I want to programmatically pick a version from a Version Catalog from within the `plugins` block, bu...

# gradle

[darkmoon_uk]

I want to programmatically pick a version from a Version Catalog from within the plugins block, but it seems like Gradles API is juuuust about designed to make this impossible!? Is there some way that I'm missing?

• A function to choose a string key for the version can be made available from buildSrc ✅
• The type-unsafe accessors needed to select a version by key, cannot be accessed from within plugins {} because a handle on project is not available. :
• libs can be accessed through (apparently) some Gradle 'black magic' but, libs does not re-expose the type-unsafe accessor either from the generated LibrariesForLibs type or its AbstractExternalDependencyFactory supertype.

[Vampire]

The plugins block is very restrictive on what you can do: https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/userguide_single.html#sec:constrained_syntax
So even if you would be able to access the stringy API, you would probably not be allowed to call it.
If you really need such logic, write a custom plugin that has the logic and applies the respective plugin, then apply that plugin in your build script.