Google packages D8 alongside R8 (the shrinking and optimization tool). The compilation functionality remains identical.
Before downloading the file, it is important to understand its role in the Android ecosystem.
Look inside your SDK folder for the latest build-tools version. 2. Download via Android SDK Manager
: Tools → SDK Manager → SDK Tools tab → check Android SDK Build-Tools → apply.
--min-api : Specifies the minimum Android API level you are targeting, which affects how Java 8 features are desugared. Example Command
: Some users seek it to update older build pipelines that still rely on manual JAR execution. Security Warning
To invoke the d8.jar file manually using your system's Java Runtime Environment (JRE), use the java -jar command pointing to the absolute path of your downloaded JAR file:
Download the Android Command Line Tools from the official Android developer website.
The generated .dex files are more optimized and often smaller in size, which helps reduce final APK sizes.
Introduced by Google as a "next-generation" compiler, D8 is the direct successor to the older dx tool. It was designed to address several performance bottlenecks in the Android build pipeline: