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javaandroidandroid-fragmentsonsaveinstancestate

Saving Fragment State gives error: int java.util.ArrayList.size()' on a null object reference


I am trying to save the state of two fragments. I want them to redisplay when I change the language of the android device (when I leave the activity and come back). Those two fragments are declared as attributes of the activity and both extends the android.support.v4.app.Fragment class. This is what I do to save them in the activity displaying them:

@Override
protected void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle outState) {
    if(settingsFragment.isAdded())
        this.getSupportFragmentManager().putFragment(outState,settingsFragment.TAG,settingsFragment);
    if(historyFragment.isAdded())
        this.getSupportFragmentManager().putFragment(outState,historyFragment.TAG,historyFragment);
}

This is how they are retrieved (keep in mind that this is method is called in the onCreate() method, just after the setContentView() method) :

private void instantiateFragments(Bundle inState) {
    FragmentManager manager = getFragmentManager();
    if (inState != null) { //the line 254 is just below          
        settingsFragment = (SettingsFragment) this.getSupportFragmentManager().getFragment(inState, SettingsFragment.TAG);
        historyFragment = (HistoryFragment) this.getSupportFragmentManager().getFragment(inState, HistoryFragment.TAG);
    } else {
        settingsFragment = SettingsFragment.newInstance("Settings","0");
        historyFragment = HistoryFragment.newInstance("History","1");
    }
}

This is the error that I receive when I'm trying to load back the activity:

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example/com.example.UI.Activities.ExampleActivity}: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int java.util.ArrayList.size()' on a null object reference
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2802)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2867)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.handleRelaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:4594)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1000(ActivityThread.java:181)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1482)
                                                            at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
                                                            at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6134)
                                                            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
                                                            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372)
                                                            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1399)
                                                            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1194)
                                                         Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'int java.util.ArrayList.size()' on a null object reference
                                                            at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.getFragment(FragmentManager.java:872)
                                                            at com.example.UI.Activities.ExampleActivity.instantiateFragments(ExampleActivity.java:254)
                                                            at com.example.UI.Activities.ExampleActivity.onCreate(ExampleActivity.java:102)
                                                            at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:6374)
                                                            at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1119)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2746)
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2867) 
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.handleRelaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:4594) 
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1000(ActivityThread.java:181) 
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1482) 
                                                            at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102) 
                                                            at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:145) 
                                                            at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6134) 
                                                            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method) 
                                                            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:372) 
                                                            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1399) 
                                                            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1194) 

Can you guys please help me to understand what is going on, and how can I solve this (meaning, how can I save the instance of a fragment from it's activity). Thank you

EDIT For those asking me to show and hide, to display the settingsFragment, this is the method that I use:

protected void displayFragmentSettings() {
    FragmentTransaction ft = this.getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction();
    if (settingsFragment.isAdded()) { // if the fragment is already in container
        ft.show(settingsFragment);
    } else { // fragment needs to be added to frame container
        ft.add(R.id.body, settingsFragment, "Settings");
    }
    // Hide fragment B
    if (historyFragment.isAdded()) { ft.hide(historyFragment); }
    // Hide fragment C
   // if (fragmentC.isAdded()) { ft.hide(fragmentC); }
    // Commit changes
    ft.commit();
}

I do the same for any other Fragment that I need to display.


Solution

  • The main problem was that I had forgotten to add the super.onSaveInstanceState(...) method:

     @Override
    protected void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle outState) {
        super.onSaveInstanceState(outState);
        //this.getSupportFragmentManager().putFragment(outState, myFragment.TAG, myFragment);
    }