Why doesn't the layout design preview get displayed on my Android Studio?

Question

I don't know if it's me or something but I can't place a simple text or a button in design mode in Android Studio

If it helps, this is the code:

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".MainActivity">

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button2"
    style="@android:style/Widget.Button"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Button"
    android:visibility="visible"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.45"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
    tools:text="Test" />

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Hello World!"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

Answer 1

You messed up your Button's constraints:

<Button
android:id="@+id/button2"
style="@android:style/Widget.Button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Button"
android:visibility="visible"
app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.45"
app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
tools:text="Test" />

In particular:

• app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="parent"

• app:layout_constraintEnd_toStartOf="parent"

That's making it not show up in your Design editor.

Fix it to be:

• app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"

• app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"

Answer 2

If that's the full layout you're missing the closing tag for the ConstraintLayout at the very bottom:

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Hello World!"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

Answer 3

try this

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    >

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Button"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.45"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        tools:text="Test"
        style="@android:style/Widget.Button"
        />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:textColor="@color/colorAccent"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        />
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

Answer 4

Problem solved by @I_A_Mok

"Change Theme in Editor from App Theme to anything with .NoActionBar (eg AppCompat.NoActionBar)."

and this is working! thanks a lot! :D