ActionBarCompat: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat

Question

I am getting a RuntimeException on Android 2.3.5 but I am using Theme.AppCompat (res/values/themes.xml). This is the phone: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_y_s5360-4117.php

 <!-- res/values/themes.xml -->
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <resources>

     <style name="Theme.Styled" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat">
         <item name="actionBarStyle">@style/QueryActionBar</item>
         <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/QueryActionBar</item>
     </style>

     <style name="QueryActionBar" parent="@style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
         <item name="background">@color/blueback</item>
         <item name="android:background">@color/blueback</item>
         <item name="backgroundSplit">@color/blueback</item>
         <item name="android:backgroundSplit">@color/blueback</item>
     </style>

 </resources>

Here is the file for values-v11.

 <!-- res/values-v11/themes.xml -->
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <resources>
    <style name="QueryTheme" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo">
    <!-- Any customizations for your app running on devices with Theme.Holo here -->
    </style>
 </resources>

Here is the error.

 java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.txt2lrn.www/com.txt2lrn.www.LandingActivity}: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.
 at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1651)
 at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1667)
 at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1500(ActivityThread.java:117)
 at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:935)
 at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
 at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:130)
 at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:3687)
 at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
 at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
 at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:867)
 at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:625)
 at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
 Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.
 at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.onCreate(ActionBarActivityDelegate.java:102)
 at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.onCreate(ActionBarActivity.java:98)
 at com.txt2lrn.www.LandingActivity.onCreate(LandingActivity.java:95)
 at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1047)
 at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1615)
 ... 11 more

Sorry folks, I also do have android:theme="@style/Theme.Styled" defined in AndroidManifest.xml.

Answer 1

If you are extending ActionBarActivity in your MainActivity, you will have to change the parent theme in values-v11 also.
So the style.xml in values-v11 will be -

 <!-- res/values-v11/themes.xml -->
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <resources>
    <style name="QueryTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat">
    <!-- Any customizations for your app running on devices with Theme.Holo here -->
    </style>
 </resources>

EDIT: I would recommend you stop using ActionBar and start using the AppBar layout included in the Android Design Support Library

Answer 2

To simply add ActionBar Compat your activity or application should use @style/Theme.AppCompat theme in AndroidManifest.xml like this:

   <activity
        ...
        android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat" />

This will add actionbar in activty(or all activities if you added this theme to application)

---

But usually you need to customize you actionbar. To do this you need to create two styles with Theme.AppCompat parent, for example, "@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light". First one will be for api 11>= (versions of android with build in android actionbar), second one for api 7-10 (no build in actionbar).

Let's look at first style. It will be located in res/values-v11/styles.xml . It will look like this:

<style name="Theme.Styled" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    <!-- Setting values in the android namespace affects API levels 11+ -->
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/Widget.Styled.ActionBar</item>
</style>

<style name="Widget.Styled.ActionBar" parent="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar">
    <!-- Setting values in the android namespace affects API levels 11+ -->
    <item name="android:background">@drawable/ab_custom_solid_styled</item>
    <item name="android:backgroundStacked"
      >@drawable/ab_custom_stacked_solid_styled</item>
    <item name="android:backgroundSplit"
      >@drawable/ab_custom_bottom_solid_styled</item>
</style>

And you need to have same style for api 7-10. It will be located in res/values/styles.xml, BUT because that api levels don't yet know about original android actionbar style items, we should use one, provided by support library. ActionBar Compat items are defined just like original android, but without "android:" part in the front:

<style name="Theme.Styled" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    <!-- Setting values in the default namespace affects API levels 7-11 -->
    <item name="actionBarStyle">@style/Widget.Styled.ActionBar</item>
</style>

<style name="Widget.Styled.ActionBar" parent="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar">
    <!-- Setting values in the default namespace affects API levels 7-11 -->
    <item name="background">@drawable/ab_custom_solid_styled</item>
    <item name="backgroundStacked">@drawable/ab_custom_stacked_solid_styled</item>
    <item name="backgroundSplit">@drawable/ab_custom_bottom_solid_styled</item>
</style>

Please mark that, even if api levels higher than 10 already have actionbar you should still use AppCompat styles. If you don't, you will have this error on launch of Acitvity on devices with android 3.0 and higher:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.

Here is link this original article http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2013/08/actionbarcompat-and-io-2013-app-source.html written by Chris Banes.

Answer 3

Check and make sure that you do not have another values folder that references theme.styled and does not use AppCompat theme

ie values-v11 folder

Answer 4

Try this...

styles.xml

<resources>
 <style name="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
 </style>
</resources>

AndroidManifest.xml

   <activity
        android:name="com.example.Home"
        android:label="@string/app_name" 
        android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar"
        >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

Answer 5

Your Activity is extending ActionBarActivity which requires the AppCompat.theme to be applied. Change from ActionBarActivity to Activity or FragmentActivity, it will solve the problem.

Answer 6

Just do it Build -> Clean Project. I think this will solve your problem.