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content/posts/use-apache-http-client-on-android-sdk-23.md

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+template = "article.html"
+title = "Use Apache HTTP Client on Android SDK 23"
+date = 2015-10-01T15:46:00+02:00
+description = "How to continue using Apache HTTP Client in Android SDK 23 after Google removed it from the platform."
+
+[taxonomies]
+tags = ["android"]
++++
+
+With the Android M SDK (API 23), Google removed the Apache HTTP Client library.
+It was deprecated since API 22, and Google recommanded to use
+`HttpURLConnection` instead since API 9. While the classes are still bundled in
+Android 6 ROMs, it won't be long until we see them completely go away.
+
+Some applications are still relying on this library, and need to be updated to
+use the SDK 23, without having time/budget/whatever required to switch from
+HTTP Client. While I strongly recommend you to still take time to move to
+something else (there are many high-level libraries, like
+[OkHttp](http://square.github.io/okhttp/) or
+[Ion](https://github.com/koush/ion), or you can use `HttpURLConnection`
+to keep a low-level access), there is a way to use the Apache library
+while using the SDK 23.
+
+<!--more-->
+
+## Current situation
+
+The Android SDK is mainly a JAR of empty stubs, which allows the build system to
+assemble an APK depending on these stubs. But the JAR is not bundled in the
+APK. At runtime, Android will provide actual implementations of all these
+classes and their methods. That's a rough explanation, but we don't have to go
+more in-depth to explain the issue we have with the SDK 23.
+
+In this new SDK, Google simply removed the stubs for the Apache HTTP Client
+library. As a result, any application using it doesn't build anymore. But… an
+old APK still works on devices running on Android M. The explanation is simple:
+the stubs have been removed, but not the matching classes on the device. The
+solution seems obvious: we need to get back those stubs!
+
+## Fixing the problem on a Gradle project
+
+Using the build-tools 23 and the SDK 23 (well, you won't have the issue without
+it anyway), providing stubs for the Apache library is really easy. Simply
+add this command in the `android` section of your `build.gradle`:
+
+*build.gradle*
+
+```groovy
+android {
+  useLibrary 'org.apache.http.legacy'
+}
+```
+
+Rebuild, problem solved.
+
+## Other project types
+
+If you're not using Gradle, the solution is not much more complicated. Google is
+providing a JAR with the stubs you need. That's the one used by Gradle. You can
+find it in your SDK: `platforms/android-23/optional/org.apache.http.legacy.jar`.
+Simply build against this JAR, and you'll be fine.
+
+In both cases, please remember to actually fix this by not using the Apache HTTP
+Client library any more as soon as possible, as it will probably be deleted in a
+future Android release.