Attempt to invoke virtual method 'android.database.Cursor androidx.cursoradapter.widget.CursorAdapter.getCursor()' on a null object reference

Question

My app has a searchview in its top appbar. I am getting suggestions from the PLaces SDK autocomplete feature but when I click any of the suggestions my app crashes and I get this error:

    FATAL EXCEPTION: main
    Process: app.vibecast, PID: 6620
    java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'android.database.Cursor androidx.cursoradapter.widget.CursorAdapter.getCursor()' on a null object reference                                                                                                       
    at androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView.launchSuggestion(SearchView.java:1494)
    at androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView.onItemClicked(SearchView.java:1407)
    at androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView$8.onItemClick(SearchView.java:1432)
at android.widget.AutoCompleteTextView.performCompletion(AutoCompleteTextView.java:1071)
at android.widget.AutoCompleteTextView.access$600(AutoCompleteTextView.java:101)
android.widget.AutoCompleteTextView$DropDownItemClickListener.onItemClick(AutoCompleteTextView.java:1419)

The appbar is generated by the Theme.MaterialComponents.DayNight.DarkActionBar theme using this menu:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">
    <item
        android:id="@+id/action_save_location"
        android:icon="@drawable/save_location_icon"
        android:title="@string/save_location"
        android:checkable="true"
        app:showAsAction="ifRoom" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/action_save_image"
        android:icon="@drawable/favorite_unselected"
        android:title="@string/save_image_btn"
        android:checkable="true"
        app:showAsAction="ifRoom" />


    <item
        android:id="@+id/action_search"
        android:title="@string/search_bar_text"
        app:showAsAction="ifRoom"
        app:actionViewClass="androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView"
      />

</menu>

This is the activity setting all of this up:

@AndroidEntryPoint
class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    private lateinit var appBarConfiguration: AppBarConfiguration
    private lateinit var binding: ActivityMainBinding
    private lateinit var searchView: SearchView
    private lateinit var suggestionsAdapter: ArrayAdapter<String>
    private val currentLocationViewModel : CurrentLocationViewModel by viewModels()
    private val accountViewModel : AccountViewModel by viewModels()
    private lateinit var imageList : List<ImageDto>
    private lateinit var currentImage : ImageDto
    private lateinit var currentLocation : LocationDto
    private var isCurrentLocationFragmentVisible: Boolean = true
    private lateinit var placesClient: PlacesClient

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        binding = ActivityMainBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
        setContentView(binding.root)
        val drawerLayout: DrawerLayout = binding.drawerLayout
        val navView: NavigationView = binding.navView
        val navHostFragment = supportFragmentManager.findFragmentById(R.id.nav_host_fragment_content_home) as NavHostFragment
        val navController = navHostFragment.navController

        appBarConfiguration = AppBarConfiguration(
            setOf(
                R.id.nav_home,
                R.id.nav_account, R.id.nav_pictures, R.id.nav_settings
            ), drawerLayout
        )
        setupActionBarWithNavController(navController, appBarConfiguration)
        navView.setupWithNavController(navController)

        currentLocationViewModel.galleryImages.observe(this){
            imageList = it

        }
        currentLocationViewModel.image.observe(this){
            currentImage = it
        }
        currentLocationViewModel.weather.observe(this){
            currentLocation = LocationDto(it.location.cityName, it.location.locationIndex)

        }

        NavigationUI.setupWithNavController(binding.navView, navController)

        navController.addOnDestinationChangedListener { _, destination, _ ->
            isCurrentLocationFragmentVisible = destination.id == R.id.nav_home
            if (isCurrentLocationFragmentVisible) {
                invalidateOptionsMenu()
            }
        }
        Places.initialize(applicationContext, BuildConfig.MAPS_KEY)
        placesClient = Places.createClient(this)
        suggestionsAdapter = ArrayAdapter(this, android.R.layout.simple_dropdown_item_1line)
    }
    override fun onCreateOptionsMenu(menu: Menu): Boolean {
        menuInflater.inflate(R.menu.main, menu)

        val searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search)
        searchView = searchItem.actionView as SearchView


        val autoCompleteTextViewId = androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text
        val autoCompleteTextView =
            searchView.findViewById<AutoCompleteTextView>(autoCompleteTextViewId)
        autoCompleteTextView.setAdapter(suggestionsAdapter)
//        autoCompleteTextView.post {
//            autoCompleteTextView.setAdapter(suggestionsAdapter)
//        }

       
        searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(object : SearchView.OnQueryTextListener {
            override fun onQueryTextSubmit(query: String): Boolean {
                
                return true // Return true to indicate that query change has been handled
            }

            override fun onQueryTextChange(newText: String): Boolean {
                if (newText != null) {
                    fetchCitySuggestions(newText)
                }
                return true
            }
        })

        return true
    }


    private fun fetchCitySuggestions(query: String) {
        val autocompleteRequest = AutocompleteSessionToken.newInstance()

        val request = FindAutocompletePredictionsRequest.builder()
            .setTypesFilter(listOf(PlaceTypes.CITIES))
            .setSessionToken(autocompleteRequest)
            .setQuery(query)
            .build()


        placesClient.findAutocompletePredictions(request)
            .addOnSuccessListener { response ->
                val suggestions = response.autocompletePredictions.map { it.getFullText(null).toString() }
                updateCitySuggestions(suggestions)
            }
            .addOnFailureListener { exception ->
                Log.e("PlacesSDK", "Error fetching city suggestions: ${exception.localizedMessage}")
            }
    }

    private fun updateCitySuggestions(suggestions: List<String>) {
        suggestionsAdapter.clear()
        suggestionsAdapter.addAll(suggestions)
        suggestionsAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged()
    }

    override fun onPrepareOptionsMenu(menu: Menu): Boolean {
        val saveImageItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_save_image)
        if (isCurrentLocationFragmentVisible) {
            saveImageItem?.icon = ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.favorite_unselected)
        } else {
            saveImageItem?.icon = ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.favorite_selected)
        }

        return super.onPrepareOptionsMenu(menu)
    }


    override fun onOptionsItemSelected(item: MenuItem): Boolean {
        return when (item.itemId) {
            R.id.action_save_image -> {
                if (item.isCheckable) {
                    if (!item.isChecked) {
                        item.isChecked = true
                        currentLocationViewModel.addImage(currentImage)
                        item.icon = ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.favorite_selected)
                    } else {
                        item.isChecked = false
                        currentLocationViewModel.deleteImage(currentImage)
                        item.icon = ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.favorite_unselected)
                    }
                }
                true
            }
            R.id.action_save_location -> {
                if (item.isCheckable) {
                    if (!item.isChecked) {
                        item.isChecked = true
                        accountViewModel.addLocation(currentLocationViewModel.weather.value!!.location)
                        item.icon = ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.delete_location_icon)
                    } else {
                        item.isChecked = false
                        accountViewModel.deleteLocation(currentLocation)
                        item.icon = ContextCompat.getDrawable(this, R.drawable.save_location_icon)
                    }
                }
                true
            }
            else -> super.onOptionsItemSelected(item)
        }
    }


    override fun onSupportNavigateUp(): Boolean {
        val navController = findNavController(R.id.nav_host_fragment_content_home)
        return navController.navigateUp(appBarConfiguration) || super.onSupportNavigateUp()
    }
}