getActionBar doesn't work using AppCompat lib

Question

I'm trying to create a TabLayout android app using Intellij Idea and AppCompat v7 library.

import android.support.v7.app.ActionBar;

public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity implements TabListener { 
...
private ActionBar actionBar;
...
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
...
actionBar = getActionBar(); //Error line
...

}

When using getActionBar() I'm getting this error:

Incompatibale types:

Required: android.support.v7.app.ActionBar

Found: android.app.ActionBar

I don't have import android.app.ActionBar; in my activity. I tried:

actionBar = android.support.v7.app.ActionBar.getActionBar();

and

actionBar = getSupportActionBar();

But I get

Can't resolve method getActionBar() //Or getSupportActionBar()

How can I use getActionBar() using appCompat library? (Or maybe there is an alternative which I don't know about?)

Edit

I also replaced FragmentActivity with ActionBarActivity in this line:

 public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity //ActionBarActivity

But got no luck

Try this can u change FragmentActivity to AppCompatActivity and use getSupportActionBar()? — Raghavendra, Jan 28 '16 at 06:29
You need to `extends AppCompatActivity`, and then use `getSupportActionBar()`. — Mike M., Jan 28 '16 at 06:29

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 10:28

3

Bad Approach

Calling older import android.support.v7.app.ActionBar;

If you are extending AppCompatActivity/FragmentActivity then you are providing backward support for older Android Versions and for that you should have to use getSupportActionBar().

Read getSupportActionBar using FragmentActivity

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
  // ...

  ....

 ActionBar actionBar =getSupportActionBar();
}

Add this .

dependencies {
   // … 
   compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.1.0'
}

Check Activity, AppCompatActivity, FragmentActivity, and ActionBarActivity: When to Use Which?

AppCompatActivity is from the appcompat-v7 library. Principally, this offers a backport of the action bar. Since the native action bar was added in API Level 11, you do not need AppCompatActivity for that.

For your Information How do I add a library (android-support-v7-appcompat) in IntelliJ IDEA

edited May 23 '17 at 10:28

Community

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answered Jan 28 '16 at 06:29

IntelliJ Amiya

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@AlexJolig Okay , Did you compile `compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:` – IntelliJ Amiya Jan 28 '16 at 06:35
@AlexJolig http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18025942/how-do-i-add-a-library-android-support-v7-appcompat-in-intellij-idea – IntelliJ Amiya Jan 28 '16 at 06:51
1

Yes I've added the library to the project. that's why I don't get any other errors using the library – Ghasem Jan 28 '16 at 06:52
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@AlexJolig Do you have `AppCompatActivity` imported in `MainActivity`? – Mike M. Jan 28 '16 at 06:53
2

@MikeM. That was what I missed doing this solution. Thanks – Ghasem Jan 28 '16 at 07:12
1

@AlexJolig No problem .Move ahead . – IntelliJ Amiya Jan 28 '16 at 07:12

Gabriele Mariotti · Answer 2 · 2016-01-28T07:35:47.847

First of all, you have to extends AppCompatActivity instead of FragmentActivity.

Then you can use getSupportActionBar().

To do this just import the right dependency:

compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.1.1'

But it is very important to chech that TabListener is the wrong way to obtain a tab layout. This interface was deprecated in API level 21.

With the new Design Support Library now you can use the new TabLayout.

Just add this dependency to your build.gradle

compile 'com.android.support:design:23.1.1'

The code is very simple:

TabLayout tabLayout = (TabLayout) findViewById(R.id.tabs);
        tabLayout.setupWithViewPager(viewPager);

To implement many of the features of material designs you should use it within a CoordinatorLayout and a AppBarLayout.

Something like this:

 <android.support.design.widget.CoordinatorLayout
         xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
         xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent">


     <android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout
             android:layout_height="wrap_content"
             android:layout_width="match_parent">

         <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
                 ...
                 app:layout_scrollFlags="scroll|enterAlways"/>

         <android.support.design.widget.TabLayout
                 ...
                 app:layout_scrollFlags="scroll|enterAlways"/>

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

     <android.support.v4.view.ViewPager
        android:id="@+id/viewpager"
        app:layout_behavior="@string/appbar_scrolling_view_behavior" />

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

What if I don't have a `build.gradle`. I'm using Intellij Idea and I didn't use Gradle. How can I compile now? — Ghasem, Jan 28 '16 at 06:41
Check these links: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/help/working-with-gradle-projects.html or https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/help/creating-a-gradle-project.html or https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/help/gradle-2.html otherwise you have to extract the classes and the resources from the aar but it is not so simple — Gabriele Mariotti, Jan 28 '16 at 06:53

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Jan 28 '16 at 06:36

0

Change your Import

import android.support.v7.app.ActionBar;

insted of

import android.app.ActionBar;

and use

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
   // ...
}

edited Jan 28 '16 at 06:36

Ghasem

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answered Jan 28 '16 at 06:34

Pitty

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Did that. Still can't use `AppCompatActivity` – Ghasem Jan 28 '16 at 06:36
compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:23.1.1' add this in your build gradle – Pitty Jan 28 '16 at 06:39

getActionBar doesn't work using AppCompat lib

3 Answers3