Failed to load AppCompat ActionBar with unknown error

Question

My project can't render the layout in preview. My Android Studio version 3.1.2. Im using API 28. This my activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout 
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".MainActivity"
android:id="@+id/frame_container">

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:text="Hello World"
    android:gravity="center"/>
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

It's simple, just to print Hello World to layout, but it can't show. The error like below :

I search the solve problem, the solution is using API 26. And i try, everything is normal, preview success. But i create Fragment Activity, the problems come back, preview can't show. If you have new solution, please help me!

Answer 1

I met the same problem recently despite it being a wizard simple project.

I tried with 23 level (Mashmallow) without any changes. I uninstalled Android Studio, reinstalled it, it made no changes, error was still there...

Then I realized the problem was coming from a dependency (probably recently updated from Google with an error). The solution is to use the previous release.

Go to File -> Project Structure -> Modules app -> Dependencies Tab. The default used by wizard during project creation is com.android.support:appcompat-v7:28.0.0-alpha3

Simply modify to com.android.support:appcompat-v7:27.1.1

Answer 2

in app\res\values\styles.xml change

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">

to

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Base.Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">

(Render error in Android Studio 3.0 Layout Editor)