Add markdown files to an Android Studio Project without packaging them in the release

Question

Context

My library project has a documentation site which source is written in MarkDown and stored in ./docgen.

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Problem

I am currently refactoring a lot of classes, making a good use of Android Studio's Rename feature. However, as the documentation files are not part of Android Studio's Project, refactoring updates the name of the classes in the code and in my comments, but not in those documentation files.

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Investigation

• I tried adding the folder as an Asset:

  sourceSets { main { assets.srcDirs = ['src/main/assets', 'docgen'] } }
  The folder is now displayed in Android Studio, but no .md file is visible and the Rename feature still misses those files.

• I see on other questions that one can add assets to a project, packaging those files in the application or library. But I don't want to release them, I would just enjoy leveraging my IDE's rename feature across the whole project, not only in the library's code!

• I see some questions asking how one can exclude some classes from the build. But in my case the files I don't want to exclude from the build are not considered part of the project by Android Studio!

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Question

Is there a way to add a folder of markdown files to an Android Project's scope without packaging them in the release?

Answer 1

Try to use following code in your build.gradle file for app.

sourceSets {
    debug {
      assets.srcDirs = ['src/main/assets', 'docgen']
    }   
}

And remove your line from sourseSets block

{ main { assets.srcDirs = ['src/main/assets', 'docgen'] }