How does the merging and processing of multiple AndroidManifest.xml files occur in a project consisting of multiple modules?

In Android projects with multiple modules, each module can contain its own AndroidManifest.xml file. During the build process, all these manifests are merged into a single final manifest.

Key points of merging:

• Main manifest — usually from the application module (app) and considered the primary.
• Library manifests — library modules provide their own manifests, which are merged into the main one.
• Merging rules — if the same elements (e.g., permissions, activities) exist in different manifests, they are combined or overridden according to priorities.
• Gradle tools — use the Manifest Merger, which automatically combines manifests, handles conflicts, and allows resolution through special attributes (tools:replace, tools:remove, etc.).

Example: if a library declares an activity, it will be added to the final application manifest. If both the app and the library declare the same permission, it will be added only once.

Thus, the final AndroidManifest.xml is the result of merging all manifests considering rules and priorities, enabling modular application development.