NoSuchMethodError error for getActionBar() (API-8)

Question

when i run the app it installs but then crashes, ecplise isnt telling there is anything wrong with my code. i think its a problem with my manifest...

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.secondapp"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="8"
        android:targetSdkVersion="15" />

    <application
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/title_activity_main" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>                
                <meta-data
                    android:name="android.support.PARENT_ACTIVITY"
                    android:value="com.example.secondapp" />
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

do u guys see any problems?

10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147): java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: com.example.secondapp.MainActivity.getActionBar
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at com.example.secondapp.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:15)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1047)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1722)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:1784)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1500(ActivityThread.java:123)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:939)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:130)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:3835)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:864)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:622)
10-19 10:41:25.589: E/AndroidRuntime(10147):    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

this is the logcat, not sure if this will help

Answer 1

Use getSupportActionBar available with support library v7 as described here on the 6. Retrieve the Action Bar section

getSupportActionBar documentation

Answer 2

java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: com.example.secondapp.MainActivity.getActionBar

On your MainActivity class, you call getActionBar() which is not available to your application.

Your android:minSdkVersion is set to 8 (API-8), which does not provide getActionBar() (only since API-11).

You should use ActionBarSherlock for good backward compatibility, or set android:minSdkVersion but then all devices < API-11 won't be targeted.

Answer 3

This is because the getActionBar is a method of api 11, but you can do this:

if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 11)
    getActionBar().setDisplayHomeAsUpEnabled(true); //example

and in the activity class add this suppress Lint:

@SuppressLint("NewApi")