解决android - Why does use of multiDexEnabled (true) allow the app to build but constantly crash?

An app I am working on (base code not written by me, containing a number of large libs which can't be removed). On a recent run it started responding with the message:

This only occurs when the app tries to build when using the run arrow, it successfully builds when calling "rebuild" or "clean".

A solution included on line is to use the multiDexEnabled true (multiDex documentation here.)

Using this I was able to get the building with both "run" arrow and "rebuild". However the app built and run on phone crashes withthe following error message:

12-11 16:17:16.963 28868-28868/? D/dalvikvm: Late-enabling CheckJNI
12-11 16:17:17.023 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 10471 (common_google_play_services_updating_text) in Lcom/google/android/gms/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.023 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0021
12-11 16:17:17.023 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop I/dalvikvm: DexOpt: unable to optimize static field ref 0x28e8 at 0x2e in Lcom/google/android/gms/common/GoogleApiAvailability;.zza
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 10465 (common_google_play_services_unknown_issue) in Lcom/google/android/gms/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0012
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 10462 (common_google_play_services_notification_ticker) in Lcom/google/android/gms/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0013
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 10437 (common_ic_googleplayservices) in Lcom/google/android/gms/R$drawable;
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0039
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 10462 (common_google_play_services_notification_ticker) in Lcom/google/android/gms/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.033 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0099
12-11 16:17:17.043 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop I/dalvikvm: Could not find method android.content.pm.PackageManager.getPackageInstaller, referenced from method com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesUtil.zzj
12-11 16:17:17.043 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve virtual method 616: Landroid/content/pm/PackageManager;.getPackageInstaller ()Landroid/content/pm/PackageInstaller;
12-11 16:17:17.043 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x6e at 0x000b
12-11 16:17:17.043 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop I/dalvikvm: DexOpt: unable to optimize static field ref 0x28c4 at 0x6c in Lcom/google/android/gms/common/GooglePlayServicesUtil;.zza
12-11 16:17:17.043 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop I/dalvikvm: DexOpt: unable to optimize static field ref 0x28e9 at 0x6e in Lcom/google/android/gms/common/GooglePlayServicesUtil;.zza
12-11 16:17:17.083 28868-28907/com.myname.myappcoop I/GMPM: App measurement is starting up
12-11 16:17:17.083 28868-28907/com.myname.myappcoop E/GMPM: getGoogleAppId failed with status: 10
12-11 16:17:17.083 28868-28907/com.myname.myappcoop E/GMPM: Uploading is not possible. App measurement disabled
12-11 16:17:17.113 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 358K, 3% free 16887K/17276K, paused 11ms, total 12ms
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8714 (static_string) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x000b
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8710 (static_string2) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x000e
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8711 (static_string3) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0011
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8716 (static_string4) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0014
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8717 (static_string5) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0017
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8721 (static_string6) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x001a
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8720 (static_string7) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x001d
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 8719 (static_string8) in Lcom/myname/display/R$string;
12-11 16:17:17.133 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x60 at 0x0020
12-11 16:17:17.143 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/MAIN: Context 1 : com.myname.myapp.Application@4268dfe8
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop E/dalvikvm: Could not find class 'com.myname.myapp.view.FalseActionBar$1', referenced from method com.myname.myapp.view.FalseActionBar.initializeView
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve new-instance 3015 (Lcom/myname/myapp/view/FalseActionBar$1;) in Lcom/myname/myapp/view/FalseActionBar;
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x22 at 0x002a
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: VFY: unable to resolve static field 10366 ($SwitchMap$com$myname$myapp$view$FalseActionBar$TitleMode) in Lcom/myname/myapp/view/FalseActionBar$3;
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: VFY: replacing opcode 0x62 at 0x0005
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: DexOpt: unable to opt direct call 0x5db9 at 0x2c in Lcom/myname/myapp/view/FalseActionBar;.initializeView
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/dalvikvm: DexOpt: unable to opt direct call 0x5dba at 0x46 in Lcom/myname/myapp/view/FalseActionBar;.initializeView
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop D/AndroidRuntime: Shutting down VM
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop W/dalvikvm: threadid=1: thread exiting with uncaught exception (group=0x4162fba8)
12-11 16:17:17.163 28868-28868/com.myname.myappcoop E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
                           Process: com.myname.myappcoop, PID: 28868
                           java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.myname.myappcoop/com.myname.myapp.MainActivity}: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #24: Error inflating class com.myname.myapp.view.FalseActionBar
                               at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2184)
                               at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2233)
                               at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:135)
                               at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1196)
                               at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
                               at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
                               at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5001)
                               at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
                               at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
                               at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:785)
                               at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:601)
                               at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
                            Caused by: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #24: Error inflating class com.myname.myapp.view.FalseActionBar
                               at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:620)
                               at android.view.LayoutInflater

The where the code is crashing (Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com.myname.myapp.view.FalseActionBar$1) is when a listener is being declared. It was originally in another class extending on click listener so I brought it into the code, but that did not help.

you need to do following things

1. in build.gradle add

   dexOptions {
       javaMaxHeapSize "4g"
   }
   

2. enable multidex

   defaultConfig {
           multiDexEnabled true
        }
   

3. Create a file extends with MultiDexApplication as following

       public class App extends MultiDexApplication {
   
               @Override
               protected void attachBaseContext(Context base) {
                   super.attachBaseContext(base);
                   MultiDex.install(this);
               } 
           }
   

   and make this 'App' class as application class in manifest as below -

   <application
       android:name=".activity.App"