Check out the official text fields guide for even more input field details. ... You can type appNS as a shortcut in Android Studio to be declared.
JumptoSectionTableofContentsOverviewUsageRetrievingtheValueCustomizingtheInputTypeFurtherEntryCustomizationAdjustingColorsDisplayingPlaceholderHintsChangingthebottomlinecolorListeningforEditTextInputDisplayingFloatingLabelFeedbackAddingCharacterCountingAddingPasswordVisibilityTogglesStylingTextInputLayoutProvidingAuto-completeReferencesWorkingwiththeEditTextEditPagePageHistoryOverview
TheEditTextisthestandardtextentrywidgetinAndroidapps.Iftheuserneedstoentertextintoanapp,thisistheprimarywayforthemtodothat.
TherearemanyimportantpropertiesthatcanbesettocustomizethebehaviorofanEditText.Severalofthesearelistedbelow.Checkouttheofficialtextfieldsguideforevenmoreinputfielddetails.
Usage
AnEditTextisaddedtoalayoutwithalldefaultbehaviorswiththefollowingXML:
NotethatanEditTextissimplyathinextensionoftheTextViewandinheritsallofthesameproperties.
RetrievingtheValue
GettingthevalueofthetextenteredintoanEditTextisasfollows:
EditTextsimpleEditText=(EditText)findViewById(R.id.et_simple);
StringstrValue=simpleEditText.getText().toString();
CustomizingtheInputType
Bydefault,anytextcontentswithinanEditTextcontrolisdisplayedasplaintext.BysettinginputType,wecanfacilitateinputofdifferenttypesofinformation,likephonenumbersandpasswords:
Mostcommoninputtypesinclude:
Type
Description
textUri
TextthatwillbeusedasaURI
textEmailAddress
Textthatwillbeusedasane-mailaddress
textPersonName
Textthatisthenameofaperson
textPassword
Textthatisapasswordthatshouldbeobscured
textVisiblePassword
Text,nextbutton,andnomicrophoneinput
number
Anumericonlyfield
phone
Forenteringaphonenumber
date
Forenteringadate
time
Forenteringatime
textMultiLine
Allowmultiplelinesoftextinthefield
YoucansetmultipleinputTypeattributesifneeded(separatedby'|')
Youcanseealistofallavailableinputtypeshere.
FurtherEntryCustomization
Wemightwanttolimittheentrytoasingle-lineoftext(avoidnewlines):
Youcanlimitthecharactersthatcanbeenteredintoafieldusingthedigitsattribute:
Thiswouldrestrictthedigitsenteredtojust"0"and"1".Wemightwanttolimitthetotalnumberofcharacterswith:
Usingthesepropertieswecandefinetheexpectedinputbehaviorfortextfields.
AdjustingColors
YoucanadjustthehighlightbackgroundcolorofselectedtextwithinanEditTextwiththeandroid:textColorHighlightproperty:
witharesultsuchasthis:
DisplayingPlaceholderHints
YoumaywanttosetthehintfortheEditTextcontroltopromptauserforspecificinputwith:
whichresultsin:
Changingthebottomlinecolor
AssumingyouareusingtheAppCompatlibrary,youcanoverridethestylescolorControlNormal,colorControlActivated,andcolorControlHighlight:
#d32f2f
#ff5722
#f44336
IfyoudonotseethesestylesappliedwithinaDialogFragment,thereisaknownbugwhenusingtheLayoutInflaterpassedintotheonCreateView()method.
TheissuehasalreadybeenfixedintheAppCompatv23library.Seethisguideabouthowtoupgrade.AnothertemporaryworkaroundistousetheActivity'slayoutinflaterinsteadoftheonepassedintotheonCreateView()method:
publicViewonCreateView(LayoutInflaterinflater,ViewGroupcontainer,BundlesavedInstanceState){
Viewview=getActivity().getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.dialog_fragment,container);
}
ListeningforEditTextInput
CheckoutthebasiceventlistenerscliffnotesforalookathowtolistenforchangestoanEditTextandperformanactionwhenthosechangesoccur.
DisplayingFloatingLabelFeedback
Traditionally,theEditTexthidesthehintmessage(explainedabove)aftertheuserstartstyping.Inaddition,anyvalidationerrormessageshadtobemanagedmanuallybythedeveloper.
StartingwithAndroidMandthedesignsupportlibrary,theTextInputLayoutcanbeusedtosetupafloatinglabeltodisplayhintsanderrormessages.First,wraptheEditTextinaTextInputLayout:
NowthehintwillautomaticallybegintofloatoncetheEditTexttakesfocusasshownbelow:
WecanalsousetheTextInputLayouttodisplayerrormessagesusingthesetErrorandsetErrorEnabledpropertiesintheactivityatruntime:
privatevoidsetupFloatingLabelError(){
finalTextInputLayoutfloatingUsernameLabel=(TextInputLayout)findViewById(R.id.username_text_input_layout);
floatingUsernameLabel.getEditText().addTextChangedListener(newTextWatcher(){
//...
@Override
publicvoidonTextChanged(CharSequencetext,intstart,intcount,intafter){
if(text.length()>0&&text.length()<=4){
floatingUsernameLabel.setError(getString(R.string.username_required));
floatingUsernameLabel.setErrorEnabled(true);
}else{
floatingUsernameLabel.setErrorEnabled(false);
}
}
@Override
publicvoidbeforeTextChanged(CharSequences,intstart,intcount,
intafter){
//TODOAuto-generatedmethodstub
}
@Override
publicvoidafterTextChanged(Editables){
}
});
}
HereweusetheaddTextChangedListenertowatchasthevaluechangestodeterminewhentodisplaytheerrormessageorreverttothehint.
AddingCharacterCounting
TextInputLayoutcanexposeacharactercounterforanEditTextdefinedwithinit.ThecounterwillberenderedbelowtheEditTextandcanchangecolorsofboththelineandcharactercounterifthemaximumnumberofcharactershasbeenexceeded:
TheTextInputLayoutsimplyneedstodefineapp:counterEnabledandapp:CounterMaxLengthintheXMLattributes.ThesesettingscanalsobedefineddynamicallythroughsetCounterEnabled()andsetCounterMaxLength():
AddingPasswordVisibilityToggles
IfyouuseanEditTextwithaninputpasswordtype,youcanalsoenableaniconthatcanshoworhidetheentiretextusingthepasswordToggleEnabledattribute.YoucanalsochangethedefaulteyeiconwithpasswordToggleDrawableattributeorthecolorhintusingthepasswordToggleTintattribute.SeetheTextInputLayoutattributesformoredetails.
StylingTextInputLayout
Makesureyouhavetheappnamespace(xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"definedinyourouterlayout.YoucantypeappNSasashortcutinAndroidStudiotobedeclared.
Thehinttextcanbestyledbydefiningapp:hintTextAppearance,andtheerrortextcanbechangedwithapp:errorTextAppearance.Thecountertextandoverflowtextcanalsohavetheirowntextstylesbydefiningapp:counterTextAppearanceandapp:counterOverflowTextAppearance.WecanusetextColor,textSize,andfontFamilytohelpchangethecolor,size,orfont(placeinsidestyles.xml):
#aa5353cc
#ff0000
ProvidingAuto-complete
Checkouttheofficialtextfieldsguideforastep-by-steponhowtosetupautocompletefortheentry.
References
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/controls/text.html
http://code.tutsplus.com/tutorials/android-user-interface-design-edittext-controls--mobile-7183
http://www.codeofaninja.com/2012/01/android-edittext-example.html
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/android/android_edittext_control.htm
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/EditText.html
http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2015/10/android-support-library-231.html?linkId=17977963
