I’m working on an Android project and I need to make some changes to an external library that I imported from GitHub. The problem is that when I try to edit the library files in Android Studio, they appear to be read-only or locked somehow. I can see all the code but I can’t make any modifications to it.
Is there a way to unlock these files so I can edit them? Or do I need to fork the repository first? I really need to customize some of the library’s functionality for my specific use case but I’m not sure what the proper approach is.
just clone the repo and drop it in as a local module. delete the gradle dependency line and add the source folder directly. i do this whenever i need quick tweaks without messing with forks - works every time.
This issue arises because Gradle treats library files as dependencies instead of source files, which are stored in a local cache. To amend this, you should download the source code directly from GitHub and import it as a module. Begin by removing the library reference from your build.gradle file, then navigate to File > New > Import Module and select the folder containing the downloaded source code. This will allow you to modify the code directly. Keep in mind that you’ll need to manually manage any updates from the original repository, as you won’t be able to simply update the dependency version afterward.
There are primarily two paths you can take to modify the library. If you just need to make temporary changes, consider cloning the repository locally and adding it as a git submodule or directly copying the source into your project. This gives you complete control while leaving the original repository intact. However, if you intend to contribute back to the original project or need a long-term solution, I recommend forking the repository on GitHub first, then cloning your fork for modifications. This approach also facilitates future contributions via pull requests. Do check the library’s license before making any modifications.