Changing Android Project SDK level

Question

I started writing my first Android app, and chose SDK 2.0.1, before I had an android phone. I wantto test the app on a phone that is Android 1.6. The app itself uses pretty simple stuff, so I'm sure its 1.6 compatible, but I want to change the SDK level from Eclipse.

The "default.properties" file in my project tree and naively tried to change from Android 6, but it isn't changeable, but if I try to change it it tells me to change the build.properties of the project. I don't know what that means. I'm not used to eclipse and am still fumbling around it.

I went to the project properties and clicked on "Java Build Path", but from there I don't know how to add,remove or edit the libraries.

Basically, I'm asking how to downgrade my project from inside eclipse, so I can export it to a compatible phone.

Solution 1

You can actually keep the project's targetSDK at the same level, and just use a minSDK value.

What this means is that your application will target to build against a certain API, but it will let phones with lesser versions of Android than that API to also run the app. The catch is that you have to make sure you don't make any API calls that don't exist in the older versions of Android.

To change this, go to your AndroidManifest.xml and add the following inside of the xml node:

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="3" />

This would set your minsdk to Android 1.5. Change it 4 for Android 1.6 and so on.

But if you really want to change the TargetSDK, right click on your project --> properties. Then click the Android tab on the left. Then check the box of the target API you want to build against.

Some more versioning info can be found here.

Solution 2

You can change your the Build Target for your project at any time: Right-click the project in the Package Explorer, select Properties, select Android and then check the desired Project Target.

PS : I'm on Eclipse Helios

http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/eclipse-adt.html

Comments

[Admin]

Thanks for the answer. Will try it. Out of interest, what would happen if I uploaded the app onto the 1.6 phone without specifying a minSDK?

[Dave MacLean]

You don't want to leave out minSdkVersion, since it defaults to 1, which would indicate your app runs on everything. In reality there aren't very many phones left at a version of Android below 1.5, but still.