Is Java 8 Supported for Android Development?

Java 8: Supported or Not for Android Development?

Android app development is a hot topic, and navigating the technologies involved can be daunting. One area of confusion for developers has been the support of Java 8 in Android.

Can You Use Java 8?

Unfortunately, the direct answer is no. Android only supports up to Java 7, lacking support for the invokedynamic feature and many other newer syntax elements introduced in Java 8.

However, there is a way to employ some Java 8 features, albeit indirectly.

Retrolambda to the Rescue

gradle-retrolambda, a gradle dependency, offers a solution by integrating retrolambda. This tool converts Java 8 bytecode back to Java 6/7, allowing you to use lambdas in your Android code.

You can configure Android Studio to compile Java 8 bytecode, retrolambda will then convert it to Java 6/7 bytecode, which is finally compiled into dalvik bytecode.

It's important to note that this is a workaround, not a full-fledged support for Java 8. If you rely on more advanced features or libraries that require Java 8, you may encounter limitations or compatibility issues.

The above is the detailed content of Is Java 8 Supported for Android Development?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!