AAPT2 error during Android compilation

[LeoDupont]

Please, provide the details below:

Did you verify this is a real problem by searching the NativeScript Forum and the other open issues in this repo?

Yes

Tell us about the problem

I get the following error while running tns run android:

Error: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.builder.internal.aapt.v2.Aapt2Exception: AAPT2 error: check logs for details

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:mergeDebugResources'.
> Error: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.builder.internal.aapt.v2.Aapt2Exception: AAPT2 error: check logs for details

Please provide the following version numbers that your issue occurs with:

• CLI: 4.1.1
• Cross-platform modules: 4.0.1
• Runtime(s): 4.1.3

Did the error happen while the app was being constructed? (buildtime error)

Here is the log of tns run android --log trace:
log.txt

Please tell us how to recreate the issue in as much detail as possible.

1. Install NativeScript on a Windows 10 computer with an account name containing non-ASCII characters (in my log, the "Ú" character in C:\Users\LÚo\... should be an "é" instead).
2. Create a new project (even in a path without non-ASCII character) (in my case, it's the NativeScript with Angular Groceries tutorial).
3. Run tns run android. At this point, it might or might not work a couple of times until it starts failing with the AAPT2 error and never works again (would it be with LiveSync or by re-running tns run android).

The only way I found to bypass this error is to set android.enableAapt2=false in platform/android/gradle.properties. However, if I run ./gradlew, it tells me this AAPT2 option is deprecated and will soon be removed:

PS C:\NativeScript\Groceries\platforms\android> ./gradlew
Starting a Gradle Daemon, 1 busy and 1 incompatible Daemons could not be reused, use --status for details

> Configure project :app
WARNING: The option 'android.enableAapt2' is deprecated and should not be used anymore.
Use 'android.enableAapt2=true' to remove this warning.
It will be removed at the end of 2018..

As far as my research went, it seems that this problem could occur because of the non-ASCII character in my Windows user account (which can't be changed) and I am not the only one:

• Same problem on another NativeScript repository
• A clue that this problem could be solved by updating Gradle in tns-android to at least version 3.2.0: my Gradle version is 3.1.2 according to platform/android/build.gradle.

[darind]

@LeoDupont, does your project build successfully if you set android.enableAapt2=false despite the deprecation warning?

[LeoDupont]

@darind Yes, it does compile successfully when I set this option to false.

[darind]

@LeoDupont, could you please send the output of the tns build android command with the android.enableAapt2=false setting?

[LeoDupont]

@darind Sure, here it is, running tns run android --log trace > log_with_aapt2_false.txt :
log_with_aapt2_false.txt

[darind]

@LeoDupont, I tried gradle 4.8.1 and the android gradle 3.2.0-alpha18 plugin (latest at the time of this writing) but it doesn't seem to resolve the issue with non ASCII characters in the path.

As a workaround I may suggest creating a symlink and then running the tns commands from a path that doesn't contain special characters:

mklink /D "c:\work\Leo" "C:\Users\Léo"

We will continue to monitor this and when gradle supports it, we will upgrade immediately.

[LeoDupont]

@darind Your workaround seems to work.

I deleted the android.enabledAapt2=false option, created a symlink and ran C:\work\leo\AppData\Roaming\npm\tns run android several times, also tried LiveSync and I didn't get the AAPT 2 error since.

I hope Gradle will soon support non-ASCII characters in the path, though 🤞
Thank you for monitoring this.

[LeoDupont]

Update: the workaround no longer works...
I have to add android.enableAapt2=false each time I clean platforms/android (which happens quite a lot).

Any news about a Gradle upgrade in NativeScript?
The non-ASCII bug is said to be resolved since Gradle 3.2.0 (source: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/46988102/errorcom-android-tools-aapt2-aapt2exception-aapt2-error-check-logs-for-detail/46988209#46988209) but my platforms/android/build.gradle says I'm using 3.1.3 (with the last NativeScript version: 4.2.3).

[vtrifonov]

Hi @LeoDupont, we haven't upgraded the android gradle plugin as the 3.2.0 version is not yet official: https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.android.tools.build/gradle?repo=google

[LeoDupont]

Hi @vtrifonov
I see. I'm looking forward to an official new release then!

[vtrifonov]

Hi @LeoDupont with the 5.0 version of {N} we are using android gradle plugin 3.2.0, so can you check whether the issue still exists when using it?

[vtrifonov]

@TopGuo with the 5.0.0 version of the android runtime you still experience the same issue?

[vtrifonov]

I mean NativeScript Android Runtime version, but not the phone version.

[vtrifonov]

@TopGuo do you still experience the issue above?

[HarshitMadhav]

Yes I am facing this same issue right now

[vtrifonov]

@HarshitMadhav which tns-android and nativescript CLI are you using?