CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidapideprecated
bob
bob

Reputation: 1889

Why can I use a method that says "Added in API 16" when I'm supporting down to API 11 in Android?

The method is ImageButton's setImageAlpha(), and it says in the documentation that it was "Added in API 16."

But it doesn't give me an error when I try to use it, unlike some other methods that get underlined red and tell me it's not supported by the API I'm supporting?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 88

Answers (1)

Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper

Reputation: 7128

One of the largest reasons Android will not error out these methods is that some methods introduce a cleaner/faster way to accomplish a task, which is great to include for users with a higher API level. A simple API level if check can allow users with a higher API level to user the cleaner/faster approach while not crashing the app for a device with a lower API level.

Erroring out the method would prevent you from supporting newer methods for users with a higher API, while still supporting devices with a lower API.

Upvotes: 1

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