Error: resource android:attr/preserveIconSpacing is private

Question

Hi i am trying to migrate my Android app project from Eclipse to Android Studio. This built for Android KitKat. I forgot what is the version of Eclipse that i used. Im using Android Studio 3.0.1. I followed the instruction from here https://developer.android.com/studio/intro/migrate.html. I got this error when trying to migrate. Please help. This means a lot to me

Error Message Image

And this is the error message on the Gradle Console

Executing tasks: [:app:generateDebugSources, :app:generateDebugAndroidTestSources, :app:mockableAndroidJar]

Configuration on demand is an incubating feature.
Configuration 'compile' in project ':app' is deprecated. Use 'implementation' instead.
:app:preBuild UP-TO-DATE
:app:preDebugBuild
:app:compileDebugAidl
:app:compileDebugRenderscript
:app:checkDebugManifest
:app:generateDebugBuildConfig
:app:prepareLintJar
:app:generateDebugResValues
:app:generateDebugResources
:app:mergeDebugResources
:app:createDebugCompatibleScreenManifests
:app:processDebugManifest
:app:splitsDiscoveryTaskDebug
:app:processDebugResources
AGPBI: {"kind":"error","text":"error: resource android:attr/preserveIconSpacing is private.","sources":[{"file":"C:\\Users\\Shazwan\\.gradle\\caches\\transforms-1\\files-1.1\\appcompat-v7-19.1.0.aar\\df4f4f2e7a9c43dda4827c11e87fed2a\\res\\values\\values.xml","position":{"startLine":507,"startColumn":4,"startOffset":24529,"endColumn":61,"endOffset":24586}}],"original":"","tool":"AAPT"}
D:\Work\AndroidD\OpacKAWAT\app\build\intermediates\incremental\mergeDebugResources\merged.dir\values\values.xml:133: error: resource android:attr/preserveIconSpacing is private.
error: failed linking references.

Failed to execute aapt
com.android.ide.common.process.ProcessException: Failed to execute aapt
    at com.android.builder.core.AndroidBuilder.processResources(AndroidBuilder.java:796)
    at com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessAndroidResources.invokeAaptForSplit(ProcessAndroidResources.java:551)
    at com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ProcessAndroidResources.doFullTaskAction(ProcessAndroidResources.java:285)
    at com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.IncrementalTask.taskAction(IncrementalTask.java:109)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:73)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$IncrementalTaskAction.doExecute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:173)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$StandardTaskAction.execute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:134)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.DefaultTaskClassInfoStore$StandardTaskAction.execute(DefaultTaskClassInfoStore.java:121)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$1.run(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:122)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:197)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:107)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:111)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:92)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:70)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:63)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskOutputCachingStateExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:58)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:88)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskArtifactStateTaskExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:54)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:34)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker$1.run(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:248)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:336)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:328)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:197)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:107)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:241)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:230)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:124)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.access$200(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:80)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:105)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:99)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:625)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.executeWithTask(DefaultTaskExecutionPlan.java:580)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:99)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:63)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:46)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
    at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:55)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Caused by: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.tools.aapt2.Aapt2Exception: AAPT2 error: check logs for details
    at com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractFuture.getDoneValue(AbstractFuture.java:503)
    at com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractFuture.get(AbstractFuture.java:482)
    at com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractFuture$TrustedFuture.get(AbstractFuture.java:79)
    at com.android.builder.core.AndroidBuilder.processResources(AndroidBuilder.java:794)
    ... 48 more
Caused by: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: com.android.tools.aapt2.Aapt2Exception: AAPT2 error: check logs for details
    at com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractFuture.getDoneValue(AbstractFuture.java:503)
    at com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractFuture.get(AbstractFuture.java:462)
    at com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractFuture$TrustedFuture.get(AbstractFuture.java:79)
    at com.android.builder.internal.aapt.v2.QueueableAapt2.lambda$makeValidatedPackage$1(QueueableAapt2.java:179)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
    ... 1 more
Caused by: com.android.tools.aapt2.Aapt2Exception: AAPT2 error: check logs for details
    at com.android.builder.png.AaptProcess$NotifierProcessOutput.handleOutput(AaptProcess.java:463)
    at com.android.builder.png.AaptProcess$NotifierProcessOutput.err(AaptProcess.java:415)
    at com.android.builder.png.AaptProcess$ProcessOutputFacade.err(AaptProcess.java:332)
    at com.android.utils.GrabProcessOutput$1.run(GrabProcessOutput.java:104)

 FAILED

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':app:processDebugResources'.
> Failed to execute aapt

* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

* Get more help at https://help.gradle.org

BUILD FAILED in 37s

12 actionable tasks: 12 executed

Answer 1

I got the same issue when upgrading from eclipse to android studio. I solved it by upgrading build.gradle.

first, I upgraded

 buildToolsVersion 

then changed

  compileSdkVersion 'your api level'
  minSdkVersion 'your api level'
  targetSdkVersion 'your api level'

also upgraded

dependencies {
implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:'your api level''
}

this solved my issue

Answer 2

My experience was this: after downgrading from targetSdkVersion 21 to 19 (because about 20 phones in my company use android 4.4), I encountered the error from the title: resource android:attr/preserveIconSpacing is private.

I managed to pass over this error this way:

In the error message it was written the directory with the setting, in my case it was: .gradle\caches\transforms-1\files-1.1\appcompat-v7-19.0.0.aar\4cd3ccb7957b0114d8e3c7a67ecc96ad\res\values\. I opened attr.xml file from that directory, commented the whole line stated in the message, which was:

<attr name="android:preserveIconSpacing" />

Now the ugly error disappeared. I didn't believe that could solve the problem because it sounds like it was a cache directory and that could be overwritten, but it wasn't like that, it worked.

Previously I also tried to modify the attr.xml file from the android directory, which I thought to be the solution, that is android-sdk\extras\android\support\v7\appcompat\res\values\attr.xml. But that file could not be modified, it was write-protected. I closed all Android studio, no java or any other similar app started, but no luck.

Previously I also tried to copy "attr.xml" from the directory android-sdk\extras\android\support\v7\appcompat\res\values\, modified the preserveIconSpacing setting and then copied it in my res/values directory. No luck.

UPDATE 2018-nov-05 . In another installation it wasn't an "attr.xml" file that contained that string "". So I searched the whole "res" directory specified in the error and it was found/located in "values.xml" file . I commented it there. And it worked.

I hope this helps somebody.

Answer 3

For some reason I wanted to compile my project with KitKat (API level 19) and doing so with the latest canary (Android Studio 3.3 Canary 5) was not working (I don't remember the error message but I had wasted quite some time due to that and thought it might come out as helpful to someone having the same problem).

I did the following things:

1. open the project in Android Studio 2.3 stable,

2. open the build.gradle file of my project (not that of app module!) and set the plugin version to 2.2.3:

   dependencies {
       classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:2.2.3'
   }
   

3. replaced google() in the build.gradle of the project with (if you don't have any google() in your file):

   maven {
       url 'https://maven.google.com'
   }
   

4. open gradle-wrapper.properties and set gradle version to 2.14.1 (this page is useful when picking plugin and gradle versions which are compatible with each other):

   distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-2.14.1-all.zip