Develop Reference

Android actionbar tabs and indicator width issue

I have an activity with action bar and action bar tabs. I am using appcompat for action bar. I have attached the screen shots. on emulator 4.4 and htc 4.1.1 tabs widths id correct but on nexus 4, 4.4 it adds some margin due to which it looks ugly.
Edit
how i am adding tabs.
ActionBar ab = getSupportActionBar();
ab.setNavigationMode(ActionBar.NAVIGATION_MODE_TABS);
ab.setTitle("Purchase media");
ab.setSubtitle("To share with members");
ab.addTab(ab.newTab().setText("Audios").setTabListener(this));
ab.addTab(ab.newTab().setText("Videos").setTabListener(this));
my style for tabs is as follow
<style name="ActionBarTabStyle.Example" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_indicator_ab_example</item>
</style>
and tab indicator selector is as follow
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#android:color/transparent" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_example" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_focused_example" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_focused_example" />
<!-- Pressed -->
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_example" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_example" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_example" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_example" />
how it looks.
how it should be
anybody have any idea about this behavior?

Change background color in custom Tab programmatically

I'm trying to create a custom Tabs. I implemented the indicator color with 9.png with Android Action Bar Style Generator. But now I want to change the background color for each Tab programmatically. How I can do? Thank you.
JAVA
TabWidget tw = (TabWidget)tabs.findViewById(android.R.id.tabs);
View tabView = tw.getChildTabViewAt(0);
tabView.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.tab_indicator_blanco);
View tabView2 = tw.getChildTabViewAt(1);
tabView2.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.tab_indicator_blanco);
tab_indicator_blanco.xml
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_blanco" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_blanco" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_focused_blanco" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_focused_blanco" />
<!-- Pressed -->
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_blanco" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_blanco" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_blanco" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_blanco" />
</selector>

Trying to change the blue line color of the tabawidget

So I just want to change the blue line color of tab widget in the app. I searched online and the found solutions to changing the whole background of the tabs but i just want to change the blue line color of the tab widget to another color like black. Can that be done?

You can try this style:
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_holo" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_focused_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_focused_holo" />
<!-- Pressed -->
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_holo" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_holo" />
</selector>
You can visit This Link also.
Hope it will help you.

Make a separate Style for your tabwidget in your custom theme.
Try out as below:
<item name="android:tabWidgetStyle">#android:style/Widget.TabWidget</item>
and
<style name="Widget.TabWidget">
<item name="android:textAppearance">#style/TextAppearance.Widget.TabWidget</item>
<item name="android:ellipsize">marquee</item>
<item name="android:singleLine">true</item>
</style>
<style name="TextAppearance.Widget.TabWidget">
<item name="android:textSize">14sp</item>
<item name="android:textStyle">normal</item>
<item name="android:textColor">#android:color/tab_indicator_text</item>
</style>
I hope this will be helpfull to you.

Action Bar Sherlock, change colour of line under tab?

How can I change the colour of the line that appears under the highlighted Action Bar Sherlocks tab.
It's default is an electric blue.

Here an implementation based on the google i/o app implementation:
Set the theme style:
<style name="Theme.Styled" parent="Theme.Sherlock.Light">
<item name="android:actionBarTabBarStyle">#style/Widget.Styled.TabBar</item>
<item name="actionBarTabBarStyle">#style/Widget.Styled.TabBar</item>
</style>
<style name="Widget.Styled.TabView" parent="Widget.Sherlock.Light.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_white_ab</item>
</style>
Create a drawable like this - notice that in the google I/O app the non focused state is transparent - in the example below I changed transparent to green:
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_green_unselected"
/>
<!-- android:drawable="#android:color/transparent"-->
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_white_selected" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/item_focused" />
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="false"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_white_selected_focused" />
<!-- Pressed -->
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/item_pressed" />
<item android:state_focused="false"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_white_selected_pressed" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="false"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/item_focused" />
<item android:state_focused="true"
android:state_selected="true"
android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/tab_white_selected_pressed" />
Hope this helps.

How to change the colour of ActionBar navigation tabs?

I have an ActionBar in an app, and it has navigation tabs embedded in it (not TabHost!). By default the tabs show as dark grey, with a thin blue line under all the tabs, and a blue marker on the selected tab.
Which styles do I override to change those colours?

I have not changed the tabs themselves, but I would assume that you can do it with these styles from styles.xml...
<style name="Widget.Holo.TabWidget" parent="Widget.TabWidget">
<item name="android:tabStripLeft">#null</item>
<item name="android:tabStripRight">#null</item>
<item name="android:tabStripEnabled">false</item>
<item name="android:divider">?android:attr/dividerVertical</item>
<item name="android:showDividers">middle</item>
<item name="android:dividerPadding">8dip</item>
<item name="android:measureWithLargestChild">true</item>
<item name="android:tabLayout">#android:layout/tab_indicator_holo</item>
</style>
with tab_indicator_holo.xml
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_holo" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_focused_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_focused_holo" />
<!-- Pressed -->
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_holo" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_focused_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_focused_holo" />
</selector>
Or you may also try
<style name="Widget.Holo.ActionBar.TabView" parent="Widget.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_indicator_ab_holo</item>
<item name="android:paddingLeft">16dip</item>
<item name="android:paddingRight">16dip</item>
</style>
and tab_indicator_ab_holo.xml
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#color/transparent" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_holo" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/list_focused_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="false" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_focused_holo" />
<!-- Pressed -->
<!-- Non focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/list_pressed_holo_dark" />
<item android:state_focused="false" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_holo" />
<!-- Focused states -->
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="false" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_unselected_pressed_holo" />
<item android:state_focused="true" android:state_selected="true" android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="#drawable/tab_selected_pressed_holo" />
</selector>
Finally using the two png-9 drawables: tab_selected_holo and tab_unselected_holo. They look like the two thicker and thinner blue lines you are talking about.
Or do you mean the minitabs?
<style name="Widget.ActionBar.TabView" parent="Widget">
<item name="android:gravity">center_horizontal</item>
<item name="android:background">#drawable/minitab_lt</item>
<item name="android:paddingLeft">4dip</item>
<item name="android:paddingRight">4dip</item>
</style>
with in minitab_lt.xml
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:state_pressed="true" android:state_selected="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/minitab_lt_press" />
<item android:state_selected="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/minitab_lt_selected" />
<item android:state_pressed="true"
android:drawable="#drawable/minitab_lt_unselected_press" />
<item android:drawable="#drawable/minitab_lt_unselected" />
</selector>
If you need another definition just search for TabWidget in here: https://github.com/android/platform_frameworks_base/blob/master/core/res/res/values/styles.xml
Then as usual define your own style with all the required attributes and drawables...

If you want to customize easily your tab bars, you can use this great tool :
http://jgilfelt.github.io/android-actionbarstylegenerator
You just select the colors you want and it automatically generates the style XMLs, the PNGs, etc.