Gradle can't compile with java 1.8

Question

i have started having a problem with my project. Whenever I set source and target capability in my build.gradle file to java version 1_8 my project can't compile.

Heres build.gradle code

buildscript {
    repositories {
        jcenter()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:1.5.0'
    }
}
apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

repositories {
    jcenter()
}

android {
    compileSdkVersion 22
    buildToolsVersion "23.0.1"

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "xxxx"
        minSdkVersion 22
        targetSdkVersion 22
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
    }

    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
        targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
}

dependencies {
}

Works fine with java 1.6

here is some stack trace from gradle assembleDebug --stacktrace

An exception has occurred in the compiler (1.8.0_25). Please file a bug at the Java Developer Connection (http://java.sun.com/webapps/bugreport)  after checking the Bug Parade for duplicates. Include your program and the following diagnostic in your report.  Thank you.
com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol$CompletionFailure: class file for java.lang.invoke.MethodType not found
:app:compileDebugJavaWithJavac FAILED

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:compileDebugJavaWithJavac'.
> Compilation failed; see the compiler error output for details.

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

* Exception is:
org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':app:compileDebugJavaWithJavac'.
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:69)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:46)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.execute(PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.java:35)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:64)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:58)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:53)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:43)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:203)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:185)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.AbstractTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(AbstractTaskPlanExecutor.java:66)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.AbstractTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(AbstractTaskPlanExecutor.java:50)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.process(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:25)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:110)
        at org.gradle.execution.SelectedTaskExecutionAction.execute(SelectedTaskExecutionAction.java:37)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:37)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.access$000(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:23)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter$1.proceed(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:43)
        at org.gradle.execution.DryRunBuildExecutionAction.execute(DryRunBuildExecutionAction.java:32)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:37)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:30)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$4.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:154)
        at org.gradle.internal.Factories$1.create(Factories.java:22)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:90)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:52)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuildStages(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:151)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.access$200(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:32)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:99)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:93)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:90)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:62)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuild(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:93)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:82)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter$DefaultBuildController.run(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:94)
        at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ExecuteBuildActionRunner.run(ExecuteBuildActionRunner.java:28)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ChainingBuildActionRunner.run(ChainingBuildActionRunner.java:35)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:43)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:28)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:75)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:45)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.execute(DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.java:51)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.execute(DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.java:28)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.RunBuildAction.run(RunBuildAction.java:43)
        at org.gradle.internal.Actions$RunnableActionAdapter.execute(Actions.java:170)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$ParseAndBuildAction.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:237)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$ParseAndBuildAction.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:210)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.JavaRuntimeValidationAction.execute(JavaRuntimeValidationAction.java:35)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.JavaRuntimeValidationAction.execute(JavaRuntimeValidationAction.java:24)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$WithLogging.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:206)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$WithLogging.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:169)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExceptionReportingAction.execute(ExceptionReportingAction.java:33)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExceptionReportingAction.execute(ExceptionReportingAction.java:22)
        at org.gradle.launcher.Main.doAction(Main.java:33)
        at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.EntryPoint.run(EntryPoint.java:45)
        at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.ProcessBootstrap.runNoExit(ProcessBootstrap.java:54)
        at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.ProcessBootstrap.run(ProcessBootstrap.java:35)
        at org.gradle.launcher.GradleMain.main(GradleMain.java:23)
Caused by: org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.CompilationFailedException: Compilation failed; see the compiler error output for details.
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.JdkJavaCompiler.execute(JdkJavaCompiler.java:47)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.JdkJavaCompiler.execute(JdkJavaCompiler.java:33)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.NormalizingJavaCompiler.delegateAndHandleErrors(NormalizingJavaCompiler.java:103)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.NormalizingJavaCompiler.execute(NormalizingJavaCompiler.java:52)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.NormalizingJavaCompiler.execute(NormalizingJavaCompiler.java:38)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.CleaningJavaCompilerSupport.execute(CleaningJavaCompilerSupport.java:34)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.compile.CleaningJavaCompilerSupport.execute(CleaningJavaCompilerSupport.java:25)
        at org.gradle.api.tasks.compile.JavaCompile.performCompilation(JavaCompile.java:157)
        at org.gradle.api.tasks.compile.JavaCompile.compile(JavaCompile.java:139)
        at org.gradle.api.tasks.compile.JavaCompile.compile(JavaCompile.java:93)
        at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:75)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$IncrementalTaskAction.doExecute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:244)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:220)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$IncrementalTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:231)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:209)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:80)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:61)
        ... 57 more


BUILD FAILED

Seems like some problem with a compiler, can't figure out what to do.

My bash profile if there is something to do with it

export GRADLE_HOME=/Users/xxx/Library/gradle-2.8/bin
export ANDROID_HOME=/Users/xxx/Library/Android/sdk
export ANDROID_NDK=/Users/xxx/Library/android-ndk
export JAVA_HOME=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_25.jdk/Contents/Home
export PATH=${PATH}:$ANDROID_HOME/tools:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools:$GRADLE_HOME:$JAVA_HOME:$ANDROID_NDK

I have tried different gradle versions - 2.11 , 2.12 , 2.8.

Im working on IntelliJ15. Tried setting project path in module settings, also tried setting language level to lambdas. Nothing seem to work.

Douche

Possible duplicate of Is it possible to use Java 8 for Android development? – Tetrahedral

Hmm, I have read that question and answers. I know that java 1.8 works with Lolipop, if you take a closer look into my gradle file, I'm building a lolipop app. I even have several projects with java 1.8. Yet my question is why it doesn't work on this project. – Douche

Java 8 won't be available until N. And you need to do very special things to enable it. developer.android.com/preview/j8-jack.html – Tetrahedral

@ErikasBulevičius Yes, you can use 1.8 JDK to compile Android apps; no, you have to use JavaVersion.VERSION_1_7 or JavaVersion.VERSION_1_6 in compileOptions block. – Machute

Answer 1

Android is introducing java 8 only with Android N.

To work with java 8 you need:

• Android Studio 2.1 (Preview)
• enable the jack compiler

Somenthing like:

android {
  ...
  defaultConfig {
    ...
    jackOptions {
      enabled true
    }
  }
  compileOptions {
    sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
    targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
  }
}

More info here.

Okubo

I still get a compilation error: com.android.jack.api.v01.CompilationException: Failed to compile at com.android.jack.api.v01.impl.Api01ConfigImpl$Api01CompilationTaskImpl.run( – Arbor