My Android app crashes after adding "@android:style/Theme.Dialog" in the AndroidManifest.xml

Question

Actually, my app is a sample from the book: Beginning Android 4 Development. It's very simple - I just want to apply a dialog theme to an activity.

MainActivity.java:

package com.example.activity101;

import android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;

public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.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();
        if (id == R.id.action_settings) {
            return true;
        }
        return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
    }
}

Layout:

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    tools:context="com.example.activity101.MainActivity" >

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/hello_world" />

</RelativeLayout>

This the AndroidManifest.xml codes:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.activity101"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="14"
        android:targetSdkVersion="21" />

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

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

</manifest>

logCat:

07-20 21:38:16.627: D/dalvikvm(2211): Late-enabling CheckJNI
07-20 21:38:17.878: D/libEGL(2211): loaded /system/lib/egl/libGLES_android.so
07-20 21:38:17.948: D/libEGL(2211): loaded /system/lib/egl/libEGL_adreno200.so
07-20 21:38:18.008: D/libEGL(2211): loaded /system/lib/egl/libGLESv1_CM_adreno200.so
07-20 21:38:18.018: D/libEGL(2211): loaded /system/lib/egl/libGLESv2_adreno200.so
07-20 21:38:18.629: D/memalloc(2211): /dev/pmem: Mapped buffer base:0x52145000 size:8007680 offset:5918720 fd:62
07-20 21:38:18.719: D/OpenGLRenderer(2211): Enabling debug mode 0
07-20 21:38:20.110: D/memalloc(2211): /dev/pmem: Mapped buffer base:0x52d35000 size:2088960 offset:0 fd:65
07-20 21:38:51.641: D/OpenGLRenderer(2211): Flushing caches (mode 0)
07-20 21:38:51.651: D/memalloc(2211): /dev/pmem: Unmapping buffer base:0x52145000 size:8007680 offset:5918720
07-20 21:38:51.651: D/memalloc(2211): /dev/pmem: Unmapping buffer base:0x52d35000 size:2088960 offset:0
07-20 21:39:00.279: D/libEGL(3284): loaded /system/lib/egl/libGLES_android.so
07-20 21:39:00.299: D/libEGL(3284): loaded /system/lib/egl/libEGL_adreno200.so
07-20 21:39:00.309: D/libEGL(3284): loaded /system/lib/egl/libGLESv1_CM_adreno200.so
07-20 21:39:00.309: D/libEGL(3284): loaded /system/lib/egl/libGLESv2_adreno200.so
07-20 21:39:00.389: D/memalloc(3284): /dev/pmem: Mapped buffer base:0x52127000 size:33284096 offset:31195136 fd:62
07-20 21:39:00.409: D/OpenGLRenderer(3284): Enabling debug mode 0
07-20 21:39:00.539: D/memalloc(3284): /dev/pmem: Mapped buffer base:0x543e2000 size:2088960 offset:0 fd:65
07-20 21:40:19.016: D/OpenGLRenderer(3284): Flushing caches (mode 0)
07-20 21:40:19.016: D/memalloc(3284): /dev/pmem: Unmapping buffer base:0x52127000 size:33284096 offset:31195136
07-20 21:40:19.016: D/memalloc(3284): /dev/pmem: Unmapping buffer base:0x543e2000 size:2088960 offset:0
07-20 21:40:19.076: D/OpenGLRenderer(3284): Flushing caches (mode 1)
07-20 21:40:29.756: D/AndroidRuntime(4629): Shutting down VM
07-20 21:40:29.756: W/dalvikvm(4629): threadid=1: thread exiting with uncaught exception (group=0x40abe228)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.activity101/com.example.activity101.MainActivity}: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2194)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2229)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:139)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1261)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:154)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4945)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:784)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:551)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629): Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity.
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.onCreate(ActionBarActivityDelegate.java:110)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateICS.onCreate(ActionBarActivityDelegateICS.java:57)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.onCreate(ActionBarActivity.java:99)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at com.example.activity101.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:12)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:4531)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1071)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2150)
07-20 21:40:29.787: E/AndroidRuntime(4629):     ... 11 more

Why does my app crashes?

Post logcat exception also. – Giru Bhai Jul 20 '14 at 13:11 — Giru Bhai, Jul 20 '14 at 13:11

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 10:27

4

The reason you are having this problem is because the activity you are trying to apply the dialog theme to is extending ActionBarActivity which requires the AppCompat theme to be applied.

So change

android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Dialog"

to

android:theme="@style/Theme.AppCompat"

For more info see You need to use a Theme.AppCompat

edited May 23 '17 at 10:27

Community

1
1

answered Jul 20 '14 at 13:49

Giru Bhai

14,370
5
46
74

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered May 03 '15 at 16:22

3

You can apply the solution posted by Giru Bhai above or you can extends Activity instead of extends ActionBarActivity and organize imports.

public class ActionText extends Activity {

answered May 03 '15 at 16:22

klin

31
3

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 20 '14 at 13:38

0

have you tried some thing like

<activity
        android:name=".MainActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Dialog" >

Set your dialog theme to activity and it will work

Post logcat if problem persists

answered Jul 20 '14 at 13:38

Rajnish Mishra

826
5
21

Yes, I have.@Rajnish Mishra – fuzhou Jul 20 '14 at 13:56

My Android app crashes after adding "@android:style/Theme.Dialog" in the AndroidManifest.xml

3 Answers3

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