Check min version of compatibility of Android app

Check min version of compatibility of Android app - android

For an Android application, how can I test what the lowest version/API of Android it can work on, without manually changing API level on the emulator?

The minSdkVersion set in the app level gradle file is the lowest API version it will work on.
There are other factors though...for example:
Lets say the minSdkVersion is 21...but you call a method that wasnt introduced until api 25 (and dont handle that), then it will crash...and not really work.

Open build.gradle of your app there should be written minSdkVersion which it supports.

Related

Nativescript API LEVEL

I built an android app with Nativescript framework, I tried to upload my SDK to play store and am getting this error below
"Your app currently targets API level 25 and must target at least API level 26 to ensure it is built on the latest APIs optimized for security and performance. Change your app's target API level to at least 26."
I have change the API LEVEL in AndroidManifest.xml but that doesn't seems to work, how can I fix this issue.

After changing the targetSdkVersion in AndroidManifest.xml make a clean rebuild to amek sure that the changes are applied in the Android project.
If the above is not working you could explicitly set the targetSdkVersion in your project's app.gradle file as done here

Why I need to update targetSdk in Android projects? [duplicate]

I have looked at the documentation for building with Gradle, but I'm still not sure what the difference between compileSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion is.
All it says is:
The `compileSdkVersion` property specifies the compilation target.
Well, what is the "compilation target"?
I see two possible ways to interpret this:
compileSdkVersion is the version of the compiler used in building the app, while targetSdkVersion is the "API level that the application targets". (If this were the case, I'd assume compileSdkVersion must be greater than or equal to the targetSdkVersion?
They mean the same thing. "compilation target" == "the API level that the application targets"
Something else?
I see that this question has been asked before, but the one answer just quotes the doc, which is what is unclear to me.

compileSdkVersion
The compileSdkVersion is the version of the API the app is compiled against. This means you can use Android API features included in that version of the API (as well as all previous versions, obviously). If you try and use API 16 features but set compileSdkVersion to 15, you will get a compilation error. If you set compileSdkVersion to 16 you can still run the app on a API 15 device as long as your app's execution paths do not attempt to invoke any APIs specific to API 16.
targetSdkVersion
The targetSdkVersion has nothing to do with how your app is compiled or what APIs you can utilize. The targetSdkVersion is supposed to indicate that you have tested your app on (presumably up to and including) the version you specify. This is more like a certification or sign off you are giving the Android OS as a hint to how it should handle your app in terms of OS features.
For example, as the documentation states:
For example, setting this value to "11" or higher allows the system to apply a new default theme (Holo) to your app when running on Android 3.0 or higher...
The Android OS, at runtime, may change how your app is stylized or otherwise executed in the context of the OS based on this value. There are a few other known examples that are influenced by this value and that list is likely to only increase over time.
For all practical purposes, most apps are going to want to set targetSdkVersion to the latest released version of the API. This will ensure your app looks as good as possible on the most recent Android devices. If you do not specify the targetSdkVersion, it defaults to the minSdkVersion.

As a oneliner guide:
minSdkVersion <= targetSdkVersion <= compileSdkVersion
Ideally:
minSdkVersion (lowest possible) <= targetSdkVersion == compileSdkVersion (latest SDK)
Read more from this great post by Ian Lake

Late to the game.. and there are several great answers above-- essentially, that the compileSdkVersion is the version of the API the app is compiled against, while the targetSdkVersion indicates the version that the app was tested against.
I'd like to supplement those answers with the following notes:
That targetSdkVersion impacts the way in which permissions are requested:
If the device is running Android 6.0 (API level 23) or higher, and the app's targetSdkVersion is 23 or higher, the app requests permissions from the user at run-time.
If the device is running Android 5.1 (API level 22) or lower, or the app's targetSdkVersion is 22 or lower, the system asks the user to grant the permissions when the user installs the app.
If the compileSdkVersion is higher than the version declared by your app's targetSdkVersion, the system may enable compatibility behaviors to ensure that your app continues to work the way you expect. (ref)
With each new Android release...
targetSdkVersion should be incremented to match the latest API level, then thoroughly test your application on the corresponding platform version
compileSdkVersion, on the other hand, does not need to be changed unless you're adding features exclusive to the new platform version
As a result, while targetSdkVersion is often (initially) less than than the compileSdkVersion, it's not uncommon to see a well-maintained/established app with targetSdkVersion > compileSdkVersion

The compileSdkVersion should be newest stable version.
The targetSdkVersion should be fully tested and less or equal to compileSdkVersion.

The CompileSdkVersion is the version of the SDK platform your app works with for compilation, etc DURING the development process (you should always use the latest) This is shipped with the API version you are using
You will see this in your build.gradle file:
targetSdkVersion: contains the info your app ships with AFTER the development process to the app store that allows it to TARGET the SPECIFIED version of the Android platform. Depending on the functionality of your app, it can target API versions lower than the current.For instance, you can target API 18 even if the current version is 23.
Take a good look at this official Google page.

I see a lot of differences about compiledSdkVersion in previous answers, so I'll try to clarify a bit here, following android's web page.
A - What Android says
According https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html:
Selecting a platform version and API Level When you are developing
your application, you will need to choose the platform version against
which you will compile the application. In general, you should compile
your application against the lowest possible version of the platform
that your application can support.
So, this would be the right order according to Android:
compiledSdkVersion = minSdkVersion <= targetSdkVersion
B - What others also say
Some people prefer to always use the highest compiledSkdVersion available. It is because they will rely on code hints to check if they are using newer API features than minSdkVersion, thus either changing the code to not use them or checking the user API version at runtime to conditionally use them with fallbacks for older API versions.
Hints about deprecated uses would also appear in code, letting you know that something is deprecated in newer API levels, so you can react accordingly if you wish.
So, this would be the right order according to others:
minSdkVersion <= targetSdkVersion <= compiledSdkVersion (highest possible)
What to do?
It depends on you and your app.
If you plan to offer different API features according to the API level of the user at runtime, use option B. You'll get hints about the features you use while coding. Just make sure you never use newer API features than minSdkVersion without checking user API level at runtime, otherwise your app will crash. This approach also has the benefit of learning what's new and what's old while coding.
If you already know what's new or old and you are developing a one time app that for sure will never be updated, or you are sure you are not going to offer new API features conditionally, then use option A. You won't get bothered with deprecated hints and you will never be able to use newer API features even if you're tempted to do it.

My 2 cents: Compile against any version of the SDK but take care not to call any APIs that your "minimum SDK version" does not support. That means you "could" compile against the latest version of the SDK.
As for "target version" it simply refers to what you planned to target in the first place and have possibly tested against. If you haven't done the due diligence then this is the way to inform Android that it needs to perform some additional checks before it deploys your lets say "Lollipop" targeted app on "Oreo".
So the "target version" is obviously not lower than your "minimum SDK version" but it can't be higher than your "compiled version".

Not answering to your direct questions, since there are already a lot of detailed answers, but it's worth mentioning, that to the contrary of Android documentation, Android Studio is suggesting to use the same version for compileSDKVersion and targetSDKVersion.

compiledSdkVersion==> which version of SDK should compile your code to bytecode(it uses in development environment) point: it's better use last version of SDK.
minSdkVersion==> these item uses for installation of APK(it uses in production environment). For example:
if(client-sdk-version < min-sdk-versoin )
client-can-not-install-apk;
else
client-can-install-apk;

Quick summary:
For minSDKversion, see latest entry in twitter handle: https://twitter.com/minSdkVersion
TargetSDKversion: see latest entry in twitter handle: https://twitter.com/targtSdkVersion
or use the latest API level as indicated at devel https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html
Compiled version:
make it same as TargetSDKversion
maxSdkVersion:
advice from Android is to not set this as you do not want to limit your app to not perform on future android releases

The Application settings of an Android project's properties in Visual Studio 2017 (15.8.5) has them combined:

Newbie in Android: minSdkVersion vs compileSdkVersion

Hy,
I have some basic doubts about developing with android studio:
minSdkVersion 15: with this configuration I am forcing to use only
the features from api level 15 and not higher. Is correct? For what I
read I dont think so
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 24: with this configuration I
can use api level until level 24. Is this correct?
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 23: with this configuration if I
use api features from api 23, this application wont work in an android
device with api level 20 for example, right?
With the previous configuration, and android device with api level 20
will be able to download and install the application because its api is
higher than the minSdkVersion 15 but will not be able to run because it
has features from api 23, right?
If I want to make sure that I want to use an api level and not higher
because of the previous problems commented, the configuration minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 15 is the only way? is a common
practice?
Thanks a lot!

minSdkVersion 15: with this configuration I am forcing to use only the features from api level 15 and not higher. Is correct?
No. A minSdkVersion of 15 means that you do not want your app to run on devices with a lower API level than that. 15 corresponds to Android 4.0.3.
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 24: with this configuration I can use api level until level 24. Is this correct?
Your IDE will allow you to write code using classes, methods, fields, etc. from API Level 24. Your IDE should also warn you that using classes, methods, fields, etc. that were added to the SDK after API Level 15 may result in runtime errors.
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 23: with this configuration if I use api features from api 23, this application wont work in an android device with api level 20 for example, right?
Well, API Level 20 is a special Android version for the first-generation Android Wear devices. But if we switch that to API Level 19 (Android 4.4), if you blindly call an Android 5.1 (API Level 23) method, you will crash on Android 4.4. This is why the IDE will warn you about this, why you often see checks of BuildConfig.VERSION.SDK_INT, and why the SDK has these ...Compat classes (which try to hide a lot of these version differences).
With the previous configuration, and android device with api level 20 will be able to download and install the application because its api is higher than the minSdkVersion 15 but will not be able to run because it has features from api 23, right?
The device will attempt to run the app. How far it gets depends on how well the app is written. Again, you can create an app that uses newer-API features that gracefully degrades to run on older devices. This is not significantly different than how a Web site or Web app might want to use the latest HTML5 features but gracefully degrades to handle older or less-capable browsers.
If I want to make sure that I want to use an api level and not higher because of the previous problems commented, the configuration minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 15 is the only way?
No. Again, the IDE will (usually) yell at you when you try using SDK features that are acceptable for the compileSdkVersion but are newer than the minSdkVersion.
is a common practice?
Not since 2010 or so.
FWIW, here is the documentation on this subject, limited as it may be.

Confusion regarding android API levels?

I was following through a Udacity course on android , and these terms seem to confuse me
(i use android studio 1.x latest version)
In my build.gradle i have these
compileSdkVersion 21
buildToolsVersion "21.1.2"
......
minSdkVersion 10
targetSdkVersion 20
versionCode 1
versionName "1.0"
....
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:20.0.0'
My assumption
If I leave the app theme as default that is in my manifest file,i set it to use app:theme and in styles.xml it is by default
appcompat.light.darkaction bar
I figured out the appcompat theme means ,it changes to use the theme for the version of the target SDK irrespective of the device OS version
when i chose API 21 ,it looked like a material app
when i chose API 20, it looked like a kitkat app
(both on my device which runs ICS)
so target SDK is contolling the look and feel of my app irrespective of device OS,
it defines what highest version of android the device can support , right?and by default the look and feel change to the latest or the target API look and feel whilst using app:compat theme still enabling it to run on lower sdks ,,as low as API 10
and minsdk is the minumum supported ,
am i right till here?
Now what confuses me is
what's compile SDK , should it always be the latest available ?
Example : material didnt show app icon in action bar icon , i didn't like it , and switched to API 20
to follow with the MOOC videos
but should i leave compile sdk as 21 , wont that make the app look like material , cause i'm confused as it didnt?
And a final question ,
I want to test the app on devices running gingerbread, i don't have any,
can you suggest some typical AVD config for gingerbread devices(cause i know a lotta people still use it in developing nation),
what ram,screen size and pixel density should i use that fits a typical gingerbread device?

so target SDK is controlling the look and feel of my app irrespective of device OS,
Yes. (among other things)
it defines what highest version of android the device can support , right?
No ! The target SDK indicates the SDK you use to test your app. You can use a target SDK 20 and run your app on a device with API 21 installed : it will use the KitKat l&f (i.e level 20).
How is it possible ? When an app targeting API 20 is running on a device with API 21 : the system will automatically enable some backward compatibility hook so that your app behaves just like it behave on older versions (i.e. targetVersion) of the OS.
The maximum sdk supported is the maxSdk attribute (rarely used and not recommended). If you specify a maxSdk 20 : you won't be able to install your app on a device running SDK 21+
The compile SDK level is the version of the sdk you use to compile your app. If you choose the latest one : the users of the latest android version will benefit of code that is optimized for them. It will allow you to use the latest features of the sdk... but be careful when you write code using new apis since it will crash on older devices.(see here under)
The minimum sdk version may be lower than the compile sdk. In your example you are declaring that your code can be executed on API level 10, but compiled with api level 21... that's OK but you MUST ensure that every calls to API that don't exist in API-10 won't be executed on a device running API-10.
Let's illustrate this tricky point. Assume : compileSdk = 20 ; targetSdk = 20 and minSdk = 10
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 13) {
apiCallToSomethingAvailableOnlySinceApi13();
}else {
//put here some alternative code to perform something similar
//(but probably degraded) feature
//on device running API 10, 11 or 12
//device with api 9 or lower are exclude anyway (because minSdk is 10)
}
To summarize :
minSDK : it is possible to install the app on a device with at least this level and the developer wrote defensive code to ensure that all calls to api more recent than minSdk won't be executed on device running the minSdk version.
targetSDK : the app was tested on this level and more recent devices must enable backward compatibility hook so that the app still behave as if it was running on this level even on more recent devices.
compileSDK : the code is optimized to run on this level. (usually safe to put it the same as targetSDK)
maxSDK : you cannot install the app on a device running higher API (not recommended and most of the time not useful).

What is the difference between compileSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion?

I have looked at the documentation for building with Gradle, but I'm still not sure what the difference between compileSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion is.
All it says is:
The `compileSdkVersion` property specifies the compilation target.
Well, what is the "compilation target"?
I see two possible ways to interpret this:
compileSdkVersion is the version of the compiler used in building the app, while targetSdkVersion is the "API level that the application targets". (If this were the case, I'd assume compileSdkVersion must be greater than or equal to the targetSdkVersion?
They mean the same thing. "compilation target" == "the API level that the application targets"
Something else?
I see that this question has been asked before, but the one answer just quotes the doc, which is what is unclear to me.

As a oneliner guide:
minSdkVersion <= targetSdkVersion <= compileSdkVersion
Ideally:
minSdkVersion (lowest possible) <= targetSdkVersion == compileSdkVersion (latest SDK)
Read more from this great post by Ian Lake

Late to the game.. and there are several great answers above-- essentially, that the compileSdkVersion is the version of the API the app is compiled against, while the targetSdkVersion indicates the version that the app was tested against.
I'd like to supplement those answers with the following notes:
That targetSdkVersion impacts the way in which permissions are requested:
If the device is running Android 6.0 (API level 23) or higher, and the app's targetSdkVersion is 23 or higher, the app requests permissions from the user at run-time.
If the device is running Android 5.1 (API level 22) or lower, or the app's targetSdkVersion is 22 or lower, the system asks the user to grant the permissions when the user installs the app.
If the compileSdkVersion is higher than the version declared by your app's targetSdkVersion, the system may enable compatibility behaviors to ensure that your app continues to work the way you expect. (ref)
With each new Android release...
targetSdkVersion should be incremented to match the latest API level, then thoroughly test your application on the corresponding platform version
compileSdkVersion, on the other hand, does not need to be changed unless you're adding features exclusive to the new platform version
As a result, while targetSdkVersion is often (initially) less than than the compileSdkVersion, it's not uncommon to see a well-maintained/established app with targetSdkVersion > compileSdkVersion

The compileSdkVersion should be newest stable version.
The targetSdkVersion should be fully tested and less or equal to compileSdkVersion.

The CompileSdkVersion is the version of the SDK platform your app works with for compilation, etc DURING the development process (you should always use the latest) This is shipped with the API version you are using
You will see this in your build.gradle file:
targetSdkVersion: contains the info your app ships with AFTER the development process to the app store that allows it to TARGET the SPECIFIED version of the Android platform. Depending on the functionality of your app, it can target API versions lower than the current.For instance, you can target API 18 even if the current version is 23.
Take a good look at this official Google page.

My 2 cents: Compile against any version of the SDK but take care not to call any APIs that your "minimum SDK version" does not support. That means you "could" compile against the latest version of the SDK.
As for "target version" it simply refers to what you planned to target in the first place and have possibly tested against. If you haven't done the due diligence then this is the way to inform Android that it needs to perform some additional checks before it deploys your lets say "Lollipop" targeted app on "Oreo".
So the "target version" is obviously not lower than your "minimum SDK version" but it can't be higher than your "compiled version".

Not answering to your direct questions, since there are already a lot of detailed answers, but it's worth mentioning, that to the contrary of Android documentation, Android Studio is suggesting to use the same version for compileSDKVersion and targetSDKVersion.

compiledSdkVersion==> which version of SDK should compile your code to bytecode(it uses in development environment) point: it's better use last version of SDK.
minSdkVersion==> these item uses for installation of APK(it uses in production environment). For example:
if(client-sdk-version < min-sdk-versoin )
client-can-not-install-apk;
else
client-can-install-apk;

Quick summary:
For minSDKversion, see latest entry in twitter handle: https://twitter.com/minSdkVersion
TargetSDKversion: see latest entry in twitter handle: https://twitter.com/targtSdkVersion
or use the latest API level as indicated at devel https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html
Compiled version:
make it same as TargetSDKversion
maxSdkVersion:
advice from Android is to not set this as you do not want to limit your app to not perform on future android releases

The Application settings of an Android project's properties in Visual Studio 2017 (15.8.5) has them combined:

Develop Reference

The Android operating system is a mobile operating system that was developed by Google (GOOGL?) to be primarily used for touchscreen devices, cell phones, and tablets.