android - Not able to customize the actionbar manually -

ide used=eclipse juno
api level=14
device's os=4.2.2 jelly bean

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i've been trying change background color , text font , font color of action bar using xml file. referred this tutorial , tried got message "unfortunately, myappname has been stopped"

the code using change background is:

res/values/themes.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <resources>     <style name="mytheme" parent="@android:style/theme.holo.light">         <item name="android:actionbarstyle">@style/myactionbar</item>     </style>      <style name="myactionbar" parent="@android:style/widget.holo.light.actionbar">         <item name="android:background">#6845db</item>     </style> </resources> 

after changed app theme in manifest as:-

android:theme="@style/mytheme" 

i beginner android development.

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error log cat is:-

05-12 14:48:33.866: e/hawaii.gralloc(1449): gralloc alloc flags 933 05-12 14:48:33.886: e/hawaii_egl(1449): abuffer = (480 800) (933) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127): fatal exception: main 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127): java.lang.runtimeexception: unable start activity componentinfo{com.decode.timer/com.decode.timer.homescreen}: java.lang.illegalstateexception: need use theme.appcompat theme (or descendant) activity. 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activitythread.performlaunchactivity(activitythread.java:2255) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activitythread.handlelaunchactivity(activitythread.java:2309) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activitythread.access$700(activitythread.java:157) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activitythread$h.handlemessage(activitythread.java:1289) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.os.handler.dispatchmessage(handler.java:99) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.os.looper.loop(looper.java:176) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activitythread.main(activitythread.java:5317) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ java.lang.reflect.method.invokenative(native method) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ java.lang.reflect.method.invoke(method.java:511) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ com.android.internal.os.zygoteinit$methodandargscaller.run(zygoteinit.java:1102) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ com.android.internal.os.zygoteinit.main(zygoteinit.java:869) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ dalvik.system.nativestart.main(native method) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127): caused by: java.lang.illegalstateexception: need use theme.appcompat theme (or descendant) activity. 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.support.v7.app.actionbaractivitydelegate.oncreate(actionbaractivitydelegate.java:110) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.support.v7.app.actionbaractivitydelegateics.oncreate(actionbaractivitydelegateics.java:57) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.support.v7.app.actionbaractivity.oncreate(actionbaractivity.java:99) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ com.decode.timer.homescreen.oncreate(homescreen.java:15) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activity.performcreate(activity.java:5326) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.instrumentation.callactivityoncreate(instrumentation.java:1097) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     @ android.app.activitythread.performlaunchactivity(activitythread.java:2218) 05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127):     ... 11 more 05-12 14:48:34.657: e/hawaii.gralloc(1449): gralloc alloc flags 933 05-12 14:48:34.687: e/hawaii_egl(1449): abuffer = (480 235) (933) 05-12 14:48:34.867: e/android.os.debug(1961): !@dumpstate > dumpstate -k -t -z -d -o /data/log/dumpstate_app_error 05-12 14:48:35.087: e/hawaii.gralloc(1449): gralloc alloc flags 10000b22 05-12 14:48:35.147: e/hawaii.gralloc(1449): gralloc alloc flags 10000b22 05-12 14:48:35.157: e/hawaii_egl(1449): abuffer = (480 800) (10000b22) 05-12 14:48:35.618: e/hawaii.gralloc(1449): gralloc alloc flags 933 05-12 14:48:35.638: e/hawaii_egl(1449): abuffer = (480 235) (933) 05-12 14:48:35.848: e/hawaii.gralloc(1449): gralloc alloc flags 933 05-12 14:48:35.858: e/hawaii_egl(1449): abuffer = (480 235) (933) 05-12 14:48:45.688: e/dalvikvm(7141): adjustadaptivecoef max=4194304, min=1048576, ut=568 

your logcat might have given answer

05-12 14:48:34.257: e/androidruntime(7127): caused by: java.lang.illegalstateexception: need use theme.appcompat theme (or descendant) activity.

so need change parent of theme

<style name="mytheme" parent="@style/theme.appcompat.light">     <item name="actionbarstyle">@style/myactionbar</item> </style>  <style name="myactionbar" parent="@style/widget.appcompat.actionbar">     <item name="background">#6845db</item> </style> 

also, question here might understand why dont need add android: before item name when using appcompat

for titletextappearance you'd have create style textappearance.appcompat.widget.actionbar.title parent

<style name="mytitletextappearance"     parent="textappearance.appcompat.widget.actionbar.title">     <item name="textcolor">@color/white</item> </style> 

then set titletextstyle in myactionbar style

<item name="titletextstyle">@style/mytitletextappearance</item>