How do I create custom project templates to Android Studio 3.6 or above?

Question

I was trying to create project templates to optimize my time, I found many answers about it but don't work on newest versions of Android Studio. I tried to copy an existing project template and worked but only if I use the same name of the main project template.

What I need is only create a new project template and show in the wizard screen like in this picture:

Wizard screen

I created a copy of BasicActivity folder that I found at this path {AndroidStudio Program Files folder}\plugins\android\lib\templates\activities and changed template.xml file of my copied template, changing the name of template and category value.

But after restart the Android Studio, my new project wasn't showed, what I need to do to show new project templates?

I was reading the source code of android plugin in IntelliJ repository and my template is at the correct format to show on the wizard.

My example: template.xml

<template
        revision="1"
        name="My template"
        minApi="9"
        minBuildApi="14"
        description="Example template">

    <parameter
        id="className"
        name="Feature name"
        type="string"
        constraints="class|nonempty|unique"
        default="ExampleFeature"
        help="Feature name (omit 'fragment' suffix)" />

    <category value="Activity"/>

    <!-- 128x128 thumbnails relative to template.xml -->
    <thumbs>
        <!-- default thumbnail is required -->
        <thumb>template_basic_activity.png</thumb>
    </thumbs>

    <globals file="globals.xml.ftl"/>
    <execute file="recipe.xml.ftl"/>

</template>

globals.xml.ftl

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<globals>
 <global id="resOut" value="${resDir}" />
 <global id="srcOut" value="${srcDir}/${slashedPackageName(packageName)}" />
</globals>

recipe.xml.ftl

<!--?xml version="1.0"?-->
<recipe>
 <instantiate from="root/res/layout/fragment_demo.xml.ftl" to="${escapeXmlAttribute(resOut)}/layout/fragment_${classToResource(className)}.xml"></instantiate>
 <open file="${escapeXmlAttribute(resOut)}/layout/fragment_${classToResource(className)}.xml"></open>

 <instantiate from="root/src/app_package/DemoView.java.ftl" to="${escapeXmlAttribute(srcOut)}/${className}View.java"></instantiate>
 <open file="${escapeXmlAttribute(srcOut)}/${className}View.java"></open>

 <instantiate from="root/src/app_package/DemoPresenter.java.ftl" to="${escapeXmlAttribute(srcOut)}/${className}Presenter.java"></instantiate>
 <open file="${escapeXmlAttribute(srcOut)}/${className}Presenter.java"></open>

 <instantiate from="root/src/app_package/DemoFragment.java.ftl" to="${escapeXmlAttribute(srcOut)}/${className}Fragment.java"></instantiate>
 <open file="${escapeXmlAttribute(srcOut)}/${className}Fragment.java"></open>
</recipe>

Analyzing the IntelliJ android plugin, I found this point that can be where the IDE searches user templates directory, I have put a copy of my template at this place too and don't worked.

  private static List<File> getUserDefinedTemplateRootFolders() {
    List<File> folders = new ArrayList<>();

    String homeFolder = AndroidLocation.getFolderWithoutWrites();
    if (homeFolder != null) {
      // Look in $userhome/.android/templates
      File templatesFolder = new File(homeFolder, FD_TEMPLATES);
      if (templatesFolder.isDirectory()) {
        Collections.addAll(folders, templatesFolder);
      }
    }
    return folders;
  }

And at this point:

@GuardedBy("CATEGORY_TABLE_LOCK")
  private void addTemplateToTable(@NotNull File newTemplate, boolean userDefinedTemplate) {
    TemplateMetadata newMetadata = getTemplateMetadata(newTemplate, userDefinedTemplate);
    if (newMetadata != null) {
      String title = newMetadata.getTitle();
      if (title == null || (newMetadata.getCategory() == null &&
                            myCategoryTable.columnKeySet().contains(title) &&
                            myCategoryTable.get(CATEGORY_OTHER, title) == null)) {
        // If this template is uncategorized, and we already have a template of this name that has a category,
        // that is NOT "Other," then ignore this new template since it's undoubtedly older.
        return;
      }
      String category = newMetadata.getCategory() != null ? newMetadata.getCategory() : CATEGORY_OTHER;
      File existingTemplate = myCategoryTable.get(category, title);
      if (existingTemplate == null || compareTemplates(existingTemplate, newTemplate) > 0) {
        myCategoryTable.put(category, title, newTemplate);
      }
    }
  }

Answer 1

That's correct. In Android Studio 3.6 and 4.0 beta5 it is not possible to add new activity templates to "Mobile" form-factor in New Project Wizard, because the list of template titles is hard-coded in the source code. But it is possible to add templates to the other form-factors.

Note that even for mobile form-factor, the new activity template can be used after the project has been created (File > New > Activity > "New Template Title here")

Starting from Android Studio 4.0 the Template API will (hopefully) be opened in the form of extension point (see https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/154531807)

In the IntelliJ IDEA it is possible to create a template from existing project.

UPD: Templates provider API is now available in Android Studio 4.1. EP name is com.android.tools.idea.wizard.template.wizardTemplateProvider (https://android.googlesource.com/platform/tools/base/+/refs/heads/studio-master-dev/wizard/template-plugin/src/com/android/tools/idea/wizard/template/WizardTemplateProvider.kt)