briefcase-p4a-backend 1.0.0

Python-for-Android (P4A) backend for Briefcase

Briefcase P4A Backend

Python-for-Android (P4A) backend for Briefcase - Build Android APKs using python-for-android directly within Briefcase's build pipeline.

Features

• Direct P4A Integration: Uses python-for-android without Gradle or Buildozer
• Briefcase SDK Integration: Uses Briefcase's Android SDK management system
• Python 3.13 Compatibility: Automatically patches pyjnius 1.6.1 for Python 3.13+ compatibility
• Framework Agnostic: Works with Kivy, console apps, and other Python frameworks

Installation

pip install git+https://github.com/pyCino/briefcase-p4a-backend.git

Usage

1. Create a new Briefcase project:

briefcase new -t https://github.com/pyCino/briefcase-p4a-template.git --template-branch main
# Choose any GUI framework when prompted

2. Configure for P4A backend in pyproject.toml:

[tool.briefcase.app.yourapp.android]
build_backend = "briefcase_p4a_backend"

3. Build your Android APK:

briefcase create android p4a
briefcase build android p4a

How It Works

The P4A backend integrates with Briefcase's existing Android toolchain:

1. Briefcase Integration: Registers as android.p4a format in Briefcase
2. Template System: Uses cookiecutter templates for project structure
3. SDK Management: Leverages Briefcase's Android SDK manager for tools
4. Python 3.13 Support: Automatically applies compatibility patches to pyjnius 1.6.1 when using Python 3.13+
5. APK Generation: Runs python-for-android with appropriate arguments and handles APK output

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• Briefcase 0.3.23+
• Linux (tested on Ubuntu 25.04+)

Configuration Options

Basic Configuration

[tool.briefcase.app.yourapp.android]
# Required: Use P4A backend
build_backend = "briefcase_p4a_backend"

Advanced Options

[tool.briefcase.app.yourapp.android]
build_backend = "briefcase_p4a_backend"

# Target architectures (defaults to armeabi-v7a, arm64-v8a)
android_archs = ["arm64-v8a"]

# API levels
android_sdk_version = "33"
android_min_sdk_version = "21"

# Custom Android activity (optional)
android_activity = "org.kivy.android.PythonActivity"

Python 3.13 Compatibility

For Python 3.13+, this backend automatically:

• Uses local pyjnius recipe with compatibility patches applied to stable version 1.6.1
• Patches are based on official pyjnius GitHub commit for Python 3.13 long type fixes
• No manual intervention required - patches apply automatically when needed

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"APK not found after build" The backend searches multiple locations for the generated APK. Check build logs for details.

Debug Commands

# Verbose build
briefcase build android p4a -v

# Clean build
briefcase build android p4a --clean

Supported frameworks

• Kivy: Full support with kivy>=2.3.1
• Other Frameworks: Any Python framework compatible with python-for-android

Development

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/pyCino/briefcase-p4a-backend.git
cd briefcase-p4a-backend
pip install -e .

# Test with sample app
briefcase new  # Create test project
# Add build_backend = "briefcase_p4a_backend" to pyproject.toml
briefcase create android p4a
briefcase build android p4a

Related Projects

• Briefcase - Cross-platform Python app packaging
• Python-for-Android - Android build system
• Kivy - Cross-platform GUI framework

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

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Al pyCino - Simplifying Android development with Python