Android kotlin data-binding with fragments error:cannot find symbol import com.example.***.databinding.FragmentUserBindingImpl;

Question

I am relatively new to kotlin and trying to build a project with data binding in some fragments.I have a fragment named UserFragment with a Recyclerview in it like this:

class UserFragment : Fragment() {
  private lateinit var binding: FragmentUserBinding
  private lateinit var viewModel: UserListViewModel
  override fun onCreateView(
      inflater: LayoutInflater, container: ViewGroup?,
      savedInstanceState: Bundle?
  ): View? {
      // Inflate the layout for this fragment
      binding=DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater,R.layout.fragment_user, container, false)
      binding.userRecycler.layoutManager = LinearLayoutManager(context, RecyclerView.VERTICAL, false)

      viewModel = ViewModelProviders.of(this).get(UserListViewModel::class.java)
      viewModel.errorMessage.observe(this, Observer {
              errorMessage -> if(errorMessage != null) showError(errorMessage) else hideError()
      })
      binding.mViewModel=viewModel
      return binding.root
      }

  override fun onViewCreated(view: View, savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
      super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState)
      //start add activity
      val i= Intent(activity,AddUserActivity::class.java)
      userFab.setOnClickListener(View.OnClickListener {
          startActivity(i)
      })
  }
  private fun showError(@StringRes errorMessage:Int){
      errorSnackbar = Snackbar.make(binding.root, errorMessage, Snackbar.LENGTH_INDEFINITE)
      errorSnackbar?.setAction(R.string.retry, viewModel.errorClickListener)
      errorSnackbar?.show()
  }

  private fun hideError(){
      errorSnackbar?.dismiss()
  }
  }

and the xml layout file fragment_user.xml looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layout
        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">
    <data>
        <variable
                name="mViewModel"
                type="com.example.***.ui.User.UserListViewModel" />
    </data>
    <androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent">
        <EditText
                android:id="@+id/userDateEditText"
                android:layout_width="0dp"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:hint="@string/pick_date"
                android:background="@drawable/roundededittext"
                android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"/>

        <androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView
                android:id="@+id/userRecycler"
                android:layout_width="293dp"
                android:layout_height="475dp" android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/userDateEditText"
                app:adapter="@{viewModel.getUserListAdapter()}"
                app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginEnd="8dp" app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginStart="8dp" android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"/>

        <com.google.android.material.floatingactionbutton.FloatingActionButton
                android:id="@+id/userFab"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginBottom="48dp"
                app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent" app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"/>
        <ProgressBar
                style="?android:attr/progressBarStyle"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                app:mutableVisibility="@{viewModel.getLoadingVisibility()}"
                android:id="@+id/userProgressBar" app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginEnd="140dp" app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
                android:layout_marginStart="8dp" android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
                app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent" app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.804"
                app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.499"/>
    </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
</layout>

there is also a similar adapter class and item_user.xml:

class UserListAdapter : RecyclerView.Adapter<UserListAdapter.ViewHolder>() {
    private lateinit var userModelList:List<UserModel>

    override fun onCreateViewHolder(parent: ViewGroup, viewType: Int): UserListAdapter.ViewHolder {
        val binding: ItemUserBinding = DataBindingUtil.inflate(LayoutInflater.from(parent.context), R.layout.item_user, parent, false)
        return ViewHolder(binding)
    }

    override fun onBindViewHolder(holder: UserListAdapter.ViewHolder, position: Int) {
        holder.bind(userModelList[position])
    }

    override fun getItemCount(): Int {
        return if(::userModelList.isInitialized) userModelList.size else 0
    }

    fun updateUserList(userModelList:List<UserModel>){
        this.userModelList = userModelList
        notifyDataSetChanged()
    }

    class ViewHolder(private val binding: ItemUserBinding):RecyclerView.ViewHolder(binding.root){
        private val viewModel = UserViewModel()

        fun bind(userModel: UserModel){
            viewModel.bind(userModel)
            binding.viewModel =viewModel
        }
    }
}

the item-user.xml :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">

    <data>
        <variable
                name="viewModel"
                type="com.example.***.ui.MyUser.UserViewModel" />
    </data>

    <android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:paddingLeft="16dp"
            android:paddingRight="16dp">

        <TextView
                android:id="@+id/user_title"
                android:layout_width="0dp"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:textStyle="bold"
                app:mutableText="@{viewModel.getUserTitle()}"
                app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
                app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

        <TextView
                android:id="@+id/user_description"
                android:layout_width="0dp"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
                app:mutableText="@{viewModel.getUserDesc()}"
                app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
                app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/user_title" />
    </android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>
</layout>

note that databinding has been enabled in the gradle and the very important issue here is that in both my fragment and the adapter this line:

binding.viewModel =viewModel

reports a type mismatch like this:

Type mismatch.
Required:MyUser.UserListViewModel?
Found:com.example.***.ui.MyUser.UserListViewModel

and when i build my project the error is as follows:

error: cannot find symbol
import com.example.***.databinding.FragmentUserBindingImpl;

Answer 1

The first error is pretty explicit: binding.viewModel expects a nullable UserListViewModel? and get a non-nullable UserListViewModel(see kotlin null safety doc ). You can try something like this to get rid of it:

Declare your viewModel as

private var viewModel: UserListViewModel? = null

and set your binding this way:

viewModel?.let{binding.viewModel = it}

Concerning the second error, your declarations seems fine, but sometimes the Android Studio's cache get corrupted, try Invalidate Caches/Restart, it may help.

Answer 2

Type mismatch. Required:MyUser.UserListViewModel? Found:com.example.***.ui.MyUser.UserListViewModel

Basically the error is telling that your

binding.viewModel //is a nullable type and there for it expects a nullable 
//type to be assigned as well

So just turn your view model into a nullable type by addind the ? simbol after its delacarion (note late init types do not allow nullable types). try it like this

private var viewModel: UserListViewModel? =  null

About the second error data binding library need to compile in order to autogenerate the binding class, just rebuild the project and this error will be gone.

Please feel free to use this template as a base to avoid all that boilerplate code

@Retention(AnnotationRetention.RUNTIME)
@Target(AnnotationTarget.CLASS)
annotation class ContentView(@LayoutRes val id: Int)

fun ViewGroup.inflate(@LayoutRes layoutId: Int,
addContainer: Boolean = false): View {                                                     
    return LayoutInflater.from(context).inflate(layoutId,this,addContainer)      
}

@Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
abstract class BaseFragment<Model : ViewModel, Binding : ViewDataBinding> : Fragment() {
/**
 * Data binding class variable all view elements declared on the
 * Xml file will be available within this instance if a view model
 * Is required for the xml to work we will need to bind it on @onBindViewModel
 */
protected lateinit var binding: WeakReference<Binding?>

/**
 * Fragments view model according to MVVM android architecture
 * Each fragment class should have one , in order to facilitate
 * Live Data and Binding library features, tho we can skip it
 */
protected lateinit var viewModel: WeakReference<Model?>

/**
 * Here is where most likely you will get not null data , both binding and
 * view model references can be destroyed by garbage collector
 * If this application reaches low memory levels
 *
 * This optional method is used to bind the required view model inside the
 * Xml file, this is optional to use tho is recommended
 * Bind them by calling the view model binding.customViewModel = viewModel
 */
protected open fun onBindViewModel(viewModel: Model?, binding: Binding?) {}

/**
 * There will be the occasion where custom params will be needed on view model's
 * Constructor in this case will want to override the default creation @see ViewModelFactory
 */
protected open fun onCreateViewModel(modelType: Class<Model>): Model? = if (modelType != ViewModel::class.java)
    ViewModelProviders.of(requireActivity()).get(modelType) else null

/**
 * Here we will inherit view model and binding values based on the class
 * Parameters and store them in global variables so any class extending
 * From Base activity has access to binding and view model instances by default
 */
override fun onCreateView(inflater: LayoutInflater, container: ViewGroup?, savedInstanceState: Bundle?): View? {
    val layout = this.javaClass.annotations.find { it.annotationClass == ContentView::class } as ContentView?
        ?: throw RuntimeException("You annotate this class with @ContentView and provide a layout resource")

    container?.let { binding = WeakReference(DataBindingUtil.bind(it.inflate(layout.id))!!) }
        ?: run { binding = WeakReference(DataBindingUtil.bind(inflater.inflate(layout.id, null))) }

    viewModel = WeakReference(
        onCreateViewModel(
            (this.javaClass.genericSuperclass
                    as ParameterizedType).actualTypeArguments[0] as Class<Model>
        )
    )

    setHasOptionsMenu(true)
    onBindViewModel(viewModel.get(), binding.get())
    return binding.get()?.root
}
}

And just use it like this (see how much boiler plate code is gone)

@ContentView(R.layout.fragment_user)
class UserFragment: BaseFragment<UserListViewModel, FragmentUserBinding> {

override fun onBindViewModel(viewModel: UserListViewModel?, binding: FragmentUserBinding?) {
    binding.viewModel = viewModel
}
}