# SDL: cmake: target older Java while compiling Android Java classes

**URL:** <https://discourse.libsdl.org/t/sdl-cmake-target-older-java-while-compiling-android-java-classes/69427>\
**Category:** SDL Commits\
**Created:** [September 29, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://discourse.libsdl.org/t/sdl-cmake-target-older-java-while-compiling-android-java-classes/69427 "2026-09-29T13:48:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SDLPushPostBot](https://discourse.libsdl.org/user_avatar/discourse.libsdl.org/sdlpushpostbot/32/4370_2.png) [@SDLPushPostBot](https://discourse.libsdl.org/u/SDLPushPostBot)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://discourse.libsdl.org/t/sdl-cmake-target-older-java-while-compiling-android-java-classes/69427/1 "2026-09-29T13:48:27Z")

</div>

> <https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/commit/e8262a87a7b51b8009a15ad7585bdf7b51efe5b8>
>
> dex does not always support .class files targeting the latest JDK

```diff
From e8262a87a7b51b8009a15ad7585bdf7b51efe5b8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Anonymous Maarten <[EMAIL REDACTED]>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:45:34 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] cmake: target older Java while compiling Android Java classes

dex does not always support .class files targeting the latest JDK
---
 CMakeLists.txt | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5429cb84d4f76..97b1f441a3ad0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1676,7 +1676,7 @@ if(ANDROID)
       set(path_android_jar "${SDL_ANDROID_PLATFORM_ROOT}/android.jar")
       set(android_java_sources_root "${SDL3_SOURCE_DIR}/android-project/app/src/main/java")
       file(GLOB SDL_JAVA_SOURCES "${android_java_sources_root}/org/libsdl/app/*.java")
- set(CMAKE_JAVA_COMPILE_FLAGS "-encoding;utf-8")
+ set(CMAKE_JAVA_COMPILE_FLAGS "-encoding;utf-8;-source;1.8;-target;1.8")
       add_jar(SDL3-jar
         SOURCES ${SDL_JAVA_SOURCES}
         INCLUDE_JARS "${path_android_jar}"

```