Is `android:supportsRtl="true"` in the Library Manifest essential? It is causing error sometimes

Question

When I create an Android library, by default it would give me the below in the Manifest file

<application android:allowBackup="true"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:supportsRtl="true"/>

After post it as a library on Bintray and used by others, just realise if an application that include this library has the below in its Manifest

    android:supportsRtl="false"

It will post the error as below during gradle sync or compilation.

Error:Execution failed for task ':app:processProductionDebugManifest'.
> Manifest merger failed : Attribute application@supportsRtl value=(false) from AndroidManifest.xml:23:9-36
is also present at [com.mylibrarypackage:mylibrary:1.0.0] AndroidManifest.xml:14:9-35 value=(true).
Suggestion: add 'tools:replace="android:supportsRtl"' to <application> element at AndroidManifest.xml:18:5-67:19 to override.

To fix it, I think I would need to remove the android:supportsRtl="true" from my library Manifest.

Just wonder why did Android have this as default its library manifest? Would there be any potential problem if I remove android:supportsRtl="true" from my library Manifest?

Answer 1

tools:replace=”x, y”

Replace the x, y attributes from any lower priority declaration with the provided value (must be present on the same node).

When importing a library with a lower target SDK than the project’s, it may be necessary to explicitly grant permissions (and perhaps make other changes) for the library to function properly in the later runtime. This will be performed automatically by the manifest merger.

You are getting

Manifest merger failed : Attribute application@supportsRtl value=(false) from AndroidManifest.xml:23:9-36

You can add

tools:replace="android:supportsRtl"

Finally

<application android:allowBackup="true"
android:label="@string/app_name"
android:supportsRtl="true"
tools:replace="android:supportsRtl"/>