This is an example of a default build.gradle file in a module.

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

android {
    compileSdkVersion 25
    buildToolsVersion '25.0.3'

    signingConfigs {
        applicationName {
            keyAlias 'applicationName'
            keyPassword 'password'
            storeFile file('../key/applicationName.jks')
            storePassword 'keystorePassword'
        }
    }
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId 'com.company.applicationName'
        minSdkVersion 14
        targetSdkVersion 25
        versionCode 1
        versionName '1.0'
        signingConfig signingConfigs.applicationName
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled true
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
}

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])

    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:25.3.1'
    compile 'com.android.support:design:25.3.1'

    testCompile 'junit:junit:4.12'
}

DSL (domain-specific language)

Each block in the file above is called a DSL (domain-specific language).

Plugins

The first line, apply plugin: 'com.android.application', applies the Android plugin for Gradle to the build and makes the android {} block available to declare Android-specific build options.

For an Android Application:

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

For an Android Library:

apply plugin: 'com.android.library'

Understanding the DSLs in the sample above

The second part, The android {...} block, is the Android DSL which contains information about your project.

For example, you can set the compileSdkVersion which specifies the Android API level , Which should be used by Gradle to compile your app.

The sub-block defaultConfig holds the defaults for your manifest. You can override them with Product Flavors.

You can find more info in these examples:

• DSL for the app module
• Build Types