Android: appcompat v7 bold title in Actionbar

Question

I'm trying to make the title in my ActionBar bold, I think I have all the necessary styles, but it's crashing with this error message:

  Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat th
eme (or descendant) with this activity.
    at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.onCreate(ActionBarAc
tivityDelegate.java:111)
    at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateICS.onCreate(ActionBa
rActivityDelegateICS.java:58)
    at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.onCreate(ActionBarActivity.j
ava:98)
    at com.whatspoppin.android.whatspoppin.TestActivity.onCreate(TestActivit
y.java:58)

values->styles.xml:

 <resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

<!--
    Base application theme, dependent on API level. This theme is replaced
    by AppBaseTheme from res/values-vXX/styles.xml on newer devices.
-->
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!--
        Theme customizations available in newer API levels can go in
        res/values-vXX/styles.xml, while customizations related to
        backward-compatibility can go here.
    -->
</style>

<!-- Application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="AppBaseTheme">
    <!-- All customizations that are NOT specific to a particular API-level can go here. -->
    <item name="actionBarStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar</item>
</style>

  <style name="MyTheme.MyActionBar" parent="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Base.ActionBar">
    <item name="titleTextStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
  </style>

  <style name="MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle" parent="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
    <item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
  </style>

And in my manifest:

  <activity 
         android:theme="@style/AppTheme"
         android:name=".TestActivity"
         android:screenOrientation="portrait"
         android:label="Example">
     </activity>

So it's telling me I'm not using a Theme.AppCompat theme or descendant, but my AppTheme's parent is AppBaseTheme and it's parent is Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar. So why is it complaining about this?

Full error:

  ng.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.whatspoppin.andr
 oid.whatspoppin/com.whatspoppin.android.whatspoppin.TestActivity}: java.lang.Ill
egalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with
 this activity.
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:
2180)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2
230)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:141)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1234)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5041)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit
.java:793)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:560)
    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: You need to use a Theme.AppCompat th
eme (or descendant) with this activity.
    at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegate.onCreate(ActionBarAc
tivityDelegate.java:111)
    at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivityDelegateICS.onCreate(ActionBa
rActivityDelegateICS.java:58)
    at android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity.onCreate(ActionBarActivity.j
 ava:98)
    at com.whatspoppin.android.whatspoppin.TestActivity.onCreate(TestActivit
y.java:58)
    at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5104)
    at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java
:1080)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:
2144)
    ... 11 more

Edit Again: Sorry, the error has gone away. However, my title is still not bold. This is all I have:

values

<!--
    Base application theme, dependent on API level. This theme is replaced
    by AppBaseTheme from res/values-vXX/styles.xml on newer devices.
-->
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!--
        Theme customizations available in newer API levels can go in
        res/values-vXX/styles.xml, while customizations related to
        backward-compatibility can go here.
    -->
    <item name="actionBarStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar</item>
</style>

<!-- Application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="AppBaseTheme">

</style>

  <style name="MyTheme.MyActionBar" parent="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Base.ActionBar">
    <item name="titleTextStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
  </style>

  <style name="MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle" parent="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
    <item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
  </style>

values-v11:

 <resources>

<!--
    Base application theme for API 11+. This theme completely replaces
    AppBaseTheme from res/values/styles.xml on API 11+ devices.
-->
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!-- API 11 theme customizations can go here. -->
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar</item>
</style>

  <style name="MyTheme.MyActionBar" parent="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Base.ActionBar">
    <item name="android:titleTextStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
  </style>

  <style name="MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle" parent="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
    <item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
  </style>

values-v14:

  <resources>

<!--
    Base application theme for API 14+. This theme completely replaces
    AppBaseTheme from BOTH res/values/styles.xml and
    res/values-v11/styles.xml on API 14+ devices.
-->
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!-- API 14 theme customizations can go here. -->
</style>

That's the only styles.xml file I have and that's the entire contents of it right there. — user1513171, Aug 08 '14 at 16:48
Well I also have a styles.xml in the values-v11 and values-v14 folders, but I haven't touched those at all. — user1513171, Aug 08 '14 at 16:50

Rod_Algonquin · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-08T17:15:01.087

1

I'm testing in Api 17

problem:

<item name="actionBarStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar</item>
<item name="titleTextStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>

the actionBarStyle and titleTextStyle is only used for lower level API since you are using higher level API it need to reference the android: before the name.

sample:

<item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">@style/MyTheme.MyActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>

EDIT:

one there with actionBarStyle to values folder and other theme with android:actionBarStyle to v-11 values folder

edited Aug 08 '14 at 17:15

answered Aug 08 '14 at 16:53

Rod_Algonquin

26,074
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When I put those lines Eclipse complains because my min target SDK is 9. – user1513171 Aug 08 '14 at 17:09
@user1513171 then chanage your minimum to 11 – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 17:09
So there's no way to do this unless min is 11? – user1513171 Aug 08 '14 at 17:11
@user1513171 You can use actionbar sherlock, for theming under API 11 – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 17:12
I'm already using appcompat7, isn't that supposed to allow you just the same as sherlock? – user1513171 Aug 08 '14 at 17:13
@user1513171 or you can use your v-11 values folder. – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 17:14
@user1513171 see eit above – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 17:15
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/58983/discussion-between-rod-algonquin-and-user1513171). – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 17:15
I'm on a work computer and the network is blocking chat. Is there any other way? – user1513171 Aug 08 '14 at 17:17
1

@user1513171 yes As I said use the `values-v11` folder for `android:titleTextStyle` and the regular `values` with `titleTextStyle` – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 17:19
@user1513171 what top error or the complain from eclispe? – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 20:44
What in on TestActivit line 58? @user1513171 – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 20:57
1

@user1513171 follow this post where post with 196 votes http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8607707/how-to-set-a-custom-font-in-the-actionbar-title – Rod_Algonquin Aug 08 '14 at 21:06

Android: appcompat v7 bold title in Actionbar

1 Answers1