android build.dolast,android - gradle copy as doLast not working - Stack Overflow

I am trying to do a very simple thing. As gradle removes all files in the build dir when cleaning I want to move the apks somewhere else when creating release versions. So I added a copy task into the chain and I set it to be the last. Anything I tried did't work. So I simplified it and added some logging to make a point. I think it just doesn't work.

Using two variables, I can check that at task definition time and execution time the input and output paths are valid. I can also check that the task is executed. I put some more files in the input directory to make sure there is also something there in any case. This is the script:

def buildPath

def outPath

task copyApks(type: Copy) {

buildPath = "$buildDir\\outputs\\apk"

outPath ="$buildDir\\outputs\\apk2"

logger.error("Source Folder is $buildPath")

logger.error("Destination Folder is $outPath")

from buildPath

into outPath

}

assembleRelease.doLast {

android.applicationVariants.all { variant ->

println "Variant $variant.name"

logger.error("Source Folder is $buildPath")

logger.error("Destination Folder is $outPath")

copyApks

}

}

And this is the output, where one can see that the paths are correct (they exist and are valid) both at definition and execution time. Also one can see that the task is executed:

What is wrong?

Executing external task 'assembleRelease'...

Parallel execution with configuration on demand is an incubating feature.

Source Folder is C:\Users\Administrator\Projects\Gradle\MB6\app\build\outputs\apk

Destination Folder is C:\Users\Administrator\Projects\Gradle\MB6\app\build\outputs\apk2

................

some other gradle logs

................

:app:assembleRelease

Variant debug

Source Folder is C:\Users\Administrator\Projects\Gradle\MB6\app\build\outputs\apk

Destination Folder is C:\Users\Administrator\Projects\Gradle\MB6\app\build\outputs\apk2

Variant release

Source Folder is C:\Users\Administrator\Projects\Gradle\MB6\app\build\outputs\apk

Destination Folder is C:\Users\Administrator\Projects\Gradle\MB6\app\build\outputs\apk2

BUILD SUCCESSFUL