Do I need Java JDK for using Android Studio?

Question

I'm learning Android Studio and the tutorials on youtube like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAbQgLGKd3Y&list=PL6gx4Cwl9DGBsvRxJJOzG4r4k_zLKrnxl

say I need the Java JDK.

Yet when I went through the tutorial at the website:

https://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/creating-project.html

I was able to setup and run the myfirstapp project.

Does the new AS include the SDK or will I need it for more complicated projects.
I guess I can just run through the video tutorial until I encounter a problem but I'd like to know before I have to uninstall Android Studio, install the JDK and reinstall Android Studio.

Seems a real pain.

Answer 1

This is what Google says on https://developer.android.com/studio/intro/studio-config.html:

A copy of the latest OpenJDK comes bundled with Android Studio 2.2 and higher, and this is the JDK version we recommend you use for your Android projects.

So if you are using the newest version, you won't need any additional JDK. Furthermore, the official installation instructions don't include anymore any hints towards the JDK, compared to June 2016.

Answer 2

Android Studio version 2.2 and higher comes with the latest OpenJDK embedded in order to have a low barrier to entry for beginners.

It is, however, recommended to have the JDK installed on your own as you are then able to update it independent of Android Studio.

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If you are working with an Android API < 24, then you'll need to compile the project with Java 7 or do some extra steps to enable Java 8 features. (Note: Java 8 support is relatively new).

Android Studio 3.0 and later supports all Java 7 language features and a subset of Java 8 language features