Rendering Problems while changing the theme

Question

I'm new to Appdevelopment and trying to change the Theme of my app in Android Studio 1.4.1 (latest) on Windows 10 x64, but I always get exceptions, here is what I do: (yes, I now there are already many questions, but I couldn't find an answer)

1. Start Project (name: TEST)
2. For Phone and Tablet (min. SDK: API 15 Android 4.0.3 IceCreamSandwich)
3. Choose Blank Activity (name: MainActivity)
4. Go to activity_main.xml -> design view
5. Choose Nexus 4; API 23; Holo Light / Holo Dark / Material Light / Material Dark; (API and Phone doesn't matter => tried a lot)
6. EXCEPTION:

Rendering Problems

The following classes could not be instantiated:

• android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout
• android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout

Tip: [...]

Exception Details

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with the design library. at android.support.design.widget.ThemeUtils.checkAppCompatTheme(ThemeUtils.java:34) at android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout.(CoordinatorLayout.java:178) at android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout.(CoordinatorLayout.java:172) at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62) at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45) at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:422) at org.jetbrains.android.uipreview.ViewLoader.createNewInstance(ViewLoader.java:458) at org.jetbrains.android.uipreview.ViewLoader.loadClass(ViewLoader.java:170) at org.jetbrains.android.uipreview.ViewLoader.loadView(ViewLoader.java:103) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.LayoutlibCallbackImpl.loadView(LayoutlibCallbackImpl.java:190) at android.view.BridgeInflater.loadCustomView(BridgeInflater.java:218) at android.view.BridgeInflater.createViewFromTag(BridgeInflater.java:145) at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:704) at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:492) at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:394) at com.android.layoutlib.bridge.impl.RenderSessionImpl.inflate(RenderSessionImpl.java:223) at com.android.layoutlib.bridge.Bridge.createSession(Bridge.java:426) at com.android.ide.common.rendering.LayoutLibrary.createSession(LayoutLibrary.java:350) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask$2.compute(RenderTask.java:510) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask$2.compute(RenderTask.java:498) at com.intellij.openapi.application.impl.ApplicationImpl.runReadAction(ApplicationImpl.java:888) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask.createRenderSession(RenderTask.java:498) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask.access$600(RenderTask.java:72) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask$3.call(RenderTask.java:610) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask$3.call(RenderTask.java:607) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderService.runRenderAction(RenderService.java:366) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask.render(RenderTask.java:607) at com.android.tools.idea.rendering.RenderTask.render(RenderTask.java:629) at com.intellij.android.designer.designSurface.AndroidDesignerEditorPanel$6.run(AndroidDesignerEditorPanel.java:480) at com.intellij.util.ui.update.MergingUpdateQueue.execute(MergingUpdateQueue.java:320) at com.intellij.util.ui.update.MergingUpdateQueue.execute(MergingUpdateQueue.java:310) at com.intellij.util.ui.update.MergingUpdateQueue$2.run(MergingUpdateQueue.java:254) at com.intellij.util.ui.update.MergingUpdateQueue.flush(MergingUpdateQueue.java:269) at com.intellij.util.ui.update.MergingUpdateQueue.flush(MergingUpdateQueue.java:227) at com.intellij.util.ui.update.MergingUpdateQueue.run(MergingUpdateQueue.java:217) at com.intellij.util.concurrency.QueueProcessor.runSafely(QueueProcessor.java:238) at com.intellij.util.Alarm$Request$1.run(Alarm.java:351) at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)

AndroidManifest.xml: (PREMADE)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="de.minding.test" >

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

MainActivity.java: (PREMADE)

package de.minding.test;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.design.widget.FloatingActionButton;
import android.support.design.widget.Snackbar;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        Toolbar toolbar = (Toolbar) findViewById(R.id.toolbar);
        setSupportActionBar(toolbar);

        FloatingActionButton fab = (FloatingActionButton) findViewById(R.id.fab);
        fab.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                Snackbar.make(view, "Replace with your own action", Snackbar.LENGTH_LONG)
                        .setAction("Action", null).show();
            }
        });
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_main, menu);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
        // Handle action bar item clicks here. The action bar will
        // automatically handle clicks on the Home/Up button, so long
        // as you specify a parent activity in AndroidManifest.xml.
        int id = item.getItemId();

        //noinspection SimplifiableIfStatement
        if (id == R.id.action_settings) {
            return true;
        }

        return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
    }
}

activity_main.xml: (PREMADE)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout
    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" android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_width="match_parent" android:theme="@style/AppTheme.AppBarOverlay">

        <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar android:id="@+id/toolbar"
            android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="?attr/actionBarSize"
            android:background="?attr/colorPrimary" app:popupTheme="@style/AppTheme.PopupOverlay" />

    </android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout>

    <include layout="@layout/content_main" />

    <android.support.design.widget.FloatingActionButton android:id="@+id/fab"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom|end" android:layout_margin="@dimen/fab_margin"
        android:src="@android:drawable/ic_dialog_email" />

</android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout>

What is wrong?? I use the premade stuff and it doesn't work? -_- NOT cool.

Please help! -Minding

Answer 1

Try choosing higher minimum SDK for the project (Lollipop or Marshmallow)

If you really need older minimum, try creating the project with an empty activity or no activity at all and start from there.