CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaandroiduser-interfacelayoutview
Tarek
Tarek

Reputation: 771

Adding views in layout from the app in Android

I want to develop an Android app, where start page of the app GUI, will contain 4 vertical layouts in the main layout. Now, in each layout, I want to add buttons/slider dynamically from the app (instead of adding buttons/slider dynamically in the source code). That means, initially all these 4 layouts will be blank and when user will select any button or slider in another layout, to add it in any of this 4 layouts, the button or slider will be added in that layout. User will be able to add max 10 views in any vertical layout and the views can be either button, slider or custom view.

My attempt:

First I tried to create 4 vertical layout under the main layout for startup page and I got succeed.

I also find after searching that its possible to add views dynamically in layouts in android.

dynamically adding a view to activity layout

But most examples, add views dynamically in android by running loops, instantiating the desired view class and then add it in the main layout. Although, in this way, views are added dynamically in the layout, it is done by modifying the source code.

Is it possible to write the source code in a way, so that it can be done directly from the app? So that when user will click on Add a slider in "layout 1", a slider will be added in layout 1 and then again, when the user will click on "Add a button" in layout 1, a button will be added at the end of the slider. User will be able to customize button or slider properties. Also, if the user change the value of the slider, the app will remember its value.

Now, next time, when the app will be opened, those views will be there in the layouts, they will not be deleted and the values will remain unchanged (for example, a ticked check box will remain ticked), so I think I also need some kind of storage or properties manager.

My question is, is it possible to do this in android (because I never seen such apps in android) and if possible, any idea, how can I implement it?

I am totally new to android, so my knowledge is limited but I completed the basic tutorials on android app development and I have plugin development experience in eclipse.

Thanks a lot in. I will highly appreciate your help.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 105

Answers (2)

Nicholas Eason
Nicholas Eason

Reputation: 300

Yes. This is possible. To create the Views dynamically, you simply have to either extend the class of the View or just say new Button(Context, AttributeSet); (Not only for Button's every View has a constructor that takes an attribute set and a context).

Using Layout.addView() you can add any View to the Layout.

Using SharedPreferences you can indicate what View belongs in what Layout.

If you decide to extend the View's class, make sure not to do too much in it. I tried that once and it just gave me an OOM (OutOfMemory Error) because I had a ton a Views trying to do stuff at the same time.

Upvotes: 1

funglejunk
funglejunk

Reputation: 288

Of course it is possible:

  • Every layout (like LinearLayout, RelativeLayout etc.) extends the ViewGroup-class, which offers the addView-method.
  • To add a new view (like a Slider) to one of your layouts, just instantiate it programmatically (via new) in your activity and assign the appropriate LayoutParams to it
  • To store the state of user added content, it is the easiest to use SharedPreferences - a simple key-value-store which holds data over the application's lifecycle

Upvotes: 2

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