Cordova Android build error :transformClassesWithDexForDebug FAILED

Question

I keep getting this same error every time I try to build the apk. I tried using PhoneGap Build as well to no avail. I've checked and the API version I am using is fine, the Java SDK is the latest. I am not sure what the problem could be, maybe one of the plugins I am using? I've also tried deleting the platform and re adding and have run cordova clean.

$ cordova build android --debug
ANDROID_HOME=/Users/awhiteman/Library/Android/sdk
JAVA_HOME=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_131.jdk/Contents/Home
:wrapper

BUILD SUCCESSFUL

Total time: 0.723 secs
Subproject Path: CordovaLib
The Task.leftShift(Closure) method has been deprecated and is scheduled to be removed in Gradle 5.0. Please use Task.doLast(Action) instead.
    at build_a80icgrgnmo2xiao0mubf7grh.run(/Users/awhiteman/Desktop/Dev-Systems-App/platforms/android/build.gradle:137)
The JavaCompile.setDependencyCacheDir() method has been deprecated and is scheduled to be removed in Gradle 4.0.
Incremental java compilation is an incubating feature.
The TaskInputs.source(Object) method has been deprecated and is scheduled to be removed in Gradle 4.0. Please use TaskInputs.file(Object).skipWhenEmpty() instead.
:preBuild UP-TO-DATE
:preDebugBuild UP-TO-DATE
:checkDebugManifest
:preReleaseBuild UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:preBuild UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:preDebugBuild UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:checkDebugManifest
:CordovaLib:prepareDebugDependencies
:CordovaLib:compileDebugAidl
:CordovaLib:compileDebugNdk UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:compileLint
:CordovaLib:copyDebugLint UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:mergeDebugShaders
:CordovaLib:compileDebugShaders
:CordovaLib:generateDebugAssets
:CordovaLib:mergeDebugAssets
:CordovaLib:mergeDebugProguardFiles
:CordovaLib:packageDebugRenderscript UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:compileDebugRenderscript
:CordovaLib:generateDebugResValues
:CordovaLib:generateDebugResources
:CordovaLib:packageDebugResources
:CordovaLib:processDebugManifest
:CordovaLib:generateDebugBuildConfig
:CordovaLib:processDebugResources
:CordovaLib:generateDebugSources
:CordovaLib:incrementalDebugJavaCompilationSafeguard
:CordovaLib:compileDebugJavaWithJavac
:CordovaLib:compileDebugJavaWithJavac - is not incremental (e.g. outputs have changed, no previous execution, etc.).
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
:CordovaLib:processDebugJavaRes UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:transformResourcesWithMergeJavaResForDebug
:CordovaLib:transformClassesAndResourcesWithSyncLibJarsForDebug
:CordovaLib:mergeDebugJniLibFolders
:CordovaLib:transformNative_libsWithMergeJniLibsForDebug
:CordovaLib:transformNative_libsWithSyncJniLibsForDebug
:CordovaLib:bundleDebug
:CordovaLib:preReleaseBuild UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:checkReleaseManifest
:CordovaLib:prepareReleaseDependencies
:CordovaLib:compileReleaseAidl
:CordovaLib:compileReleaseNdk UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:copyReleaseLint UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:mergeReleaseShaders
:CordovaLib:compileReleaseShaders
:CordovaLib:generateReleaseAssets
:CordovaLib:mergeReleaseAssets
:CordovaLib:mergeReleaseProguardFiles
:CordovaLib:packageReleaseRenderscript UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:compileReleaseRenderscript
:CordovaLib:generateReleaseResValues
:CordovaLib:generateReleaseResources
:CordovaLib:packageReleaseResources
:CordovaLib:processReleaseManifest
:CordovaLib:generateReleaseBuildConfig
:CordovaLib:processReleaseResources
:CordovaLib:generateReleaseSources
:CordovaLib:incrementalReleaseJavaCompilationSafeguard
:CordovaLib:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac
:CordovaLib:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac - is not incremental (e.g. outputs have changed, no previous execution, etc.).
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
:CordovaLib:processReleaseJavaRes UP-TO-DATE
:CordovaLib:transformResourcesWithMergeJavaResForRelease
:CordovaLib:transformClassesAndResourcesWithSyncLibJarsForRelease
:CordovaLib:mergeReleaseJniLibFolders
:CordovaLib:transformNative_libsWithMergeJniLibsForRelease
:CordovaLib:transformNative_libsWithSyncJniLibsForRelease
:CordovaLib:bundleRelease
:prepareComAndroidSupportSupportCompat2600Alpha1Library
:prepareComAndroidSupportSupportCoreUi2600Alpha1Library
:prepareComAndroidSupportSupportCoreUtils2600Alpha1Library
:prepareComAndroidSupportSupportFragment2600Alpha1Library
:prepareComAndroidSupportSupportMediaCompat2600Alpha1Library
:prepareComAndroidSupportSupportV42600Alpha1Library
:prepareOrgApacheCordovaCordovaLib623DebugLibrary
:prepareDebugDependencies
:compileDebugAidl
:compileDebugRenderscript
:generateDebugBuildConfig
:generateDebugResValues
:generateDebugResources
:mergeDebugResources
:processDebugManifest
:processDebugResources
:generateDebugSources
:incrementalDebugJavaCompilationSafeguard
:compileDebugJavaWithJavac
:compileDebugJavaWithJavac - is not incremental (e.g. outputs have changed, no previous execution, etc.).
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.
:compileDebugNdk UP-TO-DATE
:compileDebugSources
:mergeDebugShaders
:compileDebugShaders
:generateDebugAssets
:mergeDebugAssets
:transformClassesWithDexForDebug FAILED

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':transformClassesWithDexForDebug'.
> com.android.build.api.transform.TransformException: com.android.ide.common.process.ProcessException: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.dex.DexException: Multiple dex files define Landroid/support/v4/accessibilityservice/AccessibilityServiceInfoCompat$AccessibilityServiceInfoVersionImpl;

* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

BUILD FAILED

Total time: 3.076 secs
Error: /Users/awhiteman/Desktop/Dev-Systems-App/platforms/android/gradlew: Command failed with exit code 1 Error output:
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':transformClassesWithDexForDebug'.
> com.android.build.api.transform.TransformException: com.android.ide.common.process.ProcessException: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.dex.DexException: Multiple dex files define Landroid/support/v4/accessibilityservice/AccessibilityServiceInfoCompat$AccessibilityServiceInfoVersionImpl;

* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

Answer 1

Multiple dex files define Landroid/support/v4/accessibilityservice/AccessibilityServiceInfoCompat$AccessibilityServiceInfoVersionImpl

This indicates multiple versions of the Android Support library are causing a collision. Most likely you have 2 or more plugins requesting different versions via their Gradle config. The simplest solution is to add the cordova-android-support-gradle-release plugin to your Cordova project which will force Gradle to use the same version in all cases:

cordova plugin add cordova-android-support-gradle-release

Answer 2

Here is an easy of-the-shelf plugin that does the build.gradle work for you

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-enable-multidex

Please find this repository link for some further details