Overview
Spotify has developed and open-sourced Ruler, a Gradle plugin designed to measure and analyze the size of Android apps. This tool helps developers understand the contributions of various modules and dependencies to app size, ultimately aiming to optimize the app for better accessibility and performance.
What You'll Learn
1
How to analyze the size contributions of modules and dependencies in your Android app using Ruler
2
Why keeping your Android app size lean is crucial for user accessibility and download success
3
When to use Ruler to track app size changes during development
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Basic understanding of Android app development and Gradle
- Familiarity with Android Studio and Gradle plugins(optional)
Key Questions Answered
How does Ruler help in measuring Android app size?
Ruler is a Gradle plugin that analyzes the APK of an Android app to determine the size contributions of various files, modules, and dependencies. It provides insights into download and install sizes, allowing developers to identify optimization opportunities and manage app size effectively.
What metrics does Ruler provide regarding app size?
Ruler captures two key metrics for each file: download size, which is the number of bytes transferred over the network when a user downloads the app, and install size, which is the number of bytes a file occupies on the device after installation.
What improvements has Spotify achieved using Ruler?
Since implementing Ruler, Spotify has successfully reduced their app size by over 9%. This reduction has been tracked through daily exports of app size data, which helps in monitoring historical trends and assessing the impact of code changes.
Key Statistics & Figures
App size reduction
over 9%
Achieved by Spotify after using Ruler for app size analysis over a period of six months.
Technologies & Tools
Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase.
Build Tool
Gradle
Used as the foundation for Ruler, allowing integration into Android projects.
Programming Language
Kotlin
Ruler is fully written in Kotlin, leveraging its features for development.
Tool
Google’s Bundletool
Used by Ruler to replicate the APK generation process for accurate size measurement.
Tool
Apkanalyzer
Utilized by Ruler to ensure consistent size reporting aligned with Android Studio.
Key Actionable Insights
1Integrate Ruler into your Android project to gain insights into app size contributions.By applying the Ruler plugin and running the analyzeReleaseBundle task, you can identify which modules and dependencies are inflating your app size, allowing you to make informed decisions about optimizations.
2Regularly track app size metrics to prevent regressions during development.Using Ruler to analyze the impact of each pull request helps maintain a lean app size, ensuring that new features do not inadvertently increase the app's footprint.
Common Pitfalls
1
Failing to analyze app size regularly can lead to unnoticed bloat in the application.
Without continuous monitoring, developers may inadvertently introduce large dependencies or features that significantly increase app size, negatively impacting user experience.