[SOLVED] Android: how to fix "Cannot resolve symbol 'R'" with androidx and search_close

Android: how to fix "Cannot resolve symbol 'R'" with androidx and search_close_btn?

In my Android project, I have an onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) to show a SearchView. The below line sets up an "X" graphic as a close button for the SearchView, which is shown when the SearchView is open:

ImageView clearButton = mSearchView.findViewById(androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_close_btn);

Android Studio throws an error message on this line, "Cannot resolve symbol 'R'".

What am I missing here?

I have read other answers on StackOverflow to "Build / Clean Project" or "File / Invalidate Caches / Invalidate and Restart" which works sometimes to clear the error but I am looking for a solution to avoid the error in the first place.

MainActivity's SearchView code:

getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.mainactiv_menu, menu);
MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search);
menu.findItem(R.id.action_search).setVisible(false);
SearchManager searchManager = (SearchManager) MainActivity.this.getSystemService(Context.SEARCH_SERVICE);
mSearchView = (SearchView) searchItem.getActionView();
mSearchView.setSearchableInfo(searchManager.getSearchableInfo(getComponentName()));
mSearchView.setIconifiedByDefault(true);

mainactiv_menu.xml

 <item android:id="@+id/action_search"
        android:title="@string/search_title"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_action_search"
        app:actionViewClass="androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView"
        android:orderInCategory="1"
        app:showAsAction="always|collapseActionView"  />

AndroidManifest.xml

<activity
    android:name=".MainActivity" >
    <intent-filter tools:ignore="ExtraText">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.SEARCH" />
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>
    <meta-data
        android:name="android.app.searchable"
        android:resource="@xml/searchable"  />
</activity>

searchable.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<searchable xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:label="@string/app_name"  >
</searchable>

IDE is Android Studio Narwhal | 2025.1.1

build.gradle(:app) has "implementation libs.appcompat"

libs.version.toml has 'appcompat = "1.7.1"'

gradle.properties has "android.useAndroidX=true"

Solution

You do not import R, that is done by the system. This error is usually caused by a spelling mistake in the manifest file. As a start in the android name tag use the full package instead of just .MainActivity.

eg andriod:name = "com.app.AppName.MainActivity"