Build variants and debugging in release mode

https://developer.android.com/studio/build/build-variants

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27321979/generating-unsigned-release-apk-with-android-studio

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/25001479/app-release-unsigned-apk-is-not-signed

By default Android Studio provides two build types / build variants; debug and release.

You can make the others too.

Why Build Variants?

• ‘Same’, or ‘Similar’ Codes, different characteristics displayed to users
• Different API Key for staging/debug and production/release
• No need to chanage the configurations prior the build, even for the various target SDK

Why Debugging in Release Mode

• No need to manually do copying the .apk file to the device.

How to

1. (Sign your app with your key)[https://developer.android.com/studio/publish/app-signing#sign_release]
   you can use (KeyStore Explorer)[https://keystore-explorer.org/]

2. Android Studio -> View -> Tool Windows -> Build Variants or Click Build Variants on the left bottom
3. Change the Active Build variant to Release
4. File -> Project Structure -> Choose Build Variants
5. You can change the Signing Config
6. In Modules You can change the configurations there, like set the Debuggable to true
7. In Signing Configs add the generated keystore to it.
8. Locate the app/src
9. Add the default Build Types debug and release
10. Say you want to have different String value from xml. add the xml to the res/values/yourfilename.xml
11. Same goes to the other one
12. The final stage is, you both have the same file(s), same path, in different parent folder debug/res/values/yourfilename.xml and release/res/values/yourfilename.xml
13. Rebuild if it is needed and Run the app.