Android Switch compatibility libraries - theme sometimes not applied

I'm currently using the following Switch open-source compatibility library:

https://github.com/ankri/SwitchCompatLibrary

So far it works well, except on some devices (last reported on Android 4.0.4), the app crashes the first time the activity (containing a Switch) is opened! Then on following run everything works fine.

I've tried to apply the style (that includes the Switch style) in various ways, but nothing seems to solve it:

In the Application tag
In the Activity tag
In OnCreate() of the Activity containing the Switch

It's as if on first run the theme is not applied and the app crashes. Then on app restart the same Activity will be ok!?

There is another compatibility library I tried, from here: https://github.com/BoD/android-switch-backport

But I get the exact same results!

Here is the stack trace when app crashes:

------------
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at de.ankri.views.Switch.onMeasure(SourceFile:514)
    at android.view.View.measure(View.java:12723)
    at android.view.ViewGroup.measureChildWithMargins(ViewGroup.java:4704)
    at android.widget.LinearLayout.measureChildBeforeLayout(LinearLayout.java:1369)
    at android.widget.LinearLayout.measureVertical(LinearLayout.java:660)
    at android.widget.LinearLayout.onMeasure(LinearLayout.java:553)
    at android.view.View.measure(View.java:12723)
    at android.view.ViewGroup.measureChildWithMargins(ViewGroup.java:4704)
    at android.widget.FrameLayout.onMeasure(FrameLayout.java:293)
    at android.view.View.measure(View.java:12723)
    at android.widget.LinearLayout.measureVertical(LinearLayout.java:812)
    at android.widget.LinearLayout.onMeasure(LinearLayout.java:553)
    at android.view.View.measure(View.java:12723)
    at android.view.ViewGroup.measureChildWithMargins(ViewGroup.java:4704)
    at android.widget.FrameLayout.onMeasure(FrameLayout.java:293)
    at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow$DecorView.onMeasure(PhoneWindow.java:2092)
    at android.view.View.measure(View.java:12723)
    at android.view.ViewRootImpl.performTraversals(ViewRootImpl.java:1068)
    at android.view.ViewRootImpl.handleMessage(ViewRootImpl.java:2455)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4462)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:806)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:573)
    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
    ------------

The line code where it happens:

    mTrackDrawable = a.getDrawable(R.styleable.Switch_track);

    mTrackDrawable.getPadding(mTempRect);

It no longer crashes because of the text style missing because I set them up manually on app start.

Here is the track styles in various files of the compatibility project, from the theme being used:

v11:

<style name="AppThemeDark" parent="@android:style/Theme">
    <item name="switchStyle">@style/switch_dark</item>
    <item name="textAppearance">@style/TextAppearance</item>
</style>

v14:

<style name="AppThemeDark" parent="@android:style/Theme.DeviceDefault">
    <item name="switchStyle">@style/switch_dark</item>
    <item name="textAppearance">@style/TextAppearance</item>
</style>

common:

<style name="switch_dark">
    <item name="track">@drawable/switch_track_holo_dark</item>
    <item name="thumb">@drawable/switch_inner_holo_dark</item>
    <item name="textOn">@string/textOn</item>
    <item name="textOff">@string/textOff</item>
    <item name="thumbTextPadding">12dip</item>
    <item name="switchMinWidth">96dip</item>
    <item name="switchPadding">16dip</item>
    <item name="switchTextAppearance">@style/TextAppearance</item>
</style>

Anyone used one of those libraries and faced such issue?

Solution

I finally solved this, with a number of "tricks" I found in various posts and web sites.

Originally the theme was defined in the Manifest.xml on the Application tag only.

1- Applied the same theme to every activity defined in the Manifest.xml 2- Customized any transparent activity to use a custom theme that would include the switch theme to make sure the app would never start without it 3- Added a setTheme in onCreate() of the java Application class to make sure the appropriate theme is set when application starts.

Not sure if all 3 are needed, but it worked. Thanks to a user who could reproduce the issue consistently: App started for the first time: FC in activity using a Switch, then restart no FC!?