# Composite Builds Basics Sample

version 8.14.4-20260110040213+0000

- Groovy DSL

- Kotlin DSL

| You can open this sample in an IDE that supports Gradle.

## Defining and using a composite build

This sample shows how 2 Gradle builds that are normally developed separately and combined using binary integration can be wired together into a composite build with source integration. The `my-utils` multiproject build produces 2 different java libraries, and the `my-app` build produces an executable using functions from those libraries.

Note that the `my-app` build does not have direct dependencies on `my-utils`. Instead, it declares module dependencies on the libraries produced by `my-utils`:

my-app/app/build.gradle.kts

    plugins {
        id("application")
    }

    application {
        mainClass = "org.sample.myapp.Main"
    }

    dependencies {
        implementation("org.sample:number-utils:1.0")
        implementation("org.sample:string-utils:1.0")
    }

my-app/app/build.gradle

    plugins {
        id 'application'
    }

    application {
        mainClass = 'org.sample.myapp.Main'
    }

    dependencies {
        implementation 'org.sample:number-utils:1.0'
        implementation 'org.sample:string-utils:1.0'
    }

## Using command-line composite build

When using a composite build, no shared repository is required for the builds, and no changes need to be made to the build scripts.

1. Change the sources of `Number.java`

2. Run the `my-app` application, including the `my-utils` build.

    cd my-app
    gradle --include-build ../my-utils run

Using dependency substitution, the module dependencies on the util libraries are replaced by project dependencies on `my-utils`.

## Converting `my-app` to a composite build

It’s possible to make the above arrangement persistent, by making `my-app` a composite build that includes `my-utils`.

    cd my-app
    echo "includeBuild '../my-utils'" >> settings.gradle
    gradle run

With this configuration, the module dependencies from `my-app` to `my-utils` will always be substituted with project dependencies.

While simple, this approach has the downside of modifying the `my-app` build.

## Using separate composite build

It is also possible to create a separate composite build that includes both the `my-app` and `my-utils` builds.

settings.gradle.kts

    rootProject.name = "my-composite"

    includeBuild("my-app")
    includeBuild("my-utils")

settings.gradle

    rootProject.name = 'my-composite'

    includeBuild 'my-app'
    includeBuild 'my-utils'

After doing so, you can reference any tasks in the included builds directly on the command line in order to execute.

    gradle :my-app:app:run

Alternately, you can create delegating tasks in the composite project to execute tasks without specifying the full task path.

build.gradle.kts

    tasks.register("run") {
        dependsOn(gradle.includedBuild("my-app").task(":app:run"))
    }

build.gradle

    tasks.register('run') {
        dependsOn gradle.includedBuild('my-app').task(':app:run')
    }

    gradle run