ERROR at compiling - execution failed at ':app:preDexDebug'

Question

I cannot really figure out the error... It is at app:preDexDebug - regarding java.exe in jdk installation folder.

:app:compileDebugSources UP-TO-DATE
:app:preDexDebug
UNEXPECTED TOP-LEVEL EXCEPTION:
java.lang.RuntimeException: Exception parsing classes
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.processClass(Main.java:752)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.processFileBytes(Main.java:718)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.access$1200(Main.java:85)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main$FileBytesConsumer.processFileBytes(Main.java:1645)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.ClassPathOpener.processArchive(ClassPathOpener.java:284)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.ClassPathOpener.processOne(ClassPathOpener.java:166)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.ClassPathOpener.process(ClassPathOpener.java:144)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.processOne(Main.java:672)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.processAllFiles(Main.java:574)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.runMonoDex(Main.java:311)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.run(Main.java:277)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.main(Main.java:245)
    at com.android.dx.command.Main.main(Main.java:106)
Caused by: com.android.dx.cf.iface.ParseException: bad class file magic (cafebabe) or version (0034.0000)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.DirectClassFile.parse0(DirectClassFile.java:472)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.DirectClassFile.parse(DirectClassFile.java:406)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.DirectClassFile.parseToInterfacesIfNecessary(DirectClassFile.java:388)
    at com.android.dx.cf.direct.DirectClassFile.getMagic(DirectClassFile.java:251)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.parseClass(Main.java:764)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.access$1500(Main.java:85)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main$ClassParserTask.call(Main.java:1684)
    at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.processClass(Main.java:749)
    ... 12 more
1 error; aborting
Error:Execution failed for task ':app:preDexDebug'.
> com.android.ide.common.process.ProcessException: org.gradle.process.internal.ExecException: Process 'command 'C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_79\bin\java.exe'' finished with non-zero exit value 1
Information:BUILD FAILED
Information:Total time: 12.31 secs
Information:1 error
Information:0 warnings
Information:See complete output in console

Hope you know the answer! :)

Answer 1

You're probably using JDK 1.8 and haven't set sourceCompatibility and targetCompatibility to 1.6 or 1.7 , as Android only supports Java 1.6 (and depending on your ADT version / API level some Java 1.7 features). For more details see this bug report .