codename one android build fails

Question

The build of my app fails since yesterday. The app runs fine on the simulator. I tried building with and without android.buildToolsVersion=27.

The same build error shows up:

Done with all dex archive conversions :transformClassesWithDexBuilderForDebug (Thread[Task worker for ':',5,main]) completed. Took 21.086 secs. :transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug (Thread[Task worker for ':',5,main]) started. :transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug Task ':transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug' is not up-to-date because: No history is available. All input files are considered out-of-date for incremental task ':transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug'. :transformDexArchiveWithExternalLibsDexMergerForDebug (Thread[Task worker for ':',5,main]) completed. Took 1.902 secs. :transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug (Thread[Task worker for ':',5,main]) started. :transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug Task ':transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug' is not up-to-date because: No history is available. All input files are considered out-of-date for incremental task ':transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug'. Dex: The number of method references in a .dex file cannot exceed 64K. Learn how to resolve this issue at https://developer.android.com/tools/building/multidex.html UNEXPECTED TOP-LEVEL EXCEPTION: com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536

com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger$8.updateIndex(DexMerger.java:565)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger$IdMerger.mergeSorted(DexMerger.java:276)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.mergeMethodIds(DexMerger.java:574)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.mergeDexes(DexMerger.java:166)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.merge(DexMerger.java:198)
    at com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerCallable.call(DexArchiveMergerCallable.java:61)
    at com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerCallable.call(DexArchiveMergerCallable.java:36)
    at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask$AdaptedCallable.exec(ForkJoinTask.java:1424)
    at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask.doExec(ForkJoinTask.java:289)
    at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinPool$WorkQueue.runTask(ForkJoinPool.java:1056)
    at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinPool.runWorker(ForkJoinPool.java:1689)
    at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinWorkerThread.run(ForkJoinWorkerThread.java:157)
:transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug FAILED
:transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug (Thread[Task worker for ':',5,main]) completed. Took 0.399 secs.

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug'.
> com.android.build.api.transform.TransformException: com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536

* Try:
Run with --debug option to get more log output. Run with --scan to get full insights.

* Exception is:
org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':transformDexArchiveWithDexMergerForDebug'.
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:103)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:73)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.OutputDirectoryCreatingTaskExecuter.execute(OutputDirectoryCreatingTaskExecuter.java:51)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:59)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:59)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:101)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.FinalizeInputFilePropertiesTaskExecuter.execute(FinalizeInputFilePropertiesTaskExecuter.java:44)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.execute(CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.java:91)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.java:62)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:59)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:34)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker$1.run(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:256)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:199)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:110)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:249)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:238)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:123)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.access$200(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:79)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:104)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:98)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:663)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.executeWithTask(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:597)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:98)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:63)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:46)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:55)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: com.android.build.api.transform.TransformException: com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536
    at com.android.builder.profile.Recorder$Block.handleException(Recorder.java:55)
    at com.android.builder.profile.ThreadRecorder.record(ThreadRecorder.java:104)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.pipeline.TransformTask.transform(TransformTask.java:213)
    at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:73)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.IncrementalTaskAction.doExecute(IncrementalTaskAction.java:50)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.StandardTaskAction.execute(StandardTaskAction.java:39)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.StandardTaskAction.execute(StandardTaskAction.java:26)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$1.run(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:124)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:199)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:110)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:113)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:95)
    ... 30 more
Caused by: com.android.build.api.transform.TransformException: com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.transforms.DexMergerTransform.transform(DexMergerTransform.java:230)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.pipeline.TransformTask$2.call(TransformTask.java:222)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.pipeline.TransformTask$2.call(TransformTask.java:218)
    at com.android.builder.profile.ThreadRecorder.record(ThreadRecorder.java:102)
    ... 42 more
Caused by: com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger$8.updateIndex(DexMerger.java:565)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger$IdMerger.mergeSorted(DexMerger.java:276)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.mergeMethodIds(DexMerger.java:574)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.mergeDexes(DexMerger.java:166)
    at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.merge(DexMerger.java:198)
    at com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerCallable.call(DexArchiveMergerCallable.java:61)
    at com.android.builder.dexing.DexArchiveMergerCallable.call(DexArchiveMergerCallable.java:36)


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

Deprecated Gradle features were used in this build, making it incompatible with Gradle 5.0.
See https://docs.gradle.org/4.6/userguide/command_line_interface.html#sec:command_line_warnings

BUILD FAILED in 50s
20 actionable tasks: 20 executed
Process return code is 1

Answer 1

In native Android you would use this solution: https://developer.android.com/studio/build/multidex

For Codename One you can just add the build hint: android.multidex=true this is off by default as it will slow down builds but once you cross the 64k method count it's essential.

This was probably triggered by the migration to build target 27 which probably increased the method count a bit from google's side and coupled with your code pushed it over the edge. Regardless the migration to target 27 is essential as Google will require target 26 or higher in August.