How can you get the build/version number of your Android application?

📱🔢 🗳️ How to Get the Build/Version Number of Your Android App?

Are you feeling lost trying to display the build/version number of your Android application on the UI? Don't worry, you're not alone! 🤔

In this blog post, we will walk you through the process of retrieving the build/version number for your Android app. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, we've got you covered! 🚀

1. Manifest Manifest! 📋

Yes, you are right! We need to do something with the AndroidManifest.xml file. 🤓

The AndroidManifest.xml file is like the blueprint of your app. It contains important information about your application, including the build/version number. To access this number, we will use the versionName attribute in the AndroidManifest.xml file.

Open your project and locate the AndroidManifest.xml file. It is usually located in the app/src/main directory. Open the file and look for the android:versionName attribute in the manifest element. The android:versionName attribute holds the build/version number of your app.

Here's an example:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.myapp">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

    <application
        android:name=".MyApp"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>
  
    <!-- The versionName attribute holds the build/version number -->
    <android:versionName="1.0.0"></android:versionName>

</manifest>

In this example, the android:versionName="1.0.0" attribute indicates that the build/version number is 1.0.0. You can edit this value to reflect the desired build/version number for your app.

2. Retrieving the Build/Version Number in Code 🖥️

Now that we know where to find the build/version number, let's retrieve it in code! 📝

In your Java or Kotlin file, you can use the PackageManager class to get the build/version number dynamically. Here's the code snippet you need:

try {
    PackageInfo packageInfo = getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(getPackageName(), 0);
    String versionName = packageInfo.versionName;
    // Use versionName as needed (e.g., display it on the UI)
} catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

In the above code snippet, we use the getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(getPackageName(), 0) method to retrieve the PackageInfo object, which contains various information about our app, including the version name. We can then access the versionName property of the PackageInfo object to retrieve the build/version number.

3. Displaying on the UI 💻

Once you have retrieved the build/version number, you can display it on the UI to provide useful information to your users. You can use a TextView or any other UI element of your choice to display the build/version number.

TextView versionTextView = findViewById(R.id.versionTextView);
versionTextView.setText(versionName);

In the above code snippet, we assume that you have a TextView with the id versionTextView in your layout file. We retrieve the reference to this TextView in code, and then use the setText() method to set the retrieved build/version number (versionName) as the text of the TextView. Easy, right? 😉

Conclusion 🎉

Congratulations! You now know how to retrieve and display the build/version number of your Android application. Just remember to always update the android:versionName attribute in the AndroidManifest.xml file whenever you release a new version of your app.

If you found this guide helpful, don't forget to share it with your fellow Android developers and spread the knowledge! 🌟

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you! 💬

Now go forth, retrieve that build/version number, and make your app shine! ✨