Cannot see Options Menu in Android

Question

I am trying to create a menu demo, but I am unable to see the menu. The only thing I can see is the "TextView" view in the layout. Below is the code:

menu.xml in (res\menu)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu
  xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <group android:checkableBehavior="single">
    <item 
    android:title="@string/new_game" 
    android:id="@+id/new_game">
    </item>
    <item 
    android:title="@string/quit" 
    android:id="@+id/quit"
    >
    </item>
    </group>
</menu>

demomenu.java

package com.test.demomenu;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuInflater;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.widget.Toast;


public class demomenu extends Activity {
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
    }
    
    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu)
    {
        //super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
        MenuInflater inflater=getMenuInflater();
        inflater.inflate(R.menu.game_menu, menu);
        return true;
                
    }
    
    @Override
    public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item)
    {
        Toast.makeText(this, "This is the item", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        return true;
        
    }
}

main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<TextView  
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:text="@string/hello"
    />
</LinearLayout>

strings.xml

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <string name="hello">Hello World, demomenu!</string>
    <string name="app_name">Demo Menu</string>
    <string name="new_game">New Game</string>
    <string name="quit">Quit</string>
</resources>

When I run the project, I can only see the "TextView" and not the menu. I would appreciate it if someone can tell me what is wrong with the application.

Answer 1

I don't think you can have checkable items in an options menu. The documentation states:

Options menus: The icon menus do not support item check marks...

Try removing the group tag and see if the menu will display.

Answer 2

You are using R.menu.game_menu but you say your xml is named menu.xml.

Do you get anything in the logcat? Have you tried to debug? Is onCreateOptionsMenu called when you press the menu button?

Comparing you code to my tutorial I can't find a important difference.

Answer 3

Sid... try using LogCat.

So import

import android.util.*;

declare your TAG

private static final String TAG= "Sid";

Add debugging code to onOptionsItemSelected

@Override
public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item)
{
    Log.d(TAG,"onOptionsItemSelectedCalled");
    return true;

}

Run your app and press on the menu button. Now look into LogCat, after filtering for TAG:Sid and Log Level Debug, for the message tag:Sid Message:"onOptionsCalled".

JAL