How can I use the `--multi-dex` option?

Question

[2013-11-13 18:39:09 - XlApp] Dx 
trouble writing output: Too many method references: 66024; max is 65536.
You may try using --multi-dex option.
References by package:
    13 java.lang
     1 java.lang.reflect
     5 java.util
     1 javax.xml.namespace
    66 org.apache.xmlbeans
    19 org.apache.xmlbeans.impl.values
     1 org.apache.xmlbeans.impl.xb.xmlschema
  2500 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.chart
  1430 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.chart.impl
  8767 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main
  5258 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.impl
    86 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.picture
    33 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.picture.impl
   745 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.spreadsheetDrawing
   417 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.spreadsheetDrawing.impl
   230 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.wordprocessingDrawing
   164 org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.wordprocessingDrawing.impl
   298 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.customProperties
   256 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.customProperties.impl
   617 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.docPropsVTypes
   596 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.docPropsVTypes.impl
   285 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.extendedProperties
   196 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.extendedProperties.impl
    23 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.math
    24 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.relationships
     2 org.openxmlformats.schemas.officeDocument.x2006.relationships.impl
  2076 org.openxmlformats.schemas.presentationml.x2006.main
  1224 org.openxmlformats.schemas.presentationml.x2006.main.impl
     1 org.openxmlformats.schemas.schemaLibrary.x2006.main
  7271 org.openxmlformats.schemas.spreadsheetml.x2006.main
  4556 org.openxmlformats.schemas.spreadsheetml.x2006.main.impl
 11448 org.openxmlformats.schemas.wordprocessingml.x2006.main
  9217 org.openxmlformats.schemas.wordprocessingml.x2006.main.impl
     4 schemaorg_apache_xmlbeans.system.sE130CAA0A01A7CDE5A2B4FEB8B311707
  1170 schemasMicrosoftComOfficeExcel
  1223 schemasMicrosoftComOfficeExcel.impl
   285 schemasMicrosoftComOfficeOffice
   124 schemasMicrosoftComOfficeOffice.impl
     2 schemasMicrosoftComOfficePowerpoint
     3 schemasMicrosoftComOfficeWord
  2858 schemasMicrosoftComVml
  2529 schemasMicrosoftComVml.impl
[2013-11-13 18:39:09 - XlApp] Conversion to Dalvik format failed with error 2

I am getting this error when I included 5 external .jar files in my android project. I have no idea what to do. Please help me out anyone!!!

I thought of doing what is suggested in this You may try using --multi-dex option

But I could not find method of using this option anywhere.

Metamorphose

My question is a little bit different. What I am asking is how to use --multi-dex option – Metamorphose

If you're using Gradle, this should get you going. – Curable

For ANT, see #27903559 – Overgrowth

Answer 1

If you are using Gradle/Android Studio, you can add this to your gradle configuration:

android {
....
   dexOptions {
    preDexLibraries = false
   }
}

afterEvaluate {
    tasks.matching {
        it.name.startsWith('dex')
    }.each { dx ->
        if (dx.additionalParameters == null) {
            dx.additionalParameters = []
        }
        dx.additionalParameters += '--multi-dex'

        // this is optional
        // dx.additionalParameters += "--main-dex-list=$projectDir/multidex.keep".toString()
    }
}

Then you need to add the multidex support library jar, located in sdk/extras/android/support/multidex/library/libs. And install it either by extending your application from MultiDexApplication, or calling Multidex.install() from your application's attachBaseContext method.

For more details look at this blogpost: http://blog.osom.info/2014/10/multi-dex-to-rescue-from-infamous-65536.html

UPDATE:

Here https://developer.android.com/tools/building/multidex.html you can find the official way to use multidex with Gradle.

Basically you need to change your gradle file like this:

android {
   compileSdkVersion 21
   buildToolsVersion "21.1.0"

   defaultConfig {
       ...
       minSdkVersion 14
       targetSdkVersion 21
       ...

       // Enabling multidex support.
       multiDexEnabled true
   }
   ...
}

dependencies {
  compile 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.0'
}

And set your Application class to android.support.multidex.MultiDexApplication or if you already have an Application class you can override the attachBaseContext() method and call MultiDex.install(this) to enable multidex.

Highroad

For ANT, see #27903559 – Overgrowth

Answer 2

Update: You can now find detailed instructions how to configure multi dex at the following page: https://developer.android.com/tools/building/multidex.html

Simple answer is that the currently the Android Studio tools do not allow you to specify the options for generating multiple dex files (--multi-dex). So you would need to script your build process by hand ... a real pain.

There are a couple of Android bugs which look relevant: 63936 and 20814

Succory

Answer 3

From the javadoc documentation:

usage:
  dx --dex [--debug] [--verbose] [--positions=<style>] [--no-locals]
    [--no-optimize] [--statistics] [--[no-]optimize-list=<file>] [--no-strict]
    [--keep-classes] [--output=<file>] [--dump-to=<file>] [--dump-width=<n>]
    [--dump-method=<name>[*]] [--verbose-dump] [--no-files] [--core-library]
    [--num-threads=<n>] [--incremental] [--force-jumbo]
    [--multi-dex [--main-dex-list=<file> [--minimal-main-dex]]
    [<file>.class | <file>.{zip,jar,apk} | <directory>] ...
     Convert a set of classfiles into a dex file, optionally embedded in a
     jar/zip. Output name must end with one of: .dex .jar .zip .apk or be a directory.
     Positions options: none, important, lines.\n
    --multi-dex: allows to generate several dex files if needed. This option is
      exclusive with --incremental, causes --num-threads to be ignored and only
      supports folder or archive output.
    --main-dex-list=<file>: <file> is a list of class file names, classes defined by
      those class files are put in classes.dex.
    --minimal-main-dex: only classes selected by --main-dex-list are to be put in
      the main dex.

dx is a tool that used on dexing as part of android build process. In the build.xml (located at sdk.dir/tools/ant/buildxml) which used for default android build, it is used as part of target name="-dex", declared within macro dex-helper. It have outdated Anttask which still doesn't support --multi-dex.

From the dexer source code, --main-dex-list options receive file input which have all class file that you wanted to be in main dex, separated with new line. Like this:

bin/classes/com/example/MainActivity.class

Every other classes not declared in this list will go to secondary dex.

Or you can use the old way before --multi-dex introduced: http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/07/custom-class-loading-in-dalvik.html

Titmouse

Answer 4

Right now, I edit

.../sdk/build-tools/19.0.3/dx

replacing the last line:

exec java $javaOpts -jar "$jarpath" --multi-dex "$@"

It's a hack. It's not maintainable. Probably your CI administrator will hate you...

BUT IT'S WORKING!

Southworth

I got the error: --multi-dex supports only archive or directory output I had to change the output file from 'classes.dex' to 'classes.zip'. I wonder if the apkbuilder can use the zip file... – Jung

Hi @VinceStyling. I think this is too old to be good. There is official multi-dex support now. Check this out developer.android.com/tools/building/multidex.html Cheers – Southworth

to be honest, I did this, eventually, I found we can't be a part on IDEA's packaging, it's too sad. – Waikiki

Answer 5

As you know you have to modify build.xml a little bit which is located in tools if using ant build. you change output property from an archive to a directory (i.e $project/bin) and dx step will be done successfully. It may be so, but ant-tasks.jar and sdklib.jar are required to modify to complete 'apkbuilder' step.

• ApkBuilder, ApkBuilderTask classes

Riccio

Answer 6

If anyone stumbles here after all this time, you can check the libraries you are adding. Generally this error:
trouble writing output: Too many method references: 66024; max is 65536. comes when you add a lot of libraries. One example that I have seen too many times is when you want to add a particular google-play service like google-play-analytics, you add whole google-play library. Try adding specific library. This will solve your problem.

Metamorphose