Daily Archives: May 5, 2017

original source: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24510219/what-is-the-difference-between-min-sdk-version-target-sdk-version-vs-compile-sd

min sdk version Is the earliest release of the Android SDK that your application can run on. Usually this is because of a problem with the earlier APIs, lacking functionality, or some other behavioral issue.

target sdk version The version your application was targeted to run on. Ideally this is because of some sort of optimal run conditions. If you were to “make your app for version 19” this is where that would be specified. It may run on earlier or later releases, but this is what you were aiming for. This is mostly to indicate how current your application is for use in the marketplace, etc.

compile sdk version The version of android your IDE (or other means of compiling I suppose) uses to make your app when you publish a .apk file. This is useful for testing your application as it is a common need to compile your app as you develop it. As this will be the version to compile to an APK, it will naturally be the version of your release. Likewise it is advisable to have this match you target sdk version.

I didn’t mean to rip off somebody else’s answer, but I really hope this sheds some light on distinguishing these three terms.

original source: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24510219/what-is-the-difference-between-min-sdk-version-target-sdk-version-vs-compile-sd

min sdk version Is the earliest release of the Android SDK that your application can run on. Usually this is because of a problem with the earlier APIs, lacking functionality, or some other behavioral issue.

target sdk version The version your application was targeted to run on. Ideally this is because of some sort of optimal run conditions. If you were to “make your app for version 19” this is where that would be specified. It may run on earlier or later releases, but this is what you were aiming for. This is mostly to indicate how current your application is for use in the marketplace, etc.

compile sdk version The version of android your IDE (or other means of compiling I suppose) uses to make your app when you publish a .apk file. This is useful for testing your application as it is a common need to compile your app as you develop it. As this will be the version to compile to an APK, it will naturally be the version of your release. Likewise it is advisable to have this match you target sdk version.

I didn’t mean to rip off somebody else’s answer, but I really hope this sheds some light on distinguishing these three terms.

original source : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26694108/what-is-the-difference-between-compilesdkversion-and-targetsdkversion

compileSdkVersion

The compileSdkVersion is the version of the API the app is compiled against. This means you can use Android API features included in that version of the API (as well as all previous versions, obviously). If you try and use API 16 features but set compileSdkVersion to 15, you will get a compilation error. If you set compileSdkVersion to 16 you can still run the app on a API 15 device as long as your app’s execution paths do not attempt to invoke any APIs specific to API 16.

targetSdkVersion

The targetSdkVersion has nothing to do with how your app is compiled or what APIs you can utilize. The targetSdkVersion is supposed to indicate that you have tested your app on (presumably up to and including) the version you specify. This is more like a certification or sign off you are giving the Android OS as a hint to how it should handle your app in terms of OS features.

For example, as the documentation states:

For example, setting this value to “11” or higher allows the system to apply a new default theme (Holo) to your app when running on Android 3.0 or higher…

The Android OS, at runtime, may change how your app is stylized or otherwise executed in the context of the OS based on this value. There are a few other known examples that are influenced by this value and that list is likely to only increase over time.

For all practical purposes, most apps are going to want to set targetSdkVersion to the latest released version of the API. This will ensure your app looks as good as possible on the most recent Android devices. If you do not specify the targetSdkVersion, it defaults to the minSdkVersion.

original source : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26694108/what-is-the-difference-between-compilesdkversion-and-targetsdkversion

compileSdkVersion

The compileSdkVersion is the version of the API the app is compiled against. This means you can use Android API features included in that version of the API (as well as all previous versions, obviously). If you try and use API 16 features but set compileSdkVersion to 15, you will get a compilation error. If you set compileSdkVersion to 16 you can still run the app on a API 15 device as long as your app’s execution paths do not attempt to invoke any APIs specific to API 16.

targetSdkVersion

The targetSdkVersion has nothing to do with how your app is compiled or what APIs you can utilize. The targetSdkVersion is supposed to indicate that you have tested your app on (presumably up to and including) the version you specify. This is more like a certification or sign off you are giving the Android OS as a hint to how it should handle your app in terms of OS features.

For example, as the documentation states:

For example, setting this value to “11” or higher allows the system to apply a new default theme (Holo) to your app when running on Android 3.0 or higher…

The Android OS, at runtime, may change how your app is stylized or otherwise executed in the context of the OS based on this value. There are a few other known examples that are influenced by this value and that list is likely to only increase over time.

For all practical purposes, most apps are going to want to set targetSdkVersion to the latest released version of the API. This will ensure your app looks as good as possible on the most recent Android devices. If you do not specify the targetSdkVersion, it defaults to the minSdkVersion.