How to configure Gradle updates to use strict versions?

[Sarah-Gallitz]

I would like to configure gradle to use strict versions.

Currently, I specify

"androidx.browser:browser:1.0.0!!"

renovate updates it to

"androidx.browser:browser:1.3.0"

but I would like renovate to use

"androidx.browser:browser:1.3.0!!"

I read the docs for renovates gradle versioning, and it says rangeStrategy: pin is supported, so I enabled that, but it didn't seem to make any difference to the gradle updates (other package managers started pinning things though, so the setting did take effect).

https://docs.renovatebot.com/modules/versioning/#gradle-versioning

Anyone know if this is possible?

[viceice]

I think this is currently not supported. I've never seen those strict versions, do you have any reference for that?

[Sarah-Gallitz]

Sure do! It is the shorthand syntax for strict versioning.

Gradles definition of strict versions:

strictly
Any version not matched by this version notation will be excluded. This is the strongest version declaration. On a declared dependency, a strictly can downgrade a version. When on a transitive dependency, it will cause dependency resolution to fail if no version acceptable by this clause can be selected. See overriding dependency version for details. This term supports dynamic versions.
When defined, overrides previous require declaration and clears previous reject.

https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/rich_versions.html

Reference for the shorthand syntax:

dependencies {
    // short-hand notation with !!
    implementation("org.slf4j:slf4j-api:1.7.15!!")
    // is equivalent to
    implementation("org.slf4j:slf4j-api") {
        version {
           strictly("1.7.15")
        }
    }
}

https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/single_versions.html#simple_version_declaration_semantics

[viceice]

In this case please open a new feature request issue for adding support. you can reference this discussion there.

It would also be very helpful for an implementer to have a simple reproduction repo to test against.