What is difference between getSupportFragmentManager() and getChildFragmentManager()?

Question

My class inherits Fragment and that's why it can't use getSupportFragmentManager(). I am using getChildFragmentManager and it is showing me Error - IllegalArguementException: No view found for id... error.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Code for calling AttachmentsListFragment is

Bundle b = new Bundle();
b.putSerializable("AttachmentsList", msg.attachments);  
        AttachmentListFragment listfrag = new AttachmentListFragment(msg.attachments);
FragmentTransaction transaction = getFragmentManager().beginTransaction();       
transaction.add(R.id.attachmentslistcontainer, listfrag);
transaction.addToBackStack(null);
transaction.commit();

attachmentslayout.xml is

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:id="@+id/attachmentslistcontainer"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textViewAttachmentHeader"
        style="@style/Normal.Header.Toolbar"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@color/list_separator_background"
        android:ellipsize="end"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:maxLines="2"
        android:text="@string/attachments_header"
        android:textColor="#FFFFFFFF"
        android:textSize="22sp"
        android:textStyle="bold"
        android:visibility="visible" />

    <ListView
        android:id="@android:id/list"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
    </ListView>

</FrameLayout>

AttachmentsListFragment.java

public class AttachmentListFragment extends ListFragment implements IAttachmentsData {

    ArrayList<Attachments> items = null;
    Integer cellLayoutID;
    Integer index;

    public AttachmentListFragment() {

    }

    public AttachmentListFragment(ArrayList<Attachments> items) {
        this.items = items;
        Log.i("Logging", "Items size" + items.size()); //$NON-NLS-1$
    }


    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        Bundle bundle;
        if (savedInstanceState != null) {
    }


    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        //super.onCreateView(inflater, container, savedInstanceState);

        //  setContentView(R.layout.attachmentslayout);
        View view = inflater.inflate(R.layout.attachmentslayout, container, false);
        return view;
    }


    @Override
    public void onActivityCreated(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onActivityCreated(savedInstanceState);
        setListAdapter(new AttachmentAdapter(
                getActivity().getApplicationContext(),
                R.layout.attachmentslistcellcontent,
                items));
    }

    @Override
    public void onListItemClick(ListView l, View v, int position, long id) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        super.onListItemClick(l, v, position, id);
        index = position;
        Intent intent = new Intent();
        Bundle b = new Bundle();
        b.putByteArray("Data", items.get(position).getImageData());
        intent.putExtras(b);
    }


    public byte[] getData() {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        if (items != null && index < items.size()) {

            return items.get(index).getImageData();
        }
            return null;
    }

}

Answer 1

The definition of getChildFragmentManager() is:

Return a private FragmentManager for placing and managing Fragments inside of this Fragment.

Meanwhile the definition of getFragmentManager() (or in this case getSupportFragmentManager()) is:

Return the FragmentManager for interacting with fragments associated with this fragment's activity.

Basically, the difference is that Fragment's now have their own internal FragmentManager that can handle Fragments. The child FragmentManager is the one that handles Fragments contained within only the Fragment that it was added to. The other FragmentManager is contained within the entire Activity.

In this case, what I'm guessing is you've added the Fragments to the Activity's FragmentManager. You get the child FragmentManager which doesn't contain what you are looking for. Thus you get the exception because it can't find the Fragment with the given ID because it's in a different FragmentManager.