Gradle Sync Fails when I add in the safe-args plugin

Question

I have been following the codelabs for the Android Kotlin Fundamentals and I've been stuck for a while on this problem. As a part of this codelab, I had to build upon an Android Trivia App. The problem with this particular task is to share the point scored through an implicit intent. And the intent of this task is to introduce Safe Args, a plugin to pass data between fragments.

The problem is whenever I add the code for the plugin dependency, the Gradle Sync fails and Android Studio return an invalid type code error. I went through the logs but still can't figure out why this is happening!

Project Level build.gradle file

buildscript {
    ext {
        kotlin_version = '1.3.72'
        archLifecycleVersion = '1.1.1'
        gradleVersion = '4.0.1'
        supportlibVersion = '1.2.0'
        nav_version = '2.3.0'
        dataBindingCompilerVersion = gradleVersion // Always need to be the same.
    }
    repositories {
        google()
        jcenter()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath "com.android.tools.build:gradle:$gradleVersion"
        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:$kotlin_version"
        
        //safe-args dependency
        classpath "android.arch.navigation:navigation-safe-args-gradle-plugin:$nav_version"
    }
}

Module level build.gradle file

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

apply plugin: 'kotlin-android'

apply plugin: 'kotlin-kapt'

apply plugin: 'androidx.navigation.safeargs'

So after I add just two lines of code to use the safe-args plugin the Gradle Sync fails and Android Studio gives this error: Cause: invalid type code: 0D

The Codelab I'm referring to can be found here: https://codelabs.developers.google.com/codelabs/kotlin-android-training-start-external-activity/#0

Edit After taking the advice from the answers posted, the changes initially caused a java.lang.String error. The build was successful mere minutes ago and I wonder what caused the error in the first place, because I'd already cleaned and rebuilt the project a few times and encountered the same error.

@ianhanniballake, here's the stack trace:

2020-09-04 09:54:57,070 [2480568]   INFO - .project.GradleProjectResolver - Gradle project resolve error 
org.gradle.tooling.GradleConnectionException: Could not run phased build action using Gradle distribution 'https://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-6.1.1-all.zip'.
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.ExceptionTransformer.transform(ExceptionTransformer.java:55)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.ExceptionTransformer.transform(ExceptionTransformer.java:29)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.ResultHandlerAdapter.onFailure(ResultHandlerAdapter.java:41)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.async.DefaultAsyncConsumerActionExecutor$1$1.run(DefaultAsyncConsumerActionExecutor.java:57)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:63)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:46)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:55)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
Caused by: java.lang.ArrayStoreException: java.lang.String
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readArray(ObjectInputStream.java:2030)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1613)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.defaultReadFields(ObjectInputStream.java:2342)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readSerialData(ObjectInputStream.java:2266)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readOrdinaryObject(ObjectInputStream.java:2124)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject0(ObjectInputStream.java:1625)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject(ObjectInputStream.java:465)
    at java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject(ObjectInputStream.java:423)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.serialization.PayloadSerializer.deserialize(PayloadSerializer.java:74)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ProviderConnection.throwFailure(ProviderConnection.java:216)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ProviderConnection.run(ProviderConnection.java:204)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ProviderConnection.runPhasedAction(ProviderConnection.java:171)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.DefaultConnection.run(DefaultConnection.java:248)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.PhasedActionAwareConsumerConnection.run(PhasedActionAwareConsumerConnection.java:56)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.ParameterValidatingConsumerConnection.run(ParameterValidatingConsumerConnection.java:60)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.DefaultPhasedBuildActionExecuter$1.run(DefaultPhasedBuildActionExecuter.java:76)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.DefaultPhasedBuildActionExecuter$1.run(DefaultPhasedBuildActionExecuter.java:70)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.LazyConsumerActionExecutor.run(LazyConsumerActionExecutor.java:84)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.CancellableConsumerActionExecutor.run(CancellableConsumerActionExecutor.java:45)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.ProgressLoggingConsumerActionExecutor.run(ProgressLoggingConsumerActionExecutor.java:58)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.connection.RethrowingErrorsConsumerActionExecutor.run(RethrowingErrorsConsumerActionExecutor.java:38)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.consumer.async.DefaultAsyncConsumerActionExecutor$1$1.run(DefaultAsyncConsumerActionExecutor.java:55)
    ... 6 more
2020-09-04 09:54:57,085 [2480583]   INFO - s.plugins.gradle.GradleManager - Instructing gradle to use java from C:/Program Files/AdoptOpenJDK/jdk-11.0.6.10-hotspot 
2020-09-04 09:54:57,092 [2480590]   INFO - System.util.ExternalSystemUtil - External project [E:/android-kotlin-fundamentals-starter-apps-master/AndroidTrivia-Starter] resolution task executed in 261119 ms. 
2020-09-04 09:54:57,093 [2480591]   WARN - e.project.sync.GradleSyncState - Gradle sync failed: Cause: java.lang.String

Answer 1

You're using the wrong classpath . Instead of android.arch.navigation:navigation-safe-args-gradle-plugin , you need to use androidx.navigation:navigation-safe-args-gradle-plugin - note the androidx.navigation prefix as per the Adding Safe Args dependency documentation :

classpath "androidx.navigation:navigation-safe-args-gradle-plugin:$nav_version"

Answer 2

I found you are using nav_version 2.3.0. So, the dependence should be updated one like androidx.

try using :

classpath "androidx.navigation:navigation-safe-args-gradle-plugin:$nav_version"

refer: https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/navigation