How to resolve android compile error 'cant find symbol' from react-native-code-push

Question

not sure what the issue is here. the build had no issues when building/distributing on Microsoft appcenter. the only thing I remember doing relating to code-push after it successfully built was adding different deployment keys to build.gradle:

buildTypes {
        debug {
            signingConfig signingConfigs.debug
            // Note: CodePush updates should not be tested in Debug mode as they are overriden by the RN packager. However, because CodePush checks for updates in all modes, we must supply a key.
            // specifically left blank in appcenter docs
            resValue "string", "CodePushDeploymentKey", '""'
        }
        releaseStaging {
            resValue "string", "CodePushDeploymentKey",  '"<key>"'

            // Note: It is a good idea to provide matchingFallbacks for the new buildType you create to prevent build issues
            // Add the following line if not already there
            matchingFallbacks = ['release']
        }
        release {
            // Caution! In production, you need to generate your own keystore file.
            // see https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/signed-apk-android.
            // signingConfig signingConfigs.release
            minifyEnabled enableProguardInReleaseBuilds
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile("proguard-android.txt"), "proguard-rules.pro"
            resValue "string", "CodePushDeploymentKey", '"<key>"'
        }
    }

now when I try to build from within android studio, I get this error:

> Task :react-native-code-push:javaPreCompileDebug UP-TO-DATE

> Task :react-native-code-push:compileDebugJavaWithJavac FAILED
/Users/vorousjames/Desktop/Development/Slide/Slide/node_modules/react-native-code-push/android/app/src/main/java/com/microsoft/codepush/react/CodePush.java:157: error: cannot find symbol
                isLiveReloadEnabled = devInternalSettings.isReloadOnJSChangeEnabled();
                                                         ^
  symbol:   method isReloadOnJSChangeEnabled()
  location: variable devInternalSettings of type DevInternalSettings
/Users/vorousjames/Desktop/Development/Slide/Slide/node_modules/react-native-code-push/android/app/src/main/java/com/microsoft/codepush/react/CodePushNativeModule.java:175: warning: [unchecked] unchecked cast
        List<ReactRootView> mAttachedRootViews = (List<ReactRootView>)mAttachedRootViewsField.get(instanceManager);
                                                                                                 ^
  required: List<ReactRootView>
  found:    Object
1 error
1 warning

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':react-native-code-push:compileDebugJavaWithJavac'.
> Compilation failed; see the compiler error output for details.

What is causing this & How to fix this issue?

Answer 1

1. Keep the import in MainApplication.java

   import com.microsoft.codepush.react.CodePush;

2. Keep the override getJSBundleFile method.

3. Remove buildConfigFields and update to this format

   resValue "string",

"reactNativeCodePush_androidDeploymentKey", '"<INSERT_PRODUCTION_KEY>"'

4. Remove the key from strings.xml if it's been added there.

Follow the commits for all the details here