Android Support Repo 46.0.0 with Android Studio 2.3

Question

I updated today my support repository to 46.0.0 as the Android Studio notification popped up.

I go the error below :

Error:Execution failed for task ':app:processDevDebugManifest'.

Manifest merger failed : Attribute meta-data#android.support.VERSION@value value=(25.3.0) from [com.android.support:support-v13:25.3.0] AndroidManifest.xml:27:9-31 is also present at [com.android.support:preference-v7:26.0.0-alpha1] AndroidManifest.xml:24:9-38 value=(26.0.0-alpha1). Suggestion: add 'tools:replace="android:value"' to element at AndroidManifest.xml:25:5-27:34 to override.

I updated all my dependencies to use Revision 26.0.0 Alpha 1 from 25.3.0, but it turns out I need to bump the compileSdk from 25 to 26. You can't do that if you have AS 2.3, you need to get the unstable alpha/beta version from canary.

This link shows the changes: https://developer.android.com/topic/libraries/support-library/revisions.html#26-0-0-alpha1

And concerning migrating to the new android O, that's the link: https://developer.android.com/preview/migration.html

It seems using AS stable version will not work with new repository.

How can I go back to the Android Studio Repository Version 45 instead of the new 46?

** Update: The merged manifest shows one of the generated library manifest contains

<meta-data
        android:name="android.support.VERSION"
        android:value="26.0.0-alpha1" />

But since it's a generated file editing is useless, that's why for now I'd stick to rev 45 until the new AS is in stable build

Answer 1

What's the problem

Some libraries depend on version "X or newer" of Android support libraries so Gradle dependency resolution grabs whatever is the newest available ignoring you actually have a precise version specified in your dependencies block.

This is not what you want. You want all support libraries with same version and major version has to match compile SDK version.

What's the solution

Fortunately you can force a specific support library version.

Put this at the end of your app module build.gradle:

configurations.all {
    resolutionStrategy.eachDependency { DependencyResolveDetails details ->
        def requested = details.requested
        if (requested.group == 'com.android.support') {
            // Skip multidex because it follows a different versioning pattern.
            if (!requested.name.startsWith("multidex")) {
                details.useVersion '25.3.0'
            }
        }
    }
}

Of course replace the version with whatever it is you're using.

Version values for support libraries in dependecies block are now irrelevant.

If you have doubts

This is a well documented method and it's working.

What can you do to help

Find the libraries which depend on a range of support library versions

gradlew dependencies --configuration compile -p <module name> | grep ,

and let the authors of said libraries know they should transitively depend on the oldest support libs their library can do with.

This aims to avoid the issue altogether.