Resolving "Can't determine type for tag '?attr/colorSurface'" in Android

Problem: Android Build Error with Material Components

The Android build error Can't determine type for tag '?attr/colorSurface' typically occurs when using Material Components for Android version 1.7.0 or newer on an outdated build environment. This error indicates the build system can't process new XML macros introduced in Material Components v1.7.0.

Common triggers:

• Using Material Components library ≥1.7.0 with Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) <7.2.0
• Outdated Gradle versions (<7.3.3)
• compileSdkVersion lower than 31
• Older Android Studio versions (pre-2021.2.1)

Recommended Solutions

Fix 1: Update Build Dependencies (Recommended)

The official solution is updating your tools to meet Material Components' requirements:

Top-level build.gradle

buildscript {
    dependencies {
        // Update Android Gradle Plugin to 7.2.2+
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.2.2'
    }
}

gradle-wrapper.properties

distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.3.3-bin.zip

App-level build.gradle

android {
    // Set SDK versions to 33 or newer
    compileSdk 33
    defaultConfig {
        targetSdk 33
    }
}

dependencies {
    // Keep Material Components updated
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.9.0'
}

WARNING

Minimum requirements for Material Components ≥1.7.0:

• AGP ≥7.2.0
• Gradle ≥7.3.3
• Android Studio Chipmunk 2021.2.1+
• Java 8

Fix 2: Downgrade Material Components (Temporary Fix)

If immediate tool updates aren't feasible, use Material Components v1.6.x or earlier:

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.6.0'
}

Solution Rationale

Material Components 1.7.0+ introduced XML macros requiring updated build tools:

• AGP ≥7.2.0 supports macro processing
• Gradle ≥7.3.3 enables required dependency features
• Android Studio Chipmunk/Dolphin+ provides Gradle compatibility

Additional Configuration Changes

For projects requiring Manifest declarations (common with newer SDKs):

<activity
    android:name=".MainActivity"
    android:exported="true"> <!-- Add this attribute -->
    ...
</activity>

Verifying The Fix

1. Update Android Studio via Help > Check for Updates
2. Verify tool versions in File > Project Structure
3. Clean project with Build > Clean Project
4. Rebuild via Build > Rebuild Project

Avoid Using Incompatible Versions

Material Components 1.7.0+ won't work with these combinations:

• AGP ≤7.1.0
• Gradle ≤7.3.2
• Android Studio Arctic Fox (2020.3.1) or older

Best Practices

1. Keep all dependencies updated:

dependencies {
    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.6.1'
    implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.1.4'
}

2. Test with newest stable tooling before updating Material Components
3. Upgrade Material Components only after verifying compatibility

TIP

Always sync your Gradle files after dependency changes using the "Elephant" icon in Android Studio or via File > Sync Project with Gradle Files.

By meeting the build environment requirements and maintaining updated dependencies, you'll resolve the XML macro processing error and avoid similar issues in future updates.