Error inflating class and android.support.v7.widget.CardView

Question

I want to use CardView in my project, but when I run my application, I get the following error. I'm using Eclipse.

Error: Error inflating class and android.support.v7.widget.CardView

The graphical view of my xml file says 'The following classes could not be instantiated:
- android.support.v7.widget.CardView (Open Class, Show Error Log)
See the Error Log (Window > Show View) for more details.'

Please help.

This is the layout for my fragment where I have used CardView

<FrameLayout 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"
tools:context="com.example.log.MyContactsFragment" >

<!-- TODO: Update blank fragment layout -->

<android.support.v7.widget.CardView
    xmlns:card_view="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:id="@+id/cvContactDetails"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="200dp"
    android:layout_gravity="center"
    android:background="?android:attr/selectableItemBackground"
    android:clickable="false"
    android:elevation="20dp" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tvContacts"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Contact Info" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/bDelete"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Delete" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/bExport"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Export to phone contacts" />
</android.support.v7.widget.CardView>

This is the layout for my activity.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.v4.widget.DrawerLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/drawerLayout"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/flMainContent"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent" >
    </FrameLayout>

    <ListView
        android:id="@+id/lvLeftDrawer"
        android:layout_width="200dp"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_gravity="left"
        android:alpha="255"
        android:background="#0B2161"
        android:divider="@null"
        android:choiceMode="singleChoice" >
    </ListView>

    <ListView
        android:id="@+id/lvRightDrawer"
        android:layout_width="200dp"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_gravity="right"
        android:alpha="255"
        android:background="#0B2161"
        android:divider="@null"
        android:choiceMode="singleChoice" >
    </ListView>

</android.support.v4.widget.DrawerLayout>

This is my logcat

FATAL EXCEPTION: main
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.log/com.example.log.HomeScreenActivity}: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #9: Error inflating class android.support.v7.widget.CardView
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2059)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2084)
at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:130)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1195)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4745)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:786)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:553)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
Caused by: android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #9: Error inflating class android.support.v7.widget.CardView
at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:613)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:687)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:746)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:489)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:396)
at com.example.log.MyContactsFragment.onCreateView(MyContactsFragment.java:60)
at android.support.v4.app.Fragment.performCreateView(Fragment.java:1504)
at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:942)
at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:1121)
at android.support.v4.app.BackStackRecord.run(BackStackRecord.java:682)
at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.execPendingActions(FragmentManager.java:1484)
at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onStart(FragmentActivity.java:571)
at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnStart(Instrumentation.java:1163)
at android.app.Activity.performStart(Activity.java:5018)
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2032)
... 11 more
Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.constructNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:417)
at android.view.LayoutInflater.createView(LayoutInflater.java:587)
25 more
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: android.support.v7.cardview.R$styleable
at android.support.v7.widget.CardView.initialize(CardView.java:203)
at android.support.v7.widget.CardView.<init>(CardView.java:101)
... 28 more

Someone who has encountered the same problem or solved it, please comment.

Solution 1

I guess I can answer my own question.

Go to File -> Import -> Existing Android code into workspace --> Browse (Go to sdk/extras/android/support/v7/cardview) --> Click ok --> Click Finish

Your project explorer will now show cardview as a project.

Right click on cardview project --> Properties --> Android(Left Pane) --> Enable isLibrary (tick the checkbox) --> Apply --> ok

Now Right click on your project --> Properties --> Android(Left pane) --> Add (under library) --> cardview --> apply --> ok

Now right click on your project again --> build path --> configure build path --> Under projects tab, add cardview

You are done.

Solution 2

I guess your problem is not within your xml layout, but your build.gradle settings.

When you want to use support library for Recyclerview or CardView in lower API devices, you not only needs to import the v7 library, but also needs to import Recycler View and Card View support independently.

Like this:

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:21.0.+'
    compile 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:21.0.+'
    compile 'com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:21.0.+'
    compile 'com.android.support:support-v4:21.0.0'
} 

This is noted by Google's documents here: https://developer.android.com/training/material/compatibility.html

See dependencies section.

Also, you can download google's sample of RecyclerView to digging out.

Hope this will help!

Solution 3

In my case i have to do both the things add android.support.v7.widget.CardView as a library project and also add + check it's jar file in java build path

1. Go to File -> Import -> Existing Android code into workspace --> Browse (Go to sdk/extras/android/support/v7/cardview) --> Click ok --> Click Finish

2. Right click on cardview project --> Properties --> Android(Left Pane) --> Enable isLibrary (tick the checkbox) --> Apply --> ok

3. Right click on your project --> Properties --> Android(Left pane) --> Add (under library) --> cardview --> apply --> ok

4. right click on your project again --> build path --> configure build path -->under libraries-->add jar-->expand cardview-->expand libs-->select android.support.v7.widget.CardView.jar

5. under order and export-->check android.support.v7.widget.CardView.jar-->click ok

Solution 4

if you are using intellij use these steps, this actually works

• click in your project,
• right click -> open Module Settings (f4)
• import cardview from \sdk\extras\android\support\v7\
• add .jar file to cardview module
• click on your project and give module dependency to cardview
• now, click (+) button on cardview -> android -> at top you will see a check box (library module), enable it.
• click ok and close your settings dialog.
• rebuild your project and run it.

Solution 5

I wasted hours on this, for me the final piece of the puzzle was going to the "cardview" project that had been imported into Eclipse as an Android project, then right clicking > properties > android > and changing it from Android 2.1 to Lollipop!

View more solutions

Comments

[Harsh Pokharna]

@GabrieleMariotti I have posted my layouts. Please check

[MysticMagicϡ]

And post logcat too.

[Harsh Pokharna]

@MysticMagic I have posted the logcat. It's very messy. But please check and help.

[Piyush Kukadiya]

@HarshPokharna Have you added library android.support.v7 to your project ?

[Harsh Pokharna]

@PiyushKukadiya Yes I have addded it. Why does this error occur ?

[ligi]

how did you add it? looks like you did not add it as a library project

[Harsh Pokharna]

@ligi I am new to android development. Can you please elaborate and guide me through the process of adding it as a library project

[ligi]

@HarshPokharna not for eclipse - I use AS and gradle - there it is as easy as adding one line to a build.gradle file

[Harsh Pokharna]

@ligi can you tag someone who might know and can help me ?

[ligi]

@HarshPokharna better switch to AS

[Shridutt Kothari]

Thanks for asking this question, and thanks everyone who answered this question

[Jeel Shah]

To users who already have the gradle dependencies and have RecyclerView working but not CardView (and if you are using Android Studio), run gradle sync and then refresh the layout. That did it for me.

[sunil]

still exception is there...please help @piyush

[TouchBoarder]

Go to Project -> Clean -> Select the projects --> ok

[Hamidreza Hosseinkhani]

I have the same problem. but... when I import CardView as a library project, It has not any java source file and the 'src' directory is empty. I examine the src folder in the sdk extra folder and it is empty!

[Advait Saravade]

@HamidrezaHosseinkhani I had the same issue. Just ignore the empty src folder because the required file android-support-v7-cardview.jar is in the Android Private Libraries folder. Same goes for the RecyclerView. Answer works correctly.

[Hamidreza Hosseinkhani]

I try to import CardView and RecyclerView library as the Eclipse Project instead of Android Project and IT DONE :)

[scottysseus]

Just to add on to this answer, I followed these instructions step by step, but I still had this error. To solve this error, I went into the new cardview project and opened its AndroidManifest.xml. There, I went to the uses-sdk section and made sure that its minSdkVersion and maxSdkVersion matched my apps minSdkVersion and maxSdkVersion. That solved the error, after I followed these steps.

[Stoycho Andreev]

you have +1 , but sometime I am wondering why google think so complicated.

[Lukas Knuth]

Checking that it's a library project was the key here.

[mfaisalhyder]

This is the best one..! after alot of searching and pounding my head i found u..! Indians are really sharp in Java, totally my personal opinion.!

[Bishoy Fakhry]

Worked for me,Thanks. I think it works as my project was targeting 21,but anyway thanks for the hint :)

[Anirudh]

@ScottScooterWeidenkopf Thanks a lot dude. Was struggling with this stupid bug for almost 6 hours.

[Sruit A.Suk]

@ScottScooterWeidenkopf you might need to post it as new answer, your solution, point the correct one

[Bruce]

Thanks, saved my day!

[Azurespot]

Awesome. Also gets rid of the "Element not allowed here" error when you have items in your CardView in the XML.