Use of google map API crashes my application in Android studio

Question

I have an application which uses the Google map API. I tried so hard to figure out why my application crashes the moment it starts to run and displays a pop-up saying, "Unfortunately, myApplicaiton has stopped." I have spent many hours trying to see where else I should look into the code.

Here is the Gradle of my project:

// Top-level build file where you can add configuration options common to all sub-projects/modules.

buildscript {
    repositories {
        jcenter()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:1.0.0'

        // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
        // in the individual module build.gradle files
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        jcenter()
    }
}

Here's the Gradle of my module app:

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

android {
    compileSdkVersion 21
    buildToolsVersion "21.1.2"

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.example.myApplication"
        minSdkVersion 15
        targetSdkVersion 21
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
    sourceSets { main { assets.srcDirs = ['src/main/assets', 'src/main/assets/'] } }
}

dependencies {
    compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
    compile 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:21.0.3'
    compile files('libs/google-play-services.jar')
    compile files('libs/android-support-4.0.jar')
}

Here is the code (MainActivity.java:89-95):

protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        requestWindowFeature(Window.FEATURE_NO_TITLE);
        getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);         //(MainActivity.java:93)
        StrictMode.ThreadPolicy policy = new StrictMode.ThreadPolicy.Builder()
                .permitAll().build();

and here is the error log:

12-13 15:26:35.724    7875-7875/com.example.myApplication E/AndroidRuntime﹕ FATAL EXCEPTION: main
    java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com.google.android.gms.R$styleable
            at com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMapOptions.createFromAttributes(Unknown Source)
            at com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment.onInflate(Unknown Source)
            at android.support.v4.app.FragmentManagerImpl.onCreateView(FragmentManager.java:2158)
            at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onCreateView(FragmentActivity.java:297)
            at android.view.LayoutInflater.createViewFromTag(LayoutInflater.java:676)
            at android.view.LayoutInflater.rInflate(LayoutInflater.java:746)
            at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:489)
            at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:396)
            at android.view.LayoutInflater.inflate(LayoutInflater.java:352)
            at com.android.internal.policy.impl.PhoneWindow.setContentView(PhoneWindow.java:270)
            at android.app.Activity.setContentView(Activity.java:1881)
            at com.example.selflocation.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:93)
            at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5104)
            at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1080)
            at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2144)
            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)

and here is my android manifest

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.selflocation"
    android:versionCode="2"
    android:versionName="1.0.1" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="8"
        android:targetSdkVersion="17" />

    <permission
        android:name="in.wptrafficanalyzer.locationingooglemapv2.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE"
        android:protectionLevel="signature" />

    <uses-permission android:name="in.wptrafficanalyzer.locationingooglemapv2.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.GET_TASKS" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.DISABLE_KEYGUARD"/>

    <uses-feature
        android:glEsVersion="0x00020000"
        android:required="true" />

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/logo"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity
            android:name="com.example.myApplication.MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
        <activity android:name="com.example.myApplication.SetHomeLocation" >
        </activity>

        <receiver android:name="com.example.myApplication.BootUpReceiver" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.HOME" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>

        <receiver
            android:name="com.example.myApplication.MyAdminReceiver"
            android:permission="android.permission.BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN" >
            <meta-data
                android:name="android.app.device_admin"
                android:resource="@xml/admin" />

            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.app.action.DEVICE_ADMIN_ENABLED" />
            </intent-filter>
        </receiver>

    <meta-data
            android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"
            android:value="4242000" >
        </meta-data>
        <meta-data
            android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY"
            android:value="xxxxxxxxxxxx" />
    </application>

</manifest>

Answer 1

Google Play Services has to be included as an Android library, not just a jar file.

You can replace the

compile files('libs/google-play-services.jar')

With

compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:6.5.+'

Or import from the $SDK_HOME/extras/google/google_play_services/libproject/google-play-services_lib as an android project, although you might have to create the gradle build files since are not included.