Develop Reference

Android Development - Create a menu with 3 imageButtons

First of all english is not my first language but i will try my best.
Also... i am pretty sure my title choice was not the best so sorry for that.
Basically what i wanted to do is a menu with three ImageButtons but there is a tricky part (tricky for me at least) since every time i press one button that same button changes image (to a colored version instead of a grayed out image) and the other two change as well from colored version of their respective images to grayed out ones, actually only one of the other two will change since the purpose of this is to be able to activate only one at a time so it would not be possible to have the other two active at the same time.
Notice that this is not a menu on the top right corner but just a set of three ImageButtons on a activity or Fragment.
I already tried a lot of stuff to make that happen but so far no luck but i think i know why though i can't find a workaround for this since i am actually new in android dev.
what i tried was inside the setOnClickListener of any of those buttons such as:
eventsButton.setOnClickListener(
new View.OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View view) {
ImageButton eventsButton = (ImageButton) view.findViewById(R.id.eventsButton);
eventsButton.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.events_icon_active);
eventsButton.setClickable(false);
}
}
);
i tried to add the functions to change the other imageButtons as well like:
eventsButton.setOnClickListener(
new View.OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View view) {
ImageButton eventsButton = (ImageButton) view.findViewById(R.id.eventsButton);
eventsButton.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.events_icon_inactive);
eventsButton.setClickable(false);
ImageButton contactsButton = (ImageButton) view.findViewById(R.id.contactsButton);
contactsButton.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.contacts_icon_inactive);
contactsButton.setClickable(true);
ImageButton interestsButton = (ImageButton) view.findViewById(R.id.interestsButton);
interestsButton.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.interests_icon_inactive);
interestsButton.setClickable(true);
}
}
);
and i repeated that three time, always setting the other buttons clickable and setting their images to the inactive one (the grayed out one), also setting the button i click as no longer clickable.
But from what i gather i cant do any references to any other buttons inside the eventsButton.setOnClickListener like the buttons interestsButton or contactsButton, it will crash the app as soon as i touch any of those three buttons with the following error message:
Attempt to invoke virtual method 'void android.widget.ImageButton.setBackgroundResource(int)' on a null object reference
And it always point to the first line where i make a reference to another button other then the one used to start the setOnClickListener.
If you can just point me in the right direction i would be tremendously grateful.
All the best

You can declare your ImageViews as final outside the scope of the listener and when the onClickListener(View v) is called you can then just call setBackground because they are final and you can reference them from inside the listener.
Something like this:
final ImageView view1 = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.view1id);
final ImageView view2 = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.view2id);
view1.setOnClickListener(
new View.OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View view) {
// do whatever you want to the ImageViews
// view1.setBackground...
}
}
);

eventsButton.setOnClickListener(
new View.OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View view) {
ImageButton contactsButton = (ImageButton) view.findViewById(R.id.contactsButton);
contactsButton.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.contacts_icon_inactive);
contactsButton.setClickable(true);
}
}
);
Your problem is in view.findViewById(R.id.contactsButton): view here is the button being clicked (the events one), and by calling view.findViewById(contactsButton) you are implicitly saying that the contact button is a child of view, which is not.
Just use findViewById() (from Activity), getActivity().findViewById() (from Fragments), or better container.findViewById() (if you have a reference to the layout containing the three buttons).
I'm not saying that yours is the most efficient way to deal with a menu, just pointing out your error.

You can first make things simple; I suggest:
you add 3 array (Arraylist might be better) fields in your activity class, one for the buttons, one for the active resources and one for the inactive resources
initialize those arrays in the onCreate method;
define a single onClickListener object and use it for all the buttons; Use a loop in the onClick method, see bellow.
In terms of code, it looks like this:
ImageButton[] buttons;
int[] activeResources;
int[] inactiveResources;
protected void onCreate2(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
View.OnClickListener onClickListener = new View.OnClickListener(){
public void onClick(View view) {
ImageButton clickedButton = (ImageButton) view;
for(int i = 0; i<buttons.length; i++){
ImageButton bt = buttons[i];
if(clickedButton==bt){
bt.setBackgroundResource(inactiveResources[i]);
bt.setClickable(false);
}else{
bt.setBackgroundResource(activeResources[i]);
bt.setClickable(true);
}
}
}
};
buttons = new ImageButton[3];
activeResources = new int[3];
inactiveResources = new int[3];
int idx = 0;
buttons[idx] = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.eventsButton);
inactiveResources[idx] = R.drawable.events_icon_inactive;
activeResources[idx] = R.drawable.events_icon_active;
idx = 1;
buttons[idx] = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.contactsButton);
inactiveResources[idx] = R.drawable.contacts_icon_inactive;
activeResources[idx] = R.drawable.contacts_icon_active;
idx = 3;
buttons[idx] = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.interestsButton);
inactiveResources[idx] = R.drawable.interests_icon_inactive;
activeResources[idx] = R.drawable.interests_icon_active;
for(int i =0; i<buttons.length; i++){
buttons[i].setBackgroundResource(activeResources[i]);
buttons[i].setOnClickListener(onClickListener);
}
}
Do not expect it to run right the way, I am giving only ideas, you have to look and see if it fit for you are looking for.

I need to get the id of the dynamically generating button

From this code it creates dynamic buttons accodring to a given value from another layout. I need to get the id of that and add another button (if dynamic button clicks then I need to add another button dynamically).
for (int i = 0; i < value1; i++) {
LinearLayout.LayoutParams paramsIButton = new LinearLayout.LayoutParams
((int) ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT, (int) ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);
ibutton = new ImageButton(HomePage.this);
ibutton.setImageResource(R.drawable.add);
ibutton.setLayoutParams(paramsIButton);
paramsIButton.topMargin = -70;
paramsIButton.leftMargin = 370;
paramsIButton.bottomMargin = 30;
ibutton.setId(i);
ibutton.getPaddingBottom();
ibutton.setBackgroundColor(Color.WHITE);
ibutton.setAdjustViewBounds(true);
rR.addView(ibutton);
}

If I understood correctly from the additional information you provided on your comment, you need to know when a user clicked on a button. You could set an OnClickListener to your button.
// Somewhere in your activity . . .
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
Button button = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button1);
button.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener(){
public void onClick(View v){
// The button is clicked! Do whatever you want.
}
});
}
// ...
// Rest of the code
// ...
Of course, you should replace R.id.button1 with your button's id.

Seems to me like you need to add an onClickListener for the dynamically added button.
Make your class implement OnClickListener and then add a listener for the dynamic button:
ibutton.setOnClickListener(this);
and add an onClick Listener within your class:
#Override
public void onClick(View v)
{
// do something with this ID
v.getId()
}
I don't know how you keep track of the bulbs and fans, I'd hope you don't do it via the UI elements alone. I'd probably do it a bit differently, creating a data structure to track the bulbs and fans and attach the specific bulb or fan object to the UI element as a tag.

How to manage setOnClickListener on a array of buttons

I have a dynamic array of buttons and I would like to know how to handle the onclick on every button?
Thanks

I don't see a need to create a new OnClickListener for each button -- all the buttons could share a single listener.
private OnClickListener myListener = new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v) {
Object tag = v.getTag();
// Do something depending on the value of the tag
}
};
...
for (int i=0; i < btns.length; ++i) {
btns[i].setOnClickListener(myListener);
btns[i].setTag(some_identifying_information);
}
Of course, you could create a unique OnClickListener for each button, and take advantage this way:
for (int i=0; i < btns.length; ++i) {
final Button btn = btns[i];
btn.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v) {
// do something depending on the value of btn, which you're allowed
// to reference here because it was declared final above.
}
});
}

The same way you would on a single button...
Set an on click listener, if you have an Array it would look something like this:
btns[0].setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
//do something
}
});
btns[1].setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
//do something
}
});
//etc.
If you want all of them to do the same thing you could use a for loop to loop over the array like this:
for(int i = 0; i< btns.length; i++){
btns[i].setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View v){
//do something
}
});
}
I don't know exactly what you are doing but if you have an Array of Buttons it is likely that you should probably be using an Adapter with a ListView or something instead of how every you are doing it now.

Without seeing some code or more of an explanation, it's hard to really answer your question, but here are some tips:
Before we get to the listeners, we have to make sure that each of the dynamically created buttons knows how to respond to a click event. You can use the setTag method on a button to attach an arbitrary Object to it. This Object will represent how the Button acts when clicked. You can just use Integers as this Object (perhaps some constant values) or if each button needs some unique data, create a class that maintains both how the button needs to act when clicked AND the data you need (or at least a reference to it).
Then, you can initialize one single listener that handles all of your button clicks. In the onClick method of this listener place a conditional that branches to handle all of your click cases. Set this listener on all of your dynamic buttons as you create them. At the start of your onClick, get the Tag from the View parameter of the onClick method (this view will be the button that was clicked), and use that to decide which branch of the conditional to take.
Hope this helps. If you make your question more specific, we'll be able to offer some more detailed assistance.

Some alternative to hundreds of buttons

Im going to write some android app, which will basically consists of two activities. So first should have a lot of buttons (100+) and on click on any of them I will just get some special id and move to second activity. But is there any alternative to declare that hundreds of buttons and copy/paste one piece of code to every of them setting almost same onClickLister? Is there any special construction? Thanks
Edit: every of buttons are actually indexed from 1 to n. And on the click second activity will be launched and get that index to show it. I cant basically use any spinner or smth else, because there will be 3 rows of clickable things and each of them carring different images
Edit 2: so, to give you an idea, im going to do some table of buttons like in Angry Birds menu when you actually choosing the level you want to play. So, on click you will get id of button and start second activity

Call the method to add buttons
private void addButton(){
LinearLayout view = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.linear_layout_id_here);
Button btn = null;
int w = 50;
int h = 25;
for(int i=1; i<100; i++) {
btn = new Button(this);
btn.setLayoutParams(new LayoutParams(w,h));
btn.setText("button " +i);
btn.setTag(""+i);
btn.setOnClickListener(onClickBtn);
view.addView(btn);
btn = null;
}
}
Call this method for handling onclick on button
private View.OnClickListener onClickBtn = new View.OnClickListener() {
public void onClick(View view) {
final int tag = Integer.parseInt(view.getTag().toString());
switch (tag) {
case 1:
// Do stuff
break;
case 2:
// Do stuff
break;
default:
break;
}
}
};

You should use a ListView.
ListViews are great for handling a lot of items at the same time. They are also natural for the user. Additionally, you use only one click listener - OnItemClickListener.
There's a useful example on how to work with ListViews in the Android Referenence.

You may add buttons in code, something like this:
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
/*your code here*/
GroupView gw =findViewById(R.id.pnlButtonscontainer); //find the panel to add the buttons
for(int i=0; i<100; i++) {
Button b = new Button(this);
b.setLayoutParameters(new LayoutParameters(w,h));
b.settext = i+"";
b.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener(){
});
}
}
I coded directly into browser, so some syntax error may appear in my code, but this is the point, a way, not the only one, to add 100 buttons.

ParseInt Exception

I am creating a small calc app with EditText views and Im running into an runtime exception when the user leaves an EditText view empty causing the ParseInt to try and Parse nothing. Ive read that I need to 'Try' and 'Catch' this error before it occurs, but Im unsure of where and how to do this!
Any advice is much appreciated!
Here is my code:
public class HandlerExamples extends Activity implements OnClickListener {
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
Button button = (Button)findViewById(R.id.testButton);
button.setOnClickListener(this);
public void onClick(View v) {
String a,b,t;
double vis;
EditText txtbox1 = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.A);
EditText txtbox2 = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.B);
EditText txtbox3 = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.t);
TextView tv = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.Answer);
a = txtbox1.getText().toString();
b = txtbox2.getText().toString();
t = txtbox3.getText().toString();
vis = ((Integer.parseInt(a)*1) + (Integer.parseInt(b)*2)) / (Double.parseDouble(t));
tv.setText(double.toString(vis));
}
}
Thanks so much!

public void onClick(View v) {
int id = v.getId();
switch(id){
case R.id.xx:
//do things xx click
break;
case R.id.yy:
//do things yy click
break;
}
}
you can get the view id to know whick widget was clicked.

Changwei Yao defined one way you can do this, but here's the way most Android programmers would do this (programmatically), since it's a little easier to read and figure out what your widgets are doing:
But first, remove the implements OnClickListener from your Activity, as it's not needed.
button.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
#Override
public void onClick(View v) {
// what you want your button to do when clicked
}
}
editText.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
#Override
public void onClick(View v) {
// what you want your EditText to do when clicked
// (such as editText.setText(""))
}
}
Another way to do the same thing is to define android:onClick="insert_method_name_here" for the widgets that you want perform an action when clicked. In your case, in your main.xml (since that's what you're using in your Activity), you could write something like...
<Button android:id="#+id/testButton"
(other attributes you wish to apply to the button)
android:onClick="buttonAction" />
<EditText
(other attributes)
android:onClick="textAction" />
And then, in your Activity, you define the methods buttonAction(View v) and textAction(View v). Note that these methods must be public void, and must take the sole argument View v.
(One advantage of the XML method is that you don't necessarily have to define an android:id attribute for these widgets, unless you need to be able to manipulate them or extract information from them in your code (which means you will need to define an android:id for your EditText since you'll likely want the user's input))

If you only need to exclude the empty text field then hotveryspicy's solution is probably the quickest. For a secure solution: catching the NumberFormatException will filter anything that can not be converted to an integer.
int vis;
try {
vis = Integer.parseInt(a);
}
catch(NumberFormatException nfe) {
Log.e(TAG,"trying to convert:"+a+" to integer failed");
vis = 0;
}