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When we include a dependency in our Gradle project, we usually specify the group, artifact, and version number of the dependency. However, there may be cases where we need to include a specific variant of the artifact, which is where the classifier comes in.

A classifier is an additional descriptor that can be used to identify a more specific version of an artifact. It is usually used when an artifact has multiple versions that are intended for different use cases. For example, if we have a library that supports both the Android and the iOS platforms, it may have two versions with different classifiers, such as android and ios.

The syntax for including a dependency with a classifier in Gradle is as follows:

dependencies {
    // standard dependency without classifier
    implementation 'com.example:library:1.0.0'

    // dependency with a classifier
    implementation 'com.example:library:1.0.0:android'
}

In this example, the first dependency is a standard dependency without a classifier. The second dependency includes the android classifier, indicating that it is a specific version of the library intended for use with the Android platform.

In summary, including a dependency with a classifier allows us to specify a more specific version of the artifact that is tailored for a specific use case.