Develop Reference

How can I add the app name in a splash screen based on a layer-list?

I want to create a splash screen containing the app name. How can I add text to a layer-list?
This is my splash screen file at the moment:
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item
android:drawable="#android:color/white"
android:gravity="fill_horizontal|fill_vertical" />
<item> <!--APP NAME--></item>
</layer-list>
I already tryed to create a png file with the app name but this caused some issues on different screen sizes.
I already tryed to create a png file with the text but it does not work for all screen sizes.

You can use a vector drawable (app_logo.xml) with your text as window background:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:opacity="opaque">
<item android:drawable="#android:color/white"/>
<item
android:drawable="#drawable/app_logo"
android:gravity="center" />
</layer-list>
Setting theme:
<style name="NewSplashTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.NoActionBar">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#drawable/background_splash</item>
</style>
This will work correctly on API level >= 23, you should provide an alternative version of background_splash with raster graphics for previous API levels (see #Venky's answer).

You can add an image in layer list
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item
android:drawable="#color/gray"/>
<item>
<bitmap
android:gravity="center"
android:src="#mipmap/ic_launcher"/>
</item>
</layer-list>
In theme.xml
<style name="NewSplashTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.NoActionBar">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#drawable/background_splash</item>
</style>
Don't forget to create an image with App Name

Forcing image to retain its original size upon loading

I am creating a splash-screen for android application and added a image to it but upon opening the app , image is stretching , how can i make that image retain its aspect ratio and not stretch at all
here's my Styles.xml code , image = icon.png
Styles.xml

In your ImageView add:
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:scaleType="centerCrop"

You have to create a xml file using layer-List (splash.xml) :
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:drawable="#android:color/white"></item>
<item>
<bitmap android:src="#drawable/icon" android:gravity="fill" android:antialias="true" android:dither="true"></bitmap>
</item>
</layer-list>
Add this splash.xml as background of your SplashScreen.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<style name="Theme.Splash" parent="android:Theme">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#drawable/splash</item>
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>
</resources>

Using attributes for bitmap src inside a drawable selector

I'm trying to create custom themes for my app and therefore, would like the selector to pick up the right drawable based on the current theme. Unfortunately, doesn't look like any image gets picked up at all.
This is my selector:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:state_pressed="true">
<bitmap android:src="?attr/test_a"
android:gravity="center" />
</item>
<item android:state_focused="true">
<bitmap android:src="?attr/test_a"
android:gravity="center" />
</item>
<item android:state_activated="true">
<bitmap android:src="?attr/test_a"
android:gravity="center" />
</item>
<item>
<bitmap android:src="?attr/test_b"
android:gravity="center" />
</item>
</selector>
My attributes are defined in attrs.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<attr name="test_a" format="reference"/>
<attr name="test_b" format="reference"/>
</resources>
And my theme has the following:
<style name="MyTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.NoActionBar">
<item name="test_a">#drawable/test_a_dark</item>
<item name="test_b">#drawable/test_b_dark</item>
</style>
<style name="MyTheme.Light">
<item name="test_a">#drawable/test_a_light</item>
<item name="test_b">#drawable/test_b_light</item>
</style>
The theme is applied in the manifest as required. I have seen some questions on SO around this saying that there's a problem Pre-Lolipop, however, I'm testing on Marshmellow.

Still not sure why this happens but in case this is useful for someone, as a workaround I did the following:
1) Created two selectors - one for the dark theme, pointing directly at the dark drawables, and one for the light theme
2) Created one attribute with type reference
3) Modified the theme to use that attribute point at the selector instead of the drawable

Android XML styles

I have the following style in my styles.xml that a toggle button is using. However, i want the toggle button to fill_parent but not stretch the image. How can i tell it to center this background image and not stretch it? I'm trying to increase the area the user can click on.
Toggle:
<ToggleButton
android:id="#+id/OtherToggle"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
style="#style/OtherToggle" />
Style:
<style name="OtherToggle">
<item name="android:textOn">""</item>
<item name="android:textOff">""</item>
<item name="android:disabledAlpha">?android:attr/disabledAlpha</item>
<item name="android:background">#drawable/other_toggle_bg</item>
</style>

I assume you mean that you do want to stretch the image, but you want to keep the aspect ratio unchanged?
If so, try adding this to your style:
<item name="android:scaleType">centerInside</item>
See here for the other possibilities if centerInside does not do what you want.

Maybe you can use layer-list as a background drawable for ToggleButton? Create the following xml file and use it in android:background attribute:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:id="#+android:id/background"
android:drawable="#android:color/transparent" />
<item>
<bitmap android:src="#drawable/other_toggle_bg"
android:gravity="center" />
</item>
</layer-list>

Android Activity Background Image

How do I use a background image in an Activity theme/style?
If I do this using a colour:
<style name="CustomTheme" parent="android:Theme.Light">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#color/custom_theme_color</item>
</style>
It works correctly, but if I replace the line with:
<item name="android:windowBackground">#drawable/splash_image</item>
The image displays correctly, but all the content is squished into a tiny block in the top left corner of the screen. The shadow underneath the status bar is also cut off or messed.
I am using Mono for Android and the image is a valid nine-patch png.

I also don't use themes, so in the layout of the activity I would add
android:background="#drawable/splash_image"

My solution was change the android:windowBackground to android:background.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<resources>
<style name="Theme.Splash" parent="android:Theme">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/splash</item>
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>
</resources>

I don't use themes or anything, so I'm not sure how that will affect this, but I set my background like this:
getWindow().setBackgroundDrawableResource(R.drawable.background_image);
in onCreate

I needed to have a splash image that looked like my app's initial activity and ran into same issue. I had good luck with windowContentOverlay instead of windowBackground. The drawable appeared below the status bar in the exact same position as a real layout would. It has worked on Android 2.2, Android 3.0, and Android 4.1.
This is my style:
<style name="SplashTheme" parent="android:style/Theme.Light">
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
<item name="android:windowContentOverlay">#drawable/splash</item>
</style>
My splash.xml drawable mimics my user interface header using layer-list:
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!--- Background; tile is broken on Android 2.2 so just have super wide background that will get clipped -->
<item>
<bitmap android:gravity="top|left" android:src="#drawable/splash_background" />
</item>
<!--- Icon left justified -->
<item>
<bitmap android:gravity="top|left" android:src="#drawable/header_icon" />
</item>
<!--- Buttons/etc right justified -->
<item>
<bitmap android:gravity="top|right" android:src="#drawable/splash_buttons" />
</item>
</layer-list>
I believe ActionBar also has some built-in ways to handle this, if your app uses it. The MonoIO sample seems to have such a launch image.

You can use the android:gravity="fill" instead of android:gravity="center",
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:opacity="translucent">
<item>
<bitmap
android:gravity="fill"
android:src="#drawable/splash_screen" />
</item>
</layer-list>
Note: It will depend on your shape and size of the splash image. In my case by the use of android:gravity="fill" my splash is looking perfect.
You can use the different attribute of gravity on the type of your splash image.