StackOverflowError when trying to inflate a custom layout for an AlertDialog inside a DialogFragment

Question

I'm trying to create an AlertDialog, by using the Builder and setting a custom view. When I try to inflate the view inside of onCreateDialog, I get a StackOverflowError..

Here is the code up to the point where it loops back to onCreateDialog:

@Override
public Dialog onCreateDialog(Bundle savedInstanceState){
    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(getActivity());
    builder.setTitle(R.string.enter_time);

    LinearLayout outerLayout = (LinearLayout) getLayoutInflater(savedInstanceState)
            .inflate(R.layout.time_entry_dialog, null);
    ...
}

And here is the LogCat output:

02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250): java.lang.StackOverflowError
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.app.Activity.getSystemService(Activity.java:4009)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.view.LayoutInflater.from(LayoutInflater.java:210)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.view.ContextThemeWrapper.getSystemService(ContextThemeWrapper.java:75)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at com.android.internal.app.AlertController$AlertParams.<init>(AlertController.java:812)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.app.AlertDialog$Builder.<init>(AlertDialog.java:374)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.app.AlertDialog$Builder.<init>(AlertDialog.java:359)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at com.sweatyreptile.chee.runtimetracker.TimeEntryDialogFragment.onCreateDialog(TimeEntryDialogFragment.java:18)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.support.v4.app.DialogFragment.getLayoutInflater(DialogFragment.java:295)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at com.sweatyreptile.chee.runtimetracker.TimeEntryDialogFragment.onCreateDialog(TimeEntryDialogFragment.java:21)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.support.v4.app.DialogFragment.getLayoutInflater(DialogFragment.java:295)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at com.sweatyreptile.chee.runtimetracker.TimeEntryDialogFragment.onCreateDialog(TimeEntryDialogFragment.java:21)
02-28 22:30:04.220: E/AndroidRuntime(4250):     at android.support.v4.app.DialogFragment.getLayoutInflater(DialogFragment.java:295)
...etc

EDIT: I found this line in the source of DialogFragment.getLayoutInflater():

mDialog = onCreateDialog(savedInstanceState);

So.. if I can't get a LayoutInflator inside of onCreateDialog without causing infinite recursion, how do I inflate a view for a custom AlertDialog?

Jocund

What do you have in the time_entry_dialog? Also don't be afraid to post the stacktrace with the exception. – Ingratiate

Please add your Logcat output – Paraboloid

I added the LogCat output. @Luksprog, time_entry_dialog is just a LinearLayout with centered gravity – Jocund

Answer 1

If found the problem. DialogFragment.getLayoutInflater() contains a call to onCreateDialog(), so calling onCreateDialog() from within getLayoutInflater() creates an infinite loop.

I found the solution in this answer: https://mcmap.net/q/545953/-dialogfragment-using-alertdialog-with-custom-layout

I'm not exactly sure if this is good form, because it doesn't really seem like it, but I replaced

getLayoutInflater(savedInstanceState)

with

getActivity().getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);

Edit: They are the same. See this answer for details: https://mcmap.net/q/432585/-what-is-the-correct-way-to-get-layout-inflater-in-android

Jocund

Is that an Android bug? I had this problem too, and to me calling onCreateDialog from within getLayoutInflater doesn't make sense? – Paucker

LayoutInflater.from(getContext()) seems to work as well. – Absalom

getActivity().getLayoutInflater() also works, although you should also check for getActivity() returning null if you're using a v4 support library Fragment. See developer.android.com/reference/android/support/v4/app/… – Nonconductor

Disappointing that 5 years later, the Android docs still guide people to use the wrong method: layoutInflater.inflate(...) developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/dialogs#kotlin – Hootenanny

Both LayoutInflater.from(getContext()) and getActivity().getLayoutInflater() are working. – Derwood

Answer 2

It looks like this is fixed in Fragment 1.2.3: https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/fragment#1.2.3.

The docs do use requireActivity().getLayoutInflater() rather than just getLayoutInflater however so it still might not be recommended.

Phenformin

Answer 3

You should use LayoutInflater.from(getContext()).

If you are using viewbindings you can call it like this:

binding = FragmentOtpDialogBinding.inflate(LayoutInflater.from(getContext()));

Agoraphobia