Generating git version string through resValue.

app/build.gradle

@@ -4,38 +4,6 @@ plugins {
 
 apply plugin: "androidx.navigation.safeargs"
 
-//
-//	Creates version.xml	
-//
-task createVersionXML {
-	doLast {
-        def versionP = 'git describe --tags --long --dirty=-x --always --abbrev=8'
-						.execute()
-		versionP.waitFor()
-        def version = versionP.text.trim()
-		if ( versionP.exitValue() )
-			throw new GradleException("Couldn't extract version. Git exited unexpectedly.")
-
-        def githashP = 'git rev-parse HEAD'.execute()
-		githashP.waitFor()
-        def githash = githashP.text.trim()
-		if ( githashP.exitValue() )
-			throw new GradleException("Couldn't extract git_hash. Git exited unexpectedly.")
-		
-		def builddate = new Date()
-	    def versionFile = new FileWriter("app/src/main/res/values/version.xml")
-		versionFile.println( '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>' )
-		versionFile.println( '<resources>' )
-		versionFile.println( '<string name="git_version">' << version << '</string>' )
-		versionFile.println( '<string name="git_hash">' << githash << '</string>' )
-		versionFile.println( '<string name="build_date">' << builddate << '</string>' )
-		versionFile.println( '<string name="version_code">0x00020001</string>' )
-		versionFile.println( '</resources>' )
-		versionFile.close()
-	}
-}
-preBuild.dependsOn createVersionXML
-
 //
 //	Convert SVG images from art directory into PNG files.
 //
@@ -51,7 +19,34 @@ preBuild.dependsOn createVersionXML
 //}
 //preBuild.dependsOn generateDrawablesFromArt
 
+String gitVersion() {
+    def versionP = 'git describe --tags --long --dirty=-x --always --abbrev=8'
+            .execute()
+    versionP.waitFor()
+    if (versionP.exitValue())
+        throw new GradleException("Couldn't extract version. Git exited unexpectedly.")
+    return versionP.text.trim()
+}
+
+String gitHash() {
+    def githashP = 'git rev-parse HEAD'.execute()
+    githashP.waitFor()
+    if (githashP.exitValue())
+        throw new GradleException("Couldn't extract git_hash. Git exited unexpectedly.")
+    return githashP.text.trim()
+}
+
+String buildDate() {
+    def builddate = new Date()
+    return builddate.toString()
+}
+
 android {
+    signingConfigs {
+        release {
+            storeFile file('/Users/vahagnk/devel/banvor/keys/signing_key')
+        }
+    }
     compileSdk 31
 
     defaultConfig {
@@ -63,6 +58,10 @@ android {
 
         testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
         resValue "bool", "debug_visible", "false"
+        resValue "string", "git_version", gitVersion()
+        resValue "string", "git_hash", gitHash()
+        resValue "string", "build_date", buildDate()
+        //	resValue "string", "version_code", "0x00020001"
     }
     buildTypes {
         release {