crash - Google Maps Android API v2 - Sample Code crashes

Question

I'm trying to get the sample code of Android 'Google Maps Android API v2' working. I get the project built without errors. However, when I try to run the app on my Galaxy Nexus (connected with usb to my laptop), the app crashes immediately.

• I filled in my own Maps API Key at the AndroidManifest.xml
• I built against Android 4.1.2

This is the logging:

Unable to resolve superclass of Lcom/example/mapdemo/BasicMapActivity; (66) 
Link of class 'Lcom/example/mapdemo/BasicMapActivity;' failed 
Could not find class 'com.example.mapdemo.BasicMapActivity', referenced from method com.example.mapdemo.MainActivity.<clinit> 
VFY: unable to resolve const-class 108 (Lcom/example/mapdemo/BasicMapActivity;) in Lcom/example/mapdemo/MainActivity; 
VFY: replacing opcode 0x1c at 0x000d 
Exception Ljava/lang/NoClassDefFoundError; thrown while initializing Lcom/example/mapdemo/MainActivity; 
Class init failed in newInstance call (Lcom/example/mapdemo/MainActivity;) 
Shutting down VM 
threadid=1: thread exiting with uncaught exception (group=0x41ac9930) 
FATAL EXCEPTION: main 
java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
at java.lang.Class.newInstanceImpl(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.newInstance(Class.java:1319)
at android.app.Instrumentation.newActivity(Instrumentation.java:1054)
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2097)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2230)
at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:141)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1234)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5039)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:793)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:560)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method) 
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com.example.mapdemo.BasicMapActivity
at com.example.mapdemo.MainActivity.<clinit>(MainActivity.java:97)
... 15 more

Does anybody have a hint how to solve this or what I might be doing wrong?

Answer 1

Follow the crib sheet very, very carefully:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=19nQzvKP-CVLd7_VrpwnHfl-AE9fjbJySowONZZtNHzw

In particular, I think you need to:

• Import the actual source for the "google-play-services_lib" project and link it as an Android library.
  • Do this through Project -> Properties -> Android -> Library, Add -> google-play-services_lib (you can right click on your project and choose Properties, then select Android).
  • Do not add it as a dependent Project through the "Java Build Path" for your project, that didn't work for me.
• Add the google-play-services.jar and android-support-v4.jar into a "libs" folder in the sample project, and add them as "External External JARs" in "Build Path -> Configure Build Path -> Libraries".

I found this second step was necessary as I was hitting the exact same error as you when trying to use the sample code. The first step was necessary to avoid a NoClassDefFoundError in com.google.android.gms.R$styleable in my real project.

I also needed to do a Clean build and Uninstall the app from the device (from an earlier test attempt) before the sample code worked.