CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidandroid-layoutandroid-styles
Gabi Moreno
Gabi Moreno

Reputation: 881

Layout Attributes within Styles

I've been with a dilemma for a while that I don't know how to solve it properly. I want to use DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), but not apply bad practices in styles (such as set the layout attributes inside them).

This is my case...

To have the text styles encapsulated in my projects, I usually use the following:

I have a style called Wrap_Content

<style name="WrapContent">
    <item name="android:layout_width">wrap_content</item>
    <item name="android:layout_height">wrap_content</item>
</style>

On the one hand, I have a style called Tv that inherits from WrapContent:

<style name="Tv" parent="WrapContent">
    <item name="android:fontFamily">@font/font_foo</item>
    <item name="android:textColor">@color/color_foo</item>
</style>

As you can see, apart, the Tv style has a default font and text color If for example I want to use a font size of 15sp, I apply this style:

<style name="Tv.15">
    <item name="android:textSize">15sp</item>
</style>

And so on...

Well, the issue is that all the TextView of my project I set wrap_content both width and height. Therefore, doing things like this simplifies the layouts XML a lot and it increases the readability and grouping common behaviors.

Example:

<TextView
    style="@style/Tv.15"
    android:text="@string/foo"/>

And if in any case, I want to change any attribute, I have only to overwrite it from where I call it.

The dilemma is that I am mixing textAppearance styles with layout ones. I have thought about separating this ... but I have not just resolved the main issue, that I am setting layout attributes on it, something that I should know nothing more than its own view, and not its container.

But what does not convince me at all is to do something like this:

<style name="Tv">
    <item name="android:fontFamily">@font/font_foo</item>
    <item name="android:textColor">@color/color_foo</item>
</style>

<style name="Tv.15">
    <item name="android:textSize">15sp</item>
</style>

<TextView
    style="@style/Tv.15"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="@string/foo"/>

I don't want to repeat a million times with the same attributes if these are common. Or yes I see what it brings ... technical debt. Therefore, it does not seem like a valid option.

I have searched quite a lot and the truth is that I have not found anything that convinces me and I would like to reach something elegant, since it is something that I use at all times and I don't like it.

Well... what do you think about it?

Thank you so much!!!

EDITED 2019-11-08

I have thought a new approach adding a new layer of styles, the @style/TextAppearance. It is like this:

<style name="WrapContent">
    <item name="android:layout_width">wrap_content</item>
    <item name="android:layout_height">wrap_content</item>
</style>

<style name="TextAppearance">
    <item name="android:fontFamily">@font/font_foo</item>
    <item name="android:textColor">@color/color_foo</item>
</style>

<style name="TextAppearance.15">
    <item name="android:textSize">15sp</item>
</style>

<style name="Tv" parent="WrapContent">
    <item name="android:textAppearance">@style/TextAppearance</item>
</style>

<style name="Tv.15">
    <item name="android:textAppearance">@style/TextAppearance.15</item>
</style>

This add a little bit of complexity to the system, but it splits the layout and the textAppearance attributes. Moreover, it allows use the TextAppearance style for buttons, editTexts an so on.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 572

Answers (1)

Isai Damier
Isai Damier

Reputation: 994

In our most recent Android Dev Summit, two of my colleagues gave a talk on how to use Theme & Style. We advice that you use Themes for View groups and their children and styles for simpler views. Perhaps your layout needs can be met by using Themes and then reserving styles for text appearances and such. Beyond that, efficacy should guide how you structure your style objects.

Upvotes: 1

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