Could not find method compile() for a multi module project - gradle

Question

dependencies {
compile project('client')
compile project('-cache
')
Now when I comment out compile project('product-cache-client') it moves to the next one and compains about that.
I tried to add it to gradle.settings in that module like so:
include('client')
include('cache')
But I still get the same error. I even tried adding this to the gradle.settings
project('lib/cache').projectDir = "$rootDir/lib/cache" as File
And still get the same result.
Gradle 4.4
main gradle.build file:
subprojects {
dependencies {
compile project('client')
compile project('cache')
}
repositories{
jcenter()
mavenCentral()
}
}
configure(subprojects){
apply plugin: 'maven'
apply plugin: 'java'
apply plugin: 'idea'
apply plugin: 'eclipse'
}
repositories {
}
buildscript {
ext {
sourceCompatibility = 1.8
targetCompatibility = 1.8
}
}
dependencies {
jcenter()
mavenCentral()
}

Answer 1

Add the java plugin on top of your parent build, for me this works:
apply plugin:'java'
It is recommended here - the second answer Could not find method compile() for arguments Gradle
And also switch the 'dependencies' with 'repositories' - at least in the sample of build.gradle you wrote here they are switched.

Answer 2

when you define dependency as compile then it can not be accessible at the runtime. If you run the project through IDE then it works but when you run with gradle bootRun or mvn spring-boot:run command then above error will throw. So have to just replace compile with implementation.
dependencies {
implementation project('client')
implementation project('cache')
}