How to change the color theme of android app?

Question

I’ve been following instructions on how to change the color, but the program produces this error:

06-29 19:20:39.416 7041-7041/com.example.lucerne.adapter_example_2 E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main

    Process: com.example.lucerne.adapter_example_2, PID: 7041
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.lucerne.adapter_example_2/com.example.lucerne.adapter_example_2.MainActivity}: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.

Currently, style.xml looks like below:

<!--<color name="white_opaque">#FFFFFFFF</color>-->
<!--<color name="pitch_black">#FF000000</color>-->

<!--<style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Light">-->
    <!--<item name="android:background">@color/white_opaque</item>-->
    <!--<item name="android:windowBackground">@color/white_opaque</item>-->
    <!--<item name="android:colorBackground">@color/white_opaque</item>-->

<!--</style>-->

 <!--Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>
</style>

<!--<style name="AppTheme" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">-->
    <!--<item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBarTheme</item>-->
<!--</style>-->
<!--<style name="MyActionBarTheme" parent="@android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar">-->
    <!--<item name="android:background">#FF0000</item>-->
<!--</style>-->

What is causing the error, and how I can change the colors to something else?

Answer 1

As the error says, you must extend Theme.AppCompat in your style.

Simple example like this:

<style name="AppTheme.NoActionBar">
    <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
    <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
  </style>

 <style name="Theme.SemiTransparent" parent="AppTheme.NoActionBar">
    <item name="android:windowIsTranslucent">true</item>
    <item name="android:windowBackground">@color/colorSemiTransparent</item>
    <item name="android:windowContentOverlay">@null</item>
    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
    <item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">false</item>
  </style>

look at the style name at the first style, AppTheme.NoActionBar, it's using AppTheme as its base. Then in the second style, AppTheme.NoActionBar, it's using AppTheme with NoActionBar as its parent.

After you have using AppTheme as the base, you can change the color of your view with your custom style.