android View not attached to window manager

Question

I am having some of the following exceptions:

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: View not attached to window manager
at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.findViewLocked(WindowManagerImpl.java:355)
at android.view.WindowManagerImpl.updateViewLayout(WindowManagerImpl.java:191)
at android.view.Window$LocalWindowManager.updateViewLayout(Window.java:428)
at android.app.Dialog.onWindowAttributesChanged(Dialog.java:596)
at android.view.Window.setDefaultWindowFormat(Window.java:1013)
at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow.access$700(PhoneWindow.java:86)
at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow$DecorView.drawableChanged(PhoneWindow.java:1951)
at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow$DecorView.fitSystemWindows(PhoneWindow.java:1889)
at android.view.ViewRoot.performTraversals(ViewRoot.java:727)
at android.view.ViewRoot.handleMessage(ViewRoot.java:1633)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:123)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4338)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:521)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:860)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:618)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

I have googled it and see that it has something to do with popups and turning the screen, but there is no reference to my code.

The questions are:

1. is there a way to find out exactly when this issue is happening?
2. other than turning the screen, is there another event or action that triggers this error?
3. how do I prevent this to happen?

Answer 1

I had this issue where on a screen orientation change, the activity finished before the AsyncTask with the progress dialog completed. I seemed to resolve this by setting the dialog to null onPause() and then checking this in the AsyncTask before dismissing.

@Override
public void onPause() {
    super.onPause();

    if ((mDialog != null) && mDialog.isShowing())
        mDialog.dismiss();
    mDialog = null;
}

... in my AsyncTask:

protected void onPreExecute() {
    mDialog = ProgressDialog.show(mContext, "", "Saving changes...",
            true);
}

protected void onPostExecute(Object result) {
   if ((mDialog != null) && mDialog.isShowing()) { 
        mDialog.dismiss();
   }
}

Answer 2

After a fight with this issue, I finally end up with this workaround:

/**
 * Dismiss {@link ProgressDialog} with check for nullability and SDK version
 *
 * @param dialog instance of {@link ProgressDialog} to dismiss
 */
public void dismissProgressDialog(ProgressDialog dialog) {
    if (dialog != null && dialog.isShowing()) {

            //get the Context object that was used to great the dialog
            Context context = ((ContextWrapper) dialog.getContext()).getBaseContext();

            // if the Context used here was an activity AND it hasn't been finished or destroyed
            // then dismiss it
            if (context instanceof Activity) {

                // Api >=17
                if (!((Activity) context).isFinishing() {
                    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1) {
                        if (!((Activity) context).isDestroyed()) {
                            dismissWithExceptionHandling(dialog);
                        }
                    } else { 
                        // Api < 17. Unfortunately cannot check for isDestroyed()
                        dismissWithExceptionHandling(dialog);
                    }
                }
            } else
                // if the Context used wasn't an Activity, then dismiss it too
                dismissWithExceptionHandling(dialog);
        }
        dialog = null;
    }
}

/**
 * Dismiss {@link ProgressDialog} with try catch
 *
 * @param dialog instance of {@link ProgressDialog} to dismiss
 */
public void dismissWithExceptionHandling(ProgressDialog dialog) {
    try {
        dialog.dismiss();
    } catch (final IllegalArgumentException e) {
        // Do nothing.
    } catch (final Exception e) {
        // Do nothing.
    } finally {
        dialog = null;
    }
}

Sometimes, good exception handling works well if there wasn't a better solution for this issue.

Answer 3

If you have an Activity object hanging around, you can use the isDestroyed() method:

Activity activity;

// ...

if (!activity.isDestroyed()) {
    // ...
}

This is nice if you have a non-anonymous AsyncTask subclass that you use in various places.

Answer 4

I am using a custom static class which makes- shows and hides a dialog. this class is being used by other activities too not only one activiy. Now the problem you described also appeared to me and i have stayed overnight to find a solution..

Finally i present you the solution!

if you want to show or dismiss a dialog and you dont know which activity initiated the dialog in order to touch it then the following code is for you..

 static class CustomDialog{

     public static void initDialog(){
         ...
         //init code
         ...
     }

      public static void showDialog(){
         ...
         //init code for show dialog
         ...
     }

     /****This is your Dismiss dialog code :D*******/
     public static void dismissProgressDialog(Context context) {                
            //Can't touch other View of other Activiy..
            //http://stackoverflow.com/questions/23458162/dismiss-progress-dialog-in-another-activity-android
            if ( (progressdialog != null) && progressdialog.isShowing()) {

                //is it the same context from the caller ?
                Log.w("ProgressDIalog dismiss", "the dialog is from"+progressdialog.getContext());

                Class caller_context= context.getClass();
                Activity call_Act = (Activity)context;
                Class progress_context= progressdialog.getContext().getClass();

                Boolean is_act= ( (progressdialog.getContext()) instanceof  Activity )?true:false;
                Boolean is_ctw= ( (progressdialog.getContext()) instanceof  ContextThemeWrapper )?true:false;

                if (is_ctw) {
                    ContextThemeWrapper cthw=(ContextThemeWrapper) progressdialog.getContext();
                    Boolean is_same_acivity_with_Caller= ((Activity)(cthw).getBaseContext() ==  call_Act )?true:false;

                    if (is_same_acivity_with_Caller){
                        progressdialog.dismiss();
                        progressdialog = null;
                    }
                    else {
                        Log.e("ProgressDIalog dismiss", "the dialog is NOT from the same context! Can't touch.."+((Activity)(cthw).getBaseContext()).getClass());
                        progressdialog = null;
                    }
                }


            }
        } 

 }