Empty space when I return to Activity (Soft Keyboard forced)

Question

I have an ActionView with menu item on ActionBar (using ActionBarSherlock), I'm able to display an EditText as a search field in it. It's an input to launch another Activity with a CustomView in ActionBar which it displays the same layout (I don't use anything to force the SoftKeyboard to appear in this second activity, there is no problem here). When I want to make the Soft Keyboard appears/disapears automatically when the view collapse in first activity, I use:

openKeyboard method

mImm.toggleSoftInput(InputMethodManager.SHOW_FORCED, InputMethodManager.HIDE_IMPLICIT_ONLY);  

closeKeyboard method

mImm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(edittext.getWindowToken(), 0); 

I use the ActionExpandListener to make the SoftKeyboard appears or disappears when the View expands or collapse. With these two methods above, I have the expected result. I found this on several questions on SO (especially on Close/hide the Android Soft Keyboard and Showing the soft keyboard for SearchView on ActionBar or Forcing the Soft Keyboard open).

Just to understand, when I used SHOW_IMPLICIT or SHOW_FORCED alone, it was no effect on lower versions (as 2.+). The EditText was focused but the keyboard didn't show up (so, you guess it was a bad thing). In recent versions (as 4.+ for example), it was a nice effect and no problem. Then, I forced keyboard to show up with the openKeyboard method above.

Now, I got some troubles with this...
On lower versions, I got "empty" space before and after the keyboard created/destroyed, I can live with this. BUT in recent versions, I got "empty" space which it displays when I return to the first Activity. And it's here during less than one second, but sufficient to see that!
To better understand what happens, see the image below:

1. Second Activity: I press the Up Home Button - the keyboard disappears properly.
2. (back to) First Activity: my ListView is covered by a "empty" space (background color in my application). And it disappears (this is the same height of the SoftKeyboard, no possible doubt!)

I guess it's because I forced the keyboard to appear in my first activity although I also forced the keyboard to hide when I go the second, but how can I resolve the "empty" space when I return to the first activity?

---

Summary
1) A activity => press item in menu > view collapse > show the keyboard > tap text > send it > hide keyboard > launch B activity.
2) B activity => setCustomView in actionbar > show the keyboard only if the edittext is focused/clicked > tap text > send it > hide keyboard > refresh content > press home button > return to A activity
3) A activity => "empty" screen > screen disappears.

Any help will be very appreciate.
Thanks for your time.

---

EDIT
I add my code of my first class, to see if someone tells me what I'm doing wrong. Maybe it's my code which makes the issue.

Menu (ActionView)

ActionBar actionBar;
MenuItem itemSearchAction;
EditText mSearchEdit;
InputMethodManager mImm;

@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(final Menu menu) {
    getSupportMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main, menu);

    itemSearchAction = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search);
    View v = (View) itemSearchAction.getActionView();
    mSearchEdit = (EditText) v.findViewById(R.id.SearchEdit);
    itemSearchAction.setOnActionExpandListener(this);

    return true;
}  

OnActionExpandListener

@Override
public boolean onMenuItemActionExpand(MenuItem item) {
    actionBar.setIcon(R.drawable.ic_app_search); // change icon
    mSearchEdit.requestFocus(); // set focus on edittext
    openKeyboard(); // the method above
    mSearchEdit.setOnEditorActionListener(new OnEditorActionListener() {
        @Override
        public boolean onEditorAction(TextView v, int actionId, KeyEvent event) {
            if (actionId == EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_SEARCH || (event != null && event.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_ENTER)) {
                closeKeyboard(); // same method as above
                // new Intent() to second activity 
                // perform with startActivity();
                itemSearchAction.collapseActionView(); // collapse view
                return true;
            }
            return false;
        }
    });
    // add a clicklistener to re-open the keyboard on lower versions
    mSearchEdit.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
            openKeyboard();
        }  
    });
    return true;
}

@Override
public boolean onMenuItemActionCollapse(MenuItem item) {
    actionBar.setIcon(R.drawable.ic_app_logo); // change icon again
    if(!(mSearchEdit.getText().toString().equals("")))
                            mSearchEdit.setText(""); // reinitial the edittext
    return true;
}  

OnOptionsItemSelected

// I had this verification when I make new Intent() to  
// a new activity, just in case (works like a charm)  
if(itemSearchAction.isActionViewExpanded())
         itemSearchAction.collapseActionView();  

ActionView (Item + layout)

<item
     android:id="@+id/action_search"
     android:icon="@drawable/ic_app_search"
     android:title="@string/action_search"
     android:showAsAction="ifRoom|collapseActionView"
     android:actionLayout="@layout/search_actionview" />  

<EditText
     xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:id="@+id/SearchEdit"
     android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
     android:layout_gravity="right|bottom" android:gravity="left"
     android:layout_marginBottom="6dip"
     android:hint="@string/action_search"
     android:textColor="@color/white"
     android:textColorHint="@color/white"
     android:singleLine="true"
     android:cursorVisible="true"
     android:inputType="text"
     android:imeOptions="actionSearch|flagNoExtractUi"
     android:imeActionLabel="@string/action_search"
     android:focusable="true" android:focusableInTouchMode="true"
     android:background="@drawable/bt_edit_searchview_focused" >

     <requestFocus />
</EditText>

---

UPDATE

I see a lot of similar issues, with EditText in ActionBar which not makes the keyboard appear even the focus has set. I tried this again (even if I already tested several time):

/*
* NOT WORKING 
* Sources: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11011091/how-can-i-focus-on-a-collapsible-action-view-edittext-item-in-the-action-bar-wh  
* https://stackoverflow.com/a/12903527/2668136
*/
int mode = WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_VISIBLE;
getWindow().setSoftInputMode(mode);  

postDelayed() to show: .showSoftInput(mSearchEdit, InputMethodManager.SHOW_IMPLICIT); - 200ms (Not working on lower versions)
postDelayed() to hide: .hideSoftInputFromWindow(mSearchEdit.getWindowToken(), 0); - 200ms  

new Runnable() on edittext => requestFocus() + showSoftInput(SHOW_IMPLICIT/FORCED/HIDE_NOT_ALWAYS/HIDE_IMPLICIT_ONLY)

It seems with me, only SHOW_FORCED|HIDE_IMPLICIT_ONLY can force the keyboard to show automatically when the view collapse. After this, in all versions, I must to make a hideSoftInputFromWindow to 0 for hiding it.
BUT this undisplays the keyboard even if the edittext is pressed, so I added an ClickListener to force the keyboard to show again (this happens only on lower versions).

---

UPDATE2:
It's clearly weird, when I try to make a little Thread like I saw in many SO answers (with/without ABS), nothing happens in lower versions.
I tried a different way. I created the new thread to have a short time before call the new intent for hide the keyboard. I had the keyboard which forced to close, OK. And then I opened the new activity, OK. But now when I return, it's worth! The "empty" space is also on lower versions when I come back. I did this:

// close the keyboard before intent
closeKeyboard();
// make the intent after 500 ms
Handler handler = new Handler();
Runnable runner = new Runnable() {
    public void run() {
        // new intent with startActivity()
    }
};
handler.postDelayed(runner, 500); 
// collapse the View  
itemSearchAction.collapseActionView();  

It gives me headaches! I don't understand why in my case, the tip above not working whereas on other answers, when they use a new thread to show/hide the keyboard, this works perfectly.

NOTE: my tests were on (emulator:) GalaxyNexus, NexusS, NexusOne and (real devices:) Samsung GalaxySL (2.3.6) and Nexus4 (4.4).

If someone can help me with this ugly situation. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Did you tried this one?

setContentView(R.layout.activity_direction_3);
    getWindow().getDecorView().setBackgroundColor(
            android.R.color.transparent);

Answer 2

Remove Translucent theme:

android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Translucent" 

and use your Activity in manifest.xml as:

<activity
     android:name=".SearchActivity"
     android:screenOrientation="portrait">