"ArrayAdapter requires the resource ID to be a TextView" xml problems

The ArrayAdapter requires the resource ID to be a TextView XML exception means you don't supply what the ArrayAdapter expects. When you use this constructor:

new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, R.layout.a_layout_file, this.file)

R.Layout.a_layout_file must be the id of a xml layout file containing only a TextView(the TextView can't be wrapped by another layout, like a LinearLayout, RelativeLayout etc!), something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    // other attributes of the TextView
/>

If you want your list row layout to be something a little different then a simple TextView widget use this constructor:

new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, R.layout.a_layout_file, 
   R.id.the_id_of_a_textview_from_the_layout, this.file)

where you supply the id of a layout that can contain various views, but also must contain a TextView with and id(the third parameter) that you pass to your ArrayAdapter so it can know where to put the Strings in the row layout.

Soution is here

listitem.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
     android:layout_height="match_parent"
     android:orientation="vertical" >

     <TextView
         android:id="@+id/textview"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent" >
     </TextView>
</LinearLayout>

Java code :

 String[] countryArray = {"India", "Pakistan", "USA", "UK"};
 ArrayAdapter adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, R.layout.listitem,R.id.textview, countryArray);
 ListView listView = (ListView) findViewById(R.id.listview);
 listView.setAdapter(adapter);