Develop Reference

Reference a style without "#" symbol?

i have this code:
<!-- Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="colorPrimary">#color/primary_color</item>
<item name="colorPrimaryDark">#color/primary_dark_color</item>
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MiwokAppBarStyle</item>
<item name="android:windowContentOverlay">#null</item>
</style>
<!-- App bar style -->
<style name="MiwokAppBarStyle" parent="style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<!-- Remove the shadow below the app bar -->
<item name="elevation">0dp</item>
</style>
<!-- Style for a tab that displays a category name -->
<style name="CategoryTab" parent="Widget.Design.TabLayout">
<item name="tabIndicatorColor">#android:color/white</item>
<item name="tabSelectedTextColor">#android:color/white</item>
<item name="tabTextAppearance">#style/CategoryTabTextAppearance</item>
</style>
<!-- Text appearance style for a category tab -->
<style name="CategoryTabTextAppearance" parent="TextAppearance.Design.Tab">
<item name="android:textColor">#A8A19E</item>
</style>
</resources>
why in MiwokAppBarStyle we don't use # symbol in referencing the parent style like this parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse" ?, and why we referencing parent style using style/ insted of referencing without style/ prefix like parent="Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse" ??

How to change ActionBar Colour

I am trying to change my App ActionBar colour to no success. I am using the this library https://github.com/neokree/MaterialNavigationDrawer;
Here is the style.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<!-- Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
<!-- Customize your theme here. -->
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/AppTheme.ActionBar</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/AppTheme.ActionBar</item>
<item name="colorControlActivated">#color/color_c</item>
<item name="toolbarStyle">#style/Widget.Toolbar</item>
</style>
<style name="Widget.Toolbar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Toolbar">
<item name="contentInsetStart">5dp</item>
</style>
<style name="AppTheme.ActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#color/color_a</item>
<item name="background">#color/color_a</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
</style>
<style name="FullscreenTheme" parent="android:Theme.NoTitleBar">
<item name="android:windowContentOverlay">#null</item>
<item name="android:windowBackground">#null</item>
</style>
<style name="MyNavigationDrawerTheme" parent="MaterialNavigationDrawerTheme.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="colorPrimary">#color/color_a</item>
<item name="colorPrimaryDark">#color/color_a</item>
<item name="colorAccent">#FFFFFF</item>
<item name="rippleBackport">true</item>
<item name="singleAccount">true</item>
<item name="multipaneSupport">true</item>
<!--<item name="learningPattern">false</item>-->
</style>
<style name="MySubheaderTheme">
<item name="subheaderTitleColor">#000000</item>
</style>
<style name="MySectionTheme" >
<item name="sectionColorIcon">#000000</item>
<item name="sectionColorText">#000000</item>
<item name="sectionColorNotification">#000000</item>
<item name="sectionBackgroundColorPressed">#160000FF</item>
<item name="sectionBackgroundColorSelected">#0A0000FF</item>
<item name="sectionBackgroundColor">#000000FF</item>
</style>
</resources>
I use the MyNavigationDrawerTheme theme for my activities.

You should be able to set the action bar color using the android:colorPrimary attribute:
<resources>
<!-- inherit from the material theme -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Material">
<!-- Main theme colors -->
<!-- your app branding color for the app bar -->
<item name="android:colorPrimary">#color/primary</item>
<!-- darker variant for the status bar and contextual app bars -->
<item name="android:colorPrimaryDark">#color/primary_dark</item>
<!-- theme UI controls like checkboxes and text fields -->
<item name="android:colorAccent">#color/accent</item>
</style>
</resources>
Based on information here

You should create your styles also for v21 and above with a small change (because they natively support material theme).
And in values-v21/style.xml add android:colorPrimary and others attributes with android: prefix to your style:
<style name="MyNavigationDrawerTheme" parent="MaterialNavigationDrawerTheme.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:colorPrimary">#color/color_a</item>
<item name="android:colorPrimaryDark">#color/color_a</item>
<item name="android:colorAccent">#FFFFFF</item>
<!--...-->
</style>

Android action bar's title color not changing

I would like to change the contextual action bar's title text color and back button colour.
Please find the code i am using, still i couldn't able to achieve
<!-- Base application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar">
<!-- Customize your theme here. -->
<item name="android:actionModeBackground">#color/dark_blue_Shade1</item>
<item name="android:windowActionModeOverlay">true</item>
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar title text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/white</item>
</style>
Please help me to fix

</style>
<style name="MyTheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyTheme.ActionBarStyle</item>
</style>
<style name="MyTheme.ActionBarStyle" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/MyTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
<item name="android:subtitleTextStyle">#style/MyTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
<item name="android:background">#0061C2</item>
<item name="android:icon">#android:color/transparent</item><!--hiding the icon ..in case you want it..-->
</style>
<style name="MyTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle" parent="#android:style/TextAppearance.Holo.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#ffffff</item>
</style>
and in the manifest ...you can apply this theme for your app
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:icon="#drawable/ic_launcher"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:theme="#style/MyTheme" ><!--this is that theme-->
or just to one of your activities
<activity
android:name="eddine.charef.mechalikh.swipedemo.MainActivity"
android:label="#string/mainActivity"
android:theme="#style/MyTheme"
>
that's all
Edit: i found this in android developpers website
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<!-- the theme applied to the application or activity -->
<style name="CustomActionBarTheme"
parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTabText</item>
<item name="android:actionMenuTextColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTabText</item>
<item name="actionMenuTextColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar title text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText"
parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
<!-- The textColor property is backward compatible with the Support Library -->
</style>
<!-- ActionBar tabs text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTabText"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar.TabText">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
<!-- The textColor property is backward compatible with the Support Library -->
</style>
</resources>
here is the link https://developer.android.com/training/basics/actionbar/styling.html

How to set theme at runtime in android

I tried to set theme at run time, other than action bar everything works fine.
I am setting theme in oncreate() before super.oncreate(...)
How to set theme in action bar ?
This is my theme in style.xml
<style name="abcThemeTest" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#color/RED</item>
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBarTest</item>
</style>
<style name="MyActionBarTest" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
<item name="background">#color/RED</item>
<item name="android:background">#color/RED</item>
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleTextTest</item>
</style>
<style name="MyActionBarTitleTextTest" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/WHITE</item>
<item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
</style>

Simply Modify your style file like this.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<!-- the theme applied to the application or activity -->
<style name="CustomActionBarTheme"
parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTabText</item>
<item name="android:actionMenuTextColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTabText</item>
<item name="actionMenuTextColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar styles -->
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar">
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar title text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText"
parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
<!-- The textColor property is backward compatible with the Support Library -->
</style>
<!-- ActionBar tabs text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTabText"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar.TabText">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/actionbar_text</item>
<!-- The textColor property is backward compatible with the Support Library -->
</style>
</resources>

Change the title text color in the Android ActionBar via xml

I want to change the title text color of the ActionBar in my app. I have tried in many ways but I can't achieve it. I don't want to do it programatically because when the app is launched it shows the action bar with previous color and then changes to the new one. I'm supporting from Api Level 8 and my xml was generated with the Android Action Bar Style Generator. Then I tried to change the title text color with this . The title text color is still black.
This is my code:
<resources>
<style name="Theme.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<item name="actionBarItemBackground">#drawable/selectable_background_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="popupMenuStyle">#style/PopupMenu.Dbtools_style</item>
<item name="dropDownListViewStyle">#style/DropDownListView.Dbtools_style</item>
<item name="actionBarTabStyle">#style/ActionBarTabStyle.Dbtools_style</item>
<item name="actionDropDownStyle">#style/DropDownNav.Dbtools_style</item>
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar.Solid.Dbtools_style</item>
<item name="actionModeBackground">#drawable/cab_background_top_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="actionModeSplitBackground">#drawable/cab_background_bottom_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="actionModeCloseButtonStyle">#style/ActionButton.CloseMode.Dbtools_style</item>
<!-- Remove icon in Action Bar -->
<item name="android:displayOptions">showHome|homeAsUp|showTitle</item>
<item name="displayOptions">showHome|homeAsUp|showTitle</item>
<item name="android:icon">#android:color/transparent</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar.Solid.Dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar.Solid.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid">
<item name="background">#drawable/ab_solid_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="backgroundStacked">#drawable/ab_stacked_solid_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="backgroundSplit">#drawable/ab_bottom_solid_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="progressBarStyle">#style/ProgressBar.Dbtools_style</item>
<!-- Title Text Color -->
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar.Transparent.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="background">#drawable/ab_transparent_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="progressBarStyle">#style/ProgressBar.Dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="PopupMenu.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.PopupMenu">
<item name="android:popupBackground">#drawable/menu_dropdown_panel_dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="DropDownListView.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ListView.DropDown">
<item name="android:listSelector">#drawable/selectable_background_dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabStyle.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_indicator_ab_dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="DropDownNav.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.Spinner.DropDown.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/spinner_background_ab_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="android:popupBackground">#drawable/menu_dropdown_panel_dbtools_style</item>
<item name="android:dropDownSelector">#drawable/selectable_background_dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="ProgressBar.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ProgressBar.Horizontal">
<item name="android:progressDrawable">#drawable/progress_horizontal_dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionButton.CloseMode.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionButton.CloseMode">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/btn_cab_done_dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<!-- this style is only referenced in a Light.DarkActionBar based theme -->
<style name="Theme.Dbtools_style.Widget" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat">
<item name="popupMenuStyle">#style/PopupMenu.Dbtools_style</item>
<item name="dropDownListViewStyle">#style/DropDownListView.Dbtools_style</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar title text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/white</item>
</style>

I solved my problem. The problem was that I was testing in a device with api level 14+ and I just added the style to res/values . I had to add the style in res/values-v14 too. I attach my code:
res/values/styles.xml
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<style name="Theme.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<!-- Title Text Color -->
<item name="actionMenuTextColor">#color/white</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar.Solid.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid">
<!-- Title Text Color -->
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar title text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/white</item>
</style>
res/values-v14/styles.xml
<style name="Theme.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar.Solid.Dbtools_style</item>
<!-- Title Text Color -->
<item name="android:actionMenuTextColor">#color/white</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar.Solid.Dbtools_style" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid">
<!-- Title Text color -->
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<!-- ActionBar title text -->
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/white</item>
<!-- The textColor property is backward compatible with the Support Library -->
</style>

You Have to do two things:
Styles.xml
<style name="MyTheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="MyActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#FF9D21</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/MyActionBarTitleText</item>
</style>
<style name="MyActionBarTitleText"
parent="#android:style/TextAppearance.Holo.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/red</item>
</style>
Colors.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<color name="red">#FF0000</color>
</resources>
This link might help you out with the appropriate color you want.
This link is also helpful.

Set titletextstyle and subtitletextstyle too ...
This is what worked for me. ..
If you want to change that using xml ...
This is what worked for me ...
<style name="MyActionBar"
parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#color/titleBarBgColor</item>
<item name="android:titleTextStyle">#style/EldTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
<item name="android:subtitleTextStyle">#style/EldTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
<!-- Support library compatibility -->
<item name="background">#color/titleBarBgColor</item>
<item name="titleTextStyle">#style/EldTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
<item name="subtitleTextStyle">#style/EldTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle</item>
</style>
<style name="EldTheme.ActionBar.TitleTextStyle" parent="#style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Widget.ActionBar.Title">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/titleBarTextColor</item>
</style>

for me this one worked.
go to /value/colors.xml
add <color name="black">#000000</color> //if you want black to your <resources>
to to /values/styles.xml
add <item name="titleTextColor">#color/black</item> to your <style>
here is some example code, too:
color.xml:
<resources>
<color name="colorPrimary">#ffffff</color>
<color name="colorPrimaryDark">#000000</color>
<color name="colorAccent">#03DAC5</color>
<color name="black">#000000</color>
</resources>
styles.xml:
<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
<!-- Customize your theme here. -->
<item name="colorPrimary">#color/colorPrimary</item>
<item name="colorPrimaryDark">#color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
<item name="colorAccent">#color/colorAccent</item>
<item name="titleTextColor">#color/black</item>
</style>```