

Additionally, the version file res://android/.build_version should be generated by zipCustomBuild. This way, it will be more correct (currently it isnt actually the version of godot that built the android_source, it's the version of godot which installed the android_source.zip) and it will be far easier to work with.

Please open a proposal for this. Otherwise, this feedback will be lost in a comment.

[jasonwinterpixel]

Please open a proposal for this. Otherwise, this feedback will be lost in a comment.

https://github.com/godotengine/godot-proposals/issues/3128

[jasonwinterpixel]

The old APK-based way of exporting to Android will likely have to be removed in 4.0 because of this. The whole Android export system is due for another refactor to handle this change, but again, opening a proposal is likely what should be done here.

I disagree about removing .apk support. Apks support should remain.

Android App Bundles are a Google specific thing that gives Google a ton of power over the Android app ecosystem.

Apks are an open format. .aab is not.

Apks support other stores and side loading and are more in the spirit of Godot.

Apks will still be dominant because many Godot developers will not be publishing their game on the Google Play store.

[mhilbrunner]

This needs to be rebased. Also there are review comments above. :)

[mhilbrunner]

Friendly bump :)

(Edit: Calinou replied & currently has no time to work on this, will revisit in the future)