Android Studio: Gradle - build fails -- Execution failed for task ':dexDebug'

Error:

Gradle: Execution failed for task ':vertretungsplan:dexDebug'.
> Failed to run command:
	P:\Android-Studio\sdk\build-tools\18.0.1\dx.bat --dex --output P:\Projekte\VertretungsplanProject\vertretungsplan\build\libs\vertretungsplan-debug.dex P:\Projekte\VertretungsplanProject\vertretungsplan\build\classes\debug P:\Projekte\VertretungsplanProject\vertretungsplan\build\dependency-cache\debug P:\Android-Studio\sdk\extras\android\m2repository\com\android\support\support-v4\18.0.0\support-v4-18.0.0.jar P:\Projekte\VertretungsplanProject\vertretungsplan\libs\commons-io-2.4.jar P:\Projekte\VertretungsplanProject\vertretungsplan\build\exploded-bundles\VertretungsplanProjectLibrariesActionbarsherlockUnspecified.aar\classes.jar
Error Code:
	2
Output:
	trouble processing:
	bad class file magic (cafebabe) or version (0033.0000)
	...while parsing de/MayerhoferSimon/Vertretungsplan/LoginActivity$2.class
	...while processing de/MayerhoferSimon/Vertretungsplan/LoginActivity$2.class
	trouble processing:
	bad class file magic (cafebabe) or version (0033.0000)
	...while parsing de/MayerhoferSimon/Vertretungsplan/MainActivity$1.class
	...while processing de/MayerhoferSimon/Vertretungsplan/MainActivity$1.class
	trouble processing:
	bad class file magic (cafebabe) or version (0033.0000)
	...while parsing de/MayerhoferSimon/Vertretungsplan/YQL/YqlVplanParser.class
	...while processing de/MayerhoferSimon/Vertretungsplan/YQL/YqlVplanParser.class
	3 warnings
	UNEXPECTED TOP-LEVEL EXCEPTION:
	com.android.dx.util.DexException: Multiple dex files define Landroid/support/v4/accessibilityservice/AccessibilityServiceInfoCompat$AccessibilityServiceInfoVersionImpl;
		at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.readSortableTypes(DexMerger.java:592)
		at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.getSortedTypes(DexMerger.java:550)
		at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.mergeClassDefs(DexMerger.java:531)
		at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.mergeDexBuffers(DexMerger.java:168)
		at com.android.dx.merge.DexMerger.merge(DexMerger.java:186)
		at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.mergeLibraryDexBuffers(Main.java:300)
		at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.run(Main.java:232)
		at com.android.dx.command.dexer.Main.main(Main.java:174)
		at com.android.dx.command.Main.main(Main.java:91)

Project structure:

build.gradle (actionbarsherlock)

buildscript {
	repositories {
		mavenCentral()
	}
	dependencies {
		classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:0.5.+'
	}
}
apply plugin: 'android-library'

dependencies {
    compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:18.0.0'
}

android {
	compileSdkVersion 18
	buildToolsVersion "18.0.1"

	defaultConfig {
		minSdkVersion 8
		targetSdkVersion 11
	}

	sourceSets {
		main {
			manifest.srcFile 'AndroidManifest.xml'
			java.srcDirs = ['src']
			resources.srcDirs = ['src']
			res.srcDirs = ['res']
		}
	}
}

build.gradle (vertretungsplan)

buildscript {
	repositories {
		mavenCentral()
	}
	dependencies {
		classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:0.5.+'
	}
}
apply plugin: 'android'

dependencies {
	compile files('libs/commons-io-2.4.jar')
	compile project(':libraries:actionbarsherlock')
}

android {
	compileSdkVersion 18
	buildToolsVersion "18.0.1"

	defaultConfig {
		minSdkVersion 8
		targetSdkVersion 11
	}
}

settings.gradle

include ':vertretungsplan', ':libraries:actionbarsherlock'

How can I fix this error?

The right answer is, that some of your jar files does not compile. You should go into your build.gradle file in your project, and look in your dependencies.

If you're just importing some jar files, you could try to remove them and add them one at a time. This will help you determine which one of them causes the error.

In my case, I did just that, and when I was importing the last one, the app compiled. So I think the real problem was that I was importing too many at once. But now it all works.

I suddenly had the same problem, after no noteworthy changes.

I solved it by deleting the app/build directory and let gradle build the whole project new.

You must check if the same JAR is being imported again. In my case there was a class inside a jar which was getting imported in another jar. So just check if the any lib / class file is being included twice in the whole project!

I got the same sort of error when I tried to compile a utils library jar in eclipse using Java JRE 1.8, and use it in my /libs/ in Android Studio 1.1.0.

I had my Android Studio set to use JDK1.8.0.

I switched my Eclipse to work with JRE 1.7, and the error was fixed. Eclipse: Window->Preferences->Java tab->Compiler -> Compliance level 1.7. It will most likely prompt you to switch your JRE System Library to jdk1.7.x_x.

You may need to make sure to uncheck 'compress jar' when you export. I haven't tested whether it had an effect or not. I doubt it was related.

I had the same problem too. In my case the problem started after a reboot. I closed my App, then I closed the Android Studio (In my case V1.1.0), and finally a normal shutdown. After that, I modified one java file to add a RadioGroup object and then the problem appeared.

I solved my problem only changing a simple '0' for a '1' in my Gradle configuration file, because the root cause of the problem was generated at the Gradle execution process. Previously I used to have version '1.0.0' then i changed it to '1.1.0', as stated in the pictures.

Location of the Gradle configuration a changed

Location where I took the right version from (File -> Settings -> Gradle -> Experimental

The problem is NOT about Execution failed for task ':dexDebug'

if you look above the error showed in red you are going to see this

To solve this problem permanently just add these lines in your build.gradle file

android {
    dexOptions {
        jumboMode = true
    }
}

For further details check this question: here

Make sure your AndroidManifest file contains a package name in the manifest node. Setting a package name fixed this problem for me.

ANDROID STUDIO Users try this:-

You need to add the following to your gradle file dependencies:

compile 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.0'

And then add below line ( multidex support application ) to your manifest's application tag:

android:name="android.support.multidex.MultiDexApplication"

Could fix this by adding

compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:18.0.0'

to the dependencies in the vertretungsplan build.gradle, compile and then remove this line and compile again.

now it works

I had the same problem, you should do:

File -> Invalidate Caches / Restart

I had this problem because I tried to use both support library and appcompat:

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: '*.jar')
    compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:23.1.0'
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.1.1'
    compile 'com.android.support:design:23.1.1'
    compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:8.3.0'
}

After I deleted support library and changed to older version, it compiled:

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: '*.jar')
    /*compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.1.1'
    compile 'com.android.support:design:23.1.1'*/
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:22.2.0'
    compile 'com.android.support:design:22.2.0'
    compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:8.3.0'
}

I had two incompatible dependencies.

The below dependencies caused the error.

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-fitness:8.3.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-wearable:8.4.0'

By changing the fitness dependency to version 8.4.0 I was able to run the app.

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-fitness:8.4.0'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-wearable:8.4.0'

I found a very interesting issue with Android Studio and the mircrosoft upgrade to the web browser. I upgraded "stupidly" to the latest version of ie. of course Microsoft in their infinite wisdom knows exactly what to do with security. When I tried to compile my app I kept getting the error Gradle - build fails -- Execution failed for task. looking in the stack I saw that it did not recognize the path to java.exe. I found that odd as I was just able to compile the day before. I added JAVA_HOME to the env vars for the system, closed Android Studio and reopened it. Low and behold if the fire wall nag screen did not pop asking if I wanted to all jave.exe through.

What a cluster!

(This might be the wrong thread, as your problem seems more specific, but it's the thread that I found when searching for the issue's keywords)

Despite all good hints, the only thing that helped me, and that I'd like to share just in case, if everything else does not work :

Remove your .gradle directory in your home directory and have it re-build/re-downloaded for you by Android Studio.

Fixed all kinds of weird errors for me that neither were fixable by re-installing Android Studio itself nor the SDK.

A reason can be duplicated libraries after importing from Eclipse IDE.

dependencies {
compile 'com.github.japgolly.android:svg-android:2.0.5'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:+'
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:21.0.3'
compile files('libs/androidannotations-api-2.7.1.jar')
compile files('libs/androidasync-2.1.2.jar')
//compile files('libs/google-play-services.jar')
compile files('libs/universal-image-loader-1.8.2.jar')}

I had the same problem, after comment:

//compile files('libs/google-play-services.jar')

The app get no errors.

I faced the same issue .Resolved by doing this . Go to actionbarsherlock -> module settings ->dependencies .Remove the support v4 library .In bottom left there is a plus button , from there add 1 Library Dependency (Select support-v4) . Let the gradle resync and clean project once done .

In my case, I did Build > Clean Project and it worked!

Many of the answers here are trial and error to find duplicate dependencies but if you scroll up just a little bit from the Execution failed for task ':app:dexDebug'. line it will give you a hint at the duplications

.

In my case I had the following error:

UNEXPECTED TOP-LEVEL EXCEPTION:
com.android.dex.DexException: Multiple dex files define L/com/parse/AbstractQueryController$1;
...
...
...
Execution failed for task ':app:dexDebug'.

So I knew that in order to fix this bug I needed to find the duplicate dependencies that define parse.AbstractQueryController

In my case I had two imported modules that were loading in two different Parse libraries. Making my project only load one fixed my issue.

I have also ran into this error when the package in one of my class files was incorrectly spelled. Many of these answers immediately jump to the Jar files but I would also check to make sure your packages are spelled correctly.

just add in build.gradle

compile 'com.parse.bolts:bolts-android:1.+'

compile 'com.parse:parse-android:1.11.0'

and sync Project with Gradle Files But Don't Add The parse Jar in libs :) OKK

If you are also using Dagger or Butterknife you should to add guava as a dependency to your build.gradle main file like classpath :

com.google.guava:guava:20.0

In other hand, if you are having problems with larger heap for the Gradle daemon you can increase adding to your radle file:

 dexOptions {
        javaMaxHeapSize "4g"
    } 

Cleaning the Project using Build in Menu Bar work for many error scenarios in Android Studio and so it does in this case.