Typeface returns null on Android 4.4 when looking at widgets inside a parent view when targeting API higher than 21 -

there seems problem appcompat widgets on android.support.v7. basically, using getlayoutinflator().inflate() load xml layout relativelayout or linearlayout viewgroup. then, pass viewgroup function extracts child views , attempts @ typeface of child view if textview, button or edittext. works fine on android 5 , above. however, on android devices running 4.4.4 or below, typeface of child view returns null. why widgets return null?

if inflate viewgroup, add parent activity , find widget id, can typeface.

i need change typeface of child view if textview, button or edittext. , code below works on android devices running 5 , above not below android 5.

public void checkview(view view) {  // custom_typeface defined elsewhere in code. // if check of widgets below typeface gettypeface(), // returns null on android devices running 4.4.4 , below.  if (view instanceof textview) {     textview txt = (textview) view;     typeface custom_typeface = createtypefacebasedonexistingstyle(txt.gettypeface);     txt.settypeface(custom_typeface); }  if (view instanceof edittext) {     edittext edt = (edittext) view;     typeface custom_typeface = createtypefacebasedonexistingstyle(txt.gettypeface);     edt.settypeface(custom_typeface); }  if (view instanceof button) {     button btn = (button) view;     typeface custom_typeface = createtypefacebasedonexistingstyle(txt.gettypeface);     btn.settypeface(custom_typeface); } } 

if has input or solution problem, appreciate it. thank in advance.

ok, figured out going on. seems when inflate xml layout , attempt typeface of widgets not have textstyle property defined in xml file on devices running android os @ 4.4.4 or below, typeface has not been defined , therefore it'll return null.

on android devices running 5.0 , above, widgets return default typeface no matter because textstyle defaults normal.

solution devices running android 4.4.4 , below define textstyle normal in xml file on widgets you'd change typeface. way, when xml layout inflated, textstyle defined , typeface created widget.

alternatively, in code, can check if typeface returns null , create new typeface normal text style.

hope make sense comes across same issue in future.