Upgrading to SDK 21 - Error inflating class android.support.v7.internal.widget.ActionBarContainer

Question

I'm trying to upgrade my app from API19 to API21

The main changes I've made to the gradle properties are:

compileSdkVersion 21
buildToolsVersion "21.0.2"

minSdkVersion 8
targetSdkVersion 21


compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:21.0.0'

The app builds ok, but I always get the following error:

10-22 23:10:38.867    7972-8058/com.example.android.demo E/ACRA? com.example.android.demo fatal error : Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.android.demo/com.example.android.demo.MainActivity2}: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #27: Error inflating class android.support.v7.internal.widget.ActionBarContainer
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.android.demo/com.example.android.demo.MainActivity2}: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #27: Error inflating class android.support.v7.internal.widget.ActionBarContainer
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2298)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2360)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:144)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1278)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5221)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:899)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:694)
 Caused by: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #27: Error inflating class android.support.v7.internal.widget.ActionBarContainer
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:633)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:743)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:806)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:504)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:414)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:365)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.ensureSubDecor(ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.java:273)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.createSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.java:155)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.getSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivityDelegate.java:123)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.getSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivity.java:73)
        at com.example.android.demo.MainActivity2.onCreate(MainActivity2.java:243)
        at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5933)
        at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1105)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2251)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2360)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:144)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1278)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5221)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:899)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:694)
 Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
        at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:288)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:607)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:743)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:806)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:504)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:414)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:365)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.ensureSubDecor(ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.java:273)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.createSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.java:155)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.getSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivityDelegate.java:123)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.getSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivity.java:73)
        at com.example.android.demo.MainActivity2.onCreate(MainActivity2.java:243)
        at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5933)
        at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1105)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2251)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2360)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:144)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1278)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5221)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:899)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:694)
 Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Failed to resolve attribute at index 11
        at android.content.res.TypedArray.getDrawable(TypedArray.java:747)
        at android.support.v7.internal.widget.ActionBarContainer.<init>(ActionBarContainer.java:66)
        at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:288)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:607)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:743)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:806)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:504)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:414)
        at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:365)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.ensureSubDecor(ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.java:273)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.createSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivityDelegateBase.java:155)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.getSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivityDelegate.java:123)
        at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.getSupportActionBar(ActionBarActivity.java:73)
        at com.example.android.demo.MainActivity2.onCreate(MainActivity2.java:243)
        at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5933)
        at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1105)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2251)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2360)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:144)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1278)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:135)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5221)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:899)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:694)

I've tried the version 4 (which I was using previously) and the v7 ActionBarDrawerToggle (with a change to the new format for the constructor) but always get the same error. The apps theme is a parent of Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar

I'm not really sure what to look at.

Answer 1

I had the same problem when trying to use ?attr/selectableItemBackground and based on your answer and some digging around on the internet I found out what was wrong for me (and probably you as well).

From this answer I learned that "? mark is used to reference style in current theme." Which means that when you use ?attr/ you refer to something in the current theme.

I noticed that I got this crash only when inflating using the application context and not when using the activity context. This blog post explains what's happening in "Context Capabilities" section.

...[When using the application context] inflation will be done with the default theme for the system on which you are running, not what’s defined in your application.

This mean that ?attr/ won't work since they refer to the current theme, not the default system theme you're inflating with.

So ?attr/ works fine if you make sure to inflate using the Activity context instead of the application context.

Answer 2

I had similar issue, i'm using AppCompat.v21 and supporting Android 5.0.

My layout uses the ?attr/[attribute_name] for some values and I use the activity context.

I changed it to ?android:attr/[attribute_name] and now my views inflate just fine on devices running Android 5.0.

Answer 3

For me the issue seemed to be in layout files when using the ?attr/ format for values. I'm not sure if it's theme related. I took all these out to get things going and then added styles back in.

Answer 4

style name="AppTheme" parent="Base.V23.Theme.AppCompat" in style.xml worked for my app.