Why is DialogFragment.onCreateView called when Activity is being Destroyed?

Question

I'm using the android support library v4 revision 11 and time to time, I see the stack trace below ; I suspect it's happening due to a launch from recents, hence the model I'm trying to access is null. Anyhow, this trace has made me wonder why onCreateView is called when the activity is being destroyed, and what's the best way to handle such cases?

java.lang.NullPointerException
    at com.example.dialogs.ExampleDialogFragment.onCreateView(ExampleDialogFragment.java:53)
    at android.support.v4.app.Fragment.performCreateView(Fragment.java:1460)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:911)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:1088)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:1070)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.dispatchReallyStop(FragmentManager.java:1888)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onReallyStop(FragmentActivity.java:787)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.doReallyStop(FragmentActivity.java:764)
    at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onDestroy(FragmentActivity.java:322)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.performDestroyActivity(ActivityThread.java:3642)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleDestroyActivity(ActivityThread.java:3673)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2900(ActivityThread.java:125)
    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:2066)
    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:123)
    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4627)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:521)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:858)
    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:616)
    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

After the crash an activity from back-stack is resumed, I do check if the model is valid at activities onResume(), onStart() and onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState). If the model is not valid I start another activity from there with FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY, call finish() and return; e.g.

@Override
public void onResume() {        
    Model cm = Application.getModel();
    final boolean isModelAvailable = cm != null;
    if (!isModelAvailable) {
        Intent restartIntent = IntentUtil.intentForAction(Constants.INTENT_RESTART);
        restartIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY);
        startActivity(restartIntent);
        finish();
        super.onResume();
        return;
    } else {

    }

after INTENT_RESTART activity is finished with reinitializing the model it starts activity with flags FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP, this activity commits transaction to the fragment FirstFragment

See the log with FragmentManager.enableDebugLogging(true);.

05-13 13:24:53.051: V/FragmentManager(7468): Commit: BackStackEntry{40710fa0}
05-13 13:24:53.111: V/FragmentManager(7468): Commit: BackStackEntry{40771e78}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): Run: BackStackEntry{40710fa0}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): add: RetainFragment{4077d048 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): Allocated fragment index RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto CREATED: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): Run: BackStackEntry{40771e78}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): add: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): Allocated fragment index FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto CREATED: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:24:53.151: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:24:53.791: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto STARTED: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:24:53.791: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto STARTED: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:24:53.811: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto RESUMED: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:24:53.811: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto RESUMED: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}

05-13 13:25:58.414: V/FragmentManager(7468): Commit: BackStackEntry{40727530}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): Run: BackStackEntry{4078fe00}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): add: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): Allocated fragment index RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto CREATED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): Run: BackStackEntry{40727530}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): add: SecondFragment{40713c28 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): Allocated fragment index SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto CREATED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:25:58.434: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:25:58.545: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto STARTED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:25:58.545: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto STARTED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:25:58.565: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto RESUMED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:25:58.565: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto RESUMED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}

05-13 13:26:02.338: V/FragmentManager(7468): Saved state of RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}: null
05-13 13:26:02.338: V/FragmentManager(7468): Saved state of FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}: Bundle[{android:view_state=android.util.SparseArray@40b15b60}]
05-13 13:26:02.338: V/FragmentManager(7468): saveAllState: adding fragment #0: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:26:02.338: V/FragmentManager(7468): saveAllState: adding fragment #1: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:26:02.348: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STARTED: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:26:02.348: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STARTED: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:26:02.358: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STOPPED: RetainFragment{4077d048 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:26:02.358: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STOPPED: FirstFragment{4077dfa8 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.219: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom RESUMED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.219: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom RESUMED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}

05-13 13:27:15.239: V/FragmentManager(7468): Commit: BackStackEntry{40a8a6d0}
05-13 13:27:15.259: V/FragmentManager(7468): Commit: BackStackEntry{40a90190}

05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): Run: BackStackEntry{40a8a6d0}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): add: RetainFragment{40a7fdf0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): Allocated fragment index RetainFragment{40a7fdf0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto CREATED: RetainFragment{40a7fdf0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: RetainFragment{40a7fdf0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): Run: BackStackEntry{40a90190}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): add: ThirdFragment{406c2308 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.279: V/FragmentManager(7468): Allocated fragment index ThirdFragment{406c2308 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.289: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto CREATED: ThirdFragment{406c2308 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.289: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: ThirdFragment{406c2308 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.410: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto STARTED: RetainFragment{40a7fdf0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.410: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto STARTED: ThirdFragment{406c2308 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.430: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto RESUMED: RetainFragment{40a7fdf0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.430: V/FragmentManager(7468): moveto RESUMED: ThirdFragment{406c2308 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.810: V/FragmentManager(7468): Saved state of RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}: null
05-13 13:27:15.810: V/FragmentManager(7468): Saved state of SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}: Bundle[{android:view_state=android.util.SparseArray@40aa62c0}]
05-13 13:27:15.810: V/FragmentManager(7468): saveAllState: adding fragment #0: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.810: V/FragmentManager(7468): saveAllState: adding fragment #1: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.810: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STARTED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.810: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STARTED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:27:15.820: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STOPPED: RetainFragment{4076f1b0 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:27:15.820: V/FragmentManager(7468): movefrom STOPPED: SecondFragment{40713c28 #1 id=0x7f04000d}


// Here I'm waiting for a while to make sure Android has enough time to do anything it wants, then I press a button gorse-closing the app  
05-13 13:27:59.783: D/AndroidRuntime(7468): Shutting down VM


05-13 13:28:14.928: V/FragmentManager(7523): Instantiated fragment RetainFragment{406cde80 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): restoreAllState: active #0: RetainFragment{406cde80 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): Instantiated fragment FirstFragment{406d8410 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): restoreAllState: active #1: FirstFragment{406d8410 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): restoreAllState: added #0: RetainFragment{406cde80 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): restoreAllState: added #1: FirstFragment{406d8410 #1 id=0x7f04000d}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): moveto CREATED: RetainFragment{406cde80 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:28:14.938: V/FragmentManager(7523): moveto CREATED: FirstFragment{406d8410 #1 id=0x7f04000d}

05-13 13:28:15.128: V/msm8660.gralloc(7523): PmemUserspaceAllocator::PmemUserspaceAllocator(PmemUserspaceAllocator::Deps&, PmemUserspaceAllocator::Deps::Allocator&, const char*) begin
05-13 13:28:15.138: V/msm8660.gralloc(7523): PmemUserspaceAllocator::PmemUserspaceAllocator(PmemUserspaceAllocator::Deps&, PmemUserspaceAllocator::Deps::Allocator&, const char*) end
05-13 13:28:15.138: V/msm8660.gralloc(7523): PmemKernelAllocator::PmemKernelAllocator(PmemKernelAllocator::Deps&) begin
05-13 13:28:15.138: V/msm8660.gralloc(7523): PmemKernelAllocator::PmemKernelAllocator(PmemKernelAllocator::Deps&) end

05-13 13:28:15.408: V/FragmentManager(7523): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: RetainFragment{406cde80 #0 app_ImageCache}
05-13 13:28:15.408: V/FragmentManager(7523): moveto ACTIVITY_CREATED: FirstFragment{406d8410 #1 id=0x7f04000d}

java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to destroy activity {com.myapp/com.myapp.activity.FirstFragment}: java.lang.NullPointerException

05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performDestroyActivity(ActivityThread.java:3272)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.ActivityThread.handleDestroyActivity(ActivityThread.java:3299)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.ActivityThread.access$2100(ActivityThread.java:134)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1143)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:152)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4606)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:491)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:841)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:599)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

// see the original question log, it is quite the same
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691): Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at com.myapp/com.myapp.activity.FirstFragment.onCreateView(FirstFragment.java:41)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.Fragment.performCreateView(Fragment.java:1460)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:911)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:1088)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:1070)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.dispatchReallyStop(FragmentManager.java:1888)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onReallyStop(FragmentActivity.java:787)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.doReallyStop(FragmentActivity.java:764)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onDestroy(FragmentActivity.java:322)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at com.myapp.activity.FragmentsContainerActivity.onDestroy(FragmentsContainerActivity.java:806)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.Activity.performDestroy(Activity.java:4662)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnDestroy(Instrumentation.java:1113)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     at android.app.ActivityThread.performDestroyActivity(ActivityThread.java:3255)
05-13 13:35:41.824: E/AndroidRuntime(7691):     ... 11 more

The line #806 of FragmentsContainerActivity is super.onDestroy();:

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
    try {
        unregister(receiver);
    } catch (Exception e) {
    }
    super.onDestroy();

Can you post your code from `ExampleDialogFragment.onCreateView()`? — Steven Byle, Feb 14 '13 at 03:10
Are you sure the Activity is being destroyed? It's very possible that the system cleared the model from memory at some point, and now it's just trying to restore the Activity when the user goes back to it. — dmon, Feb 14 '13 at 04:43
@dmon You're correct, the model is wiped out, hence the NullPointerException, and I do suspect it being recreated at some point, but the trace shows a progression from FragmentActivity.onDestroy to Fragment.onCreateView: android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onDestroy(FragmentActivity.java:322) — WindsurferOak, Feb 14 '13 at 19:32
If i remember correctly i had this error when I had a ViewPager model constructed not in onCreate() but in a member initializer. Check for such pre-onCreate() construction. — WindRider, May 10 '13 at 21:39

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered May 13 '13 at 21:31

7

As guided in the code sample here referring to the onResume method You should:

Always call the superclass method first

Meanning you should put your super.onResume(); right at the start. That must be the problem.

At the current code you are running, you are confusing the FragmentActivity who is being told to stop (i.e. finish) and then being told to resume. a life cycle which is not "legit" in the activity life cycle. The fragments are affected directly by that because their life cycle is invoked from the activity life cycle, and if the activity went from finishing -> resume it can sure mean that the fragments went from finishing/destroy -> resuming (going through onCreateView).

answered May 13 '13 at 21:31

Sean

5,176
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I wonder why you had 3 upvotes for the more or less the same thing I wrote 10 hours before? tips? ;) – Raanan May 14 '13 at 08:08
1

I guess it's because I've offered an explanation and an official android code proving the problem? – Sean May 14 '13 at 08:16
am calling the super class method at first but in some devices when return back to the dialog fragment on create view is calling instead of on Resume can you please suggest. – RAHULRSANNIDHI Jan 20 '15 at 07:16
I am getting a similar issue but all on****() are immediatly calling the super one. – Loenix Jun 02 '16 at 05:59

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered May 13 '13 at 09:02

1

Without seeing the code, we can't help you with the specific problem at hand. For one, though, the fact that it's a DialogFragment is irrelevant.

That said, in my experience, FragmentManager.enableDebugLogging() is a life-saver when you're having trouble with the lifecycles. It would, for example, tell you what that last moveToState does (i.e., what states it's moving between), which might shed some light on the bug.

answered May 13 '13 at 09:02

Delyan

8,881
4
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Thanks for the hint, added the logs and navigation description as well as some code. – A-Live May 13 '13 at 10:50

Raanan · Answer 3 · 2013-05-13T11:39:27.423

1

For your specific problem did you try calling the super.resume() before calling finish() ?

Otherwise you should look at the source code: https://github.com/mastro/android-support-library-archive/blob/23ad71b245e7b7bbde6a501671ab411725ce16f5/v4/src/java/android/support/v4/app/FragmentManager.java

From this stacktrace line android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.moveToState(FragmentManager.java:911)

edited May 13 '13 at 11:39

answered May 13 '13 at 11:30

Raanan

4,777
27
47

score 0 · Answer 4 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

0

Please see this similar question, which describes the same behavior that you're seeing, but the solution probably doesn't apply in your case. To fix your issue, you could simply check if anything that your code is relying on in onCreateView is null.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

Community

1
1

answered May 07 '13 at 17:57

Nick

3,504
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1

I'm interested at why fragments lyfecycle is so strange as seeing something like this means for me that I'm doing something wrong, `NullPointerException` is out of scope. – A-Live May 07 '13 at 17:59

Why is DialogFragment.onCreateView called when Activity is being Destroyed?

4 Answers4

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