Building Cordova Android project results in "com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Unable to merge dex" error

Question

I have literally no clue what's going on... I don't even know where to begin to look...

Cordova is version 8.1.2 Gradle is version 4.10.2 Android Studio version info is as follows: Version 3.2 Build #AI-181.5540.7.32.5014246, built on September 17, 2018 JRE: 1.8.0_152-release-1136-b06 x86_64 JVM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM by JetBrains s.r.o macOS 10.14

So everything is as up-to-date as I can make it, as far as I know.

I have removed and rebuilt the Android platform:

cordova platform rm android
cordova platform add android
cordova build android

Here's the entire text of everything that appears after I type "cordova build android":

Android Studio project detected
ANDROID_HOME=/Users/<myUserName>/Library/Android/sdk
JAVA_HOME=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_181.jdk/Contents/Home
studio

BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 0s
1 actionable task: 1 executed
Subproject Path: CordovaLib
Subproject Path: app
publishNonDefault is deprecated and has no effect anymore. All variants are now published.
Configuration 'compile' in project ':app' is deprecated. Use 'implementation' instead.
The Task.leftShift(Closure) method has been deprecated and is scheduled to be removed in Gradle 5.0. Please use Task.doLast(Action) instead.
        at build_9hmaa6fgshe34pexshtv71mb2.run(/Users/lmacneill/PhoneGap Projects/qConnection/platforms/android/app/build.gradle:144)
:CordovaLib:preBuild UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:preDebugBuild UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:compileDebugAidl
:CordovaLib:compileDebugRenderscript
:CordovaLib:checkDebugManifest
:CordovaLib:generateDebugBuildConfig
:CordovaLib:prepareLintJar
:CordovaLib:generateDebugResValues
:CordovaLib:generateDebugResources
:CordovaLib:packageDebugResources
:CordovaLib:platformAttrExtractor
:CordovaLib:processDebugManifest
:CordovaLib:javaPreCompileDebug
:CordovaLib:processDebugJavaRes NO-SOURCE
:app:preBuild UP-TO-DATE
:app:preDebugBuild
:app:compileDebugAidl
:CordovaLib:packageDebugRenderscript NO-SOURCE
:app:compileDebugRenderscript
:app:checkDebugManifest
:CordovaLib:processDebugResources
:CordovaLib:generateDebugSources
:CordovaLib:compileDebugJavaWithJavacNote: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.

:CordovaLib:transformClassesAndResourcesWithPrepareIntermediateJarsForDebug
:app:generateDebugBuildConfig
:app:prepareLintJar
:app:generateDebugResValues
:app:generateDebugResources
:app:mergeDebugResources
:app:createDebugCompatibleScreenManifests
:app:processDebugManifest
:app:splitsDiscoveryTaskDebug
:app:processDebugResources
:app:generateDebugSources
:app:javaPreCompileDebug
:app:compileDebugJavaWithJavacNote: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: /Users/lmacneill/PhoneGap Projects/qConnection/platforms/android/app/src/main/java/org/apache/cordova/file/AssetFilesystem.java uses unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.

:app:compileDebugNdk NO-SOURCE
:app:compileDebugSources
:CordovaLib:mergeDebugShaders
:CordovaLib:compileDebugShaders
:CordovaLib:generateDebugAssets
:CordovaLib:mergeDebugAssets
:app:mergeDebugShaders
:app:compileDebugShaders
:app:generateDebugAssets
:app:mergeDebugAssets
:app:transformClassesWithStackFramesFixerForDebug
:app:transformClassesWithDesugarForDebug
:app:transformClassesWithDexBuilderForDebug
:app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug FAILED

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug'.
> java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.RuntimeException: com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Unable to merge dex

* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

* Get more help at https://help.gradle.org

BUILD FAILED in 20s
37 actionable tasks: 37 executed
/Users/lmacneill/PhoneGap Projects/qConnection/platforms/android/gradlew: Command failed with exit code 1 Error output:
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: /Users/lmacneill/PhoneGap Projects/qConnection/platforms/android/app/src/main/java/org/apache/cordova/file/AssetFilesystem.java uses unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug'.
> java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.RuntimeException: com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Unable to merge dex

* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

* Get more help at https://help.gradle.org

BUILD FAILED in 20s

On the 6th line is says "Build Successful"? But then it fails later... No clue why? I mean, if it's successful, why doesn't it stop there?

Nearer the bottom -- the "AssetFileSystem uses unchecked or unsafe operations" thing is supposedly just a warning and shouldn't cause the build to fail, but I'm not sure that's true, because it happens right before the build failure...

But, like I said before, I have literally NO CLUE where to begin to look for where that's coming from. I just don't know enough about Android to know where to go...

Here is my config.xml file:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<widget id="com.example.myapp" version="1.2.8" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/ns/widgets" xmlns:cdv="http://cordova.apache.org/ns/1.0">
    <name>myApp Name</name>
    <description>myApp Description</description>
    <author email="my@email" href="http://example.com/myAppLink">My Name</author>
    <content src="index.html" />
    <access origin="*" />
    <allow-intent href="http://*/*" />
    <allow-intent href="https://*/*" />
    <allow-intent href="tel:*" />
    <allow-intent href="sms:*" />
    <allow-intent href="mailto:*" />
    <allow-intent href="geo:*" />
    <platform name="android">
        <allow-intent href="market:*" />
        <icon density="ldpi" src="www/res/icon/android/drawable-ldpi-icon.png" />
        <icon density="mdpi" src="www/res/icon/android/drawable-mdpi-icon.png" />
        <icon density="hdpi" src="www/res/icon/android/drawable-hdpi-icon.png" />
        <icon density="xhdpi" src="www/res/icon/android/drawable-xhdpi-icon.png" />
        <icon density="xxhdpi" src="www/res/icon/android/drawable-xxhdpi-icon.png" />
        <icon density="xxxhdpi" src="www/res/icon/android/drawable-xxxhdpi-icon.png" />
        <splash density="land-ldpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-land-ldpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="land-mdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-land-mdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="land-hdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-land-hdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="land-xhdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-land-xhdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="land-xxhdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-land-xxhdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="land-xxxhdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-land-xxxhdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="port-ldpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-port-ldpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="port-mdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-port-mdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="port-hdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-port-hdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="port-xhdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-port-xhdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="port-xxhdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-port-xxhdpi-screen.png" />
        <splash density="port-xxxhdpi" src="www/res/screen/android/drawable-port-xxxhdpi-screen.png" />
    </platform>
    <platform name="ios">
        <allow-intent href="itms:*" />
        <allow-intent href="itms-apps:*" />
        <icon height="57" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon.png" width="57" />
        <icon height="114" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon@2x.png" width="114" />
        <icon height="40" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-40.png" width="40" />
        <icon height="80" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-40@2x.png" width="80" />
        <icon height="50" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-50.png" width="50" />
        <icon height="100" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-50@2x.png" width="100" />
        <icon height="60" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-60.png" width="60" />
        <icon height="120" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-60@2x.png" width="120" />
        <icon height="180" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-60@3x.png" width="180" />
        <icon height="72" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-72.png" width="72" />
        <icon height="144" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-72@2x.png" width="144" />
        <icon height="76" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-76.png" width="76" />
        <icon height="152" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-76@2x.png" width="152" />
        <icon height="29" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-small.png" width="29" />
        <icon height="58" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-small@2x.png" width="58" />
        <icon height="87" platform="ios" src="www/res/icon/ios/icon-small@3x.png" width="87" />
        <splash height="1136" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-568h@2x~iphone.png" width="640" />
        <splash height="1334" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-667h.png" width="750" />
        <splash height="2208" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-736h.png" width="1242" />
        <splash height="1242" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-Landscape-736h.png" width="2208" />
        <splash height="1536" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-Landscape@2x~ipad.png" width="2048" />
        <splash height="768" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-Landscape~ipad.png" width="1024" />
        <splash height="2048" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-Portrait@2x~ipad.png" width="1536" />
        <splash height="1024" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default-Portrait~ipad.png" width="768" />
        <splash height="960" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default@2x~iphone.png" width="640" />
        <splash height="480" platform="ios" src="www/res/screen/ios/Default~iphone.png" width="320" />
    </platform>
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-file" spec="^6.0.1" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-media" spec="^5.0.2" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-camera" spec="^4.0.3">
        <variable name="CAMERA_USAGE_DESCRIPTION" value="App uses Camera." />
        <variable name="PHOTOLIBRARY_USAGE_DESCRIPTION" value="App does not use Photo Library." />
    </plugin>
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-device" spec="^2.0.2" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-dialogs" spec="^2.0.1" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-inappbrowser" spec="^3.0.0" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-network-information" spec="^2.0.1" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-splashscreen" spec="^5.0.2" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-whitelist" spec="^1.3.3" />
    <plugin name="cordova-plugin-statusbar" spec="^2.4.2" />
    <plugin name="mobi.pdf417.Pdf417Scanner" spec="./pdf417-phonegap/Pdf417" />
    <engine name="android" spec="^7.1.1" />
    <engine name="ios" spec="^4.5.5" />
</widget>

Any help at all will be greatly appreciated. I will happily provide any more information you might need.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 08 '18 at 20:10

The error com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Unable to merge dex often arises because an app contains sufficient native Android libraries and plugins that it exceeds the 65,536 method limit for a single DEX file (see multidex in Android). You have a few Cordova plugins in your project, so this may be enough to tip it over the limit.

The solution is to enable multidex in your project to enable multiple DEX files to overcome this limit, as described here. The easiest way to do this in a Cordova project is to add a plugin such as cordova-multidex which will add the necessary config to the Gradle and manifest files in the native Android project.

I also had to install the 'cordova-android-support-gradle-release' plugin to make everything work. After installing the 'cordova-multidex' plugin, I got a ':app:transformClassesWithMultidexlistForDebug FAILED' error. After some research, I found the 'cordova-android-support-gradle-release' plugin and tried it. I can now build successfully. Thanks! — Laurence MacNeill, Oct 10 '18 at 19:50

Building Cordova Android project results in "com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerException: Unable to merge dex" error

1 Answers1