Develop Reference

Changing Color of Tab Text in ActionBarActivity

I have an app using the support ActionBarActivity (android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity), with tabs. I used the Action Bar Style Generator to change the look of the app, but now I am having a hard time getting the tab text color to change.
The style is being applied through the manifest, and shows up just fine except for the tab text color remains black no matter what I try. Here's what I have in my custom styles xml file right now:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<style name="Theme.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
<item name="actionBarItemBackground">#drawable/selectable_background_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="popupMenuStyle">#style/PopupMenu.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="dropDownListViewStyle">#style/DropDownListView.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarTabStyle">#style/ActionBarTabStyle.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionDropDownStyle">#style/DropDownNav.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar.Solid.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionModeBackground">#drawable/cab_background_top_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionModeSplitBackground">#drawable/cab_background_bottom_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionModeCloseButtonStyle">#style/ActionButton.CloseMode.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/TabTextStyle</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/TabTextStyle</item>
</style>
<style name="TabTextStyle" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ActionBar.TabText">
<item name="android:textColor">#android:color/white</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar.Solid.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.Solid">
<item name="background">#drawable/ab_solid_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="backgroundStacked">#drawable/ab_stacked_solid_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="backgroundSplit">#drawable/ab_bottom_solid_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="progressBarStyle">#style/ProgressBar.StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar.Transparent.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="background">#drawable/ab_transparent_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="progressBarStyle">#style/ProgressBar.StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="PopupMenu.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.PopupMenu">
<item name="android:popupBackground">#drawable/menu_dropdown_panel_StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="DropDownListView.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ListView.DropDown">
<item name="android:listSelector">#drawable/selectable_background_StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabStyle.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_indicator_ab_StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="DropDownNav.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.Spinner.DropDown.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/spinner_background_ab_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="android:popupBackground">#drawable/menu_dropdown_panel_StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="android:dropDownSelector">#drawable/selectable_background_StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="ProgressBar.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.ProgressBar.Horizontal">
<item name="android:progressDrawable">#drawable/progress_horizontal_StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionButton.CloseMode.StyledActionBar" parent="#style/Widget.AppCompat.Light.ActionButton.CloseMode">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/btn_cab_done_StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
<!-- this style is only referenced in a Light.DarkActionBar based theme -->
<style name="Theme.StyledActionBar.Widget" parent="#style/Theme.AppCompat">
<item name="popupMenuStyle">#style/PopupMenu.StyledActionBar</item>
<item name="dropDownListViewStyle">#style/DropDownListView.StyledActionBar</item>
</style>
</resources>
As you can see, I tried to change the color to white, but to no effect. I also was trying to change the Action Bar title color, but gave up because I found a java workaround.

ActionBarActivity is deprecated.
And you are using Theme.AppCompat : ActionBarActivity is deprecated
Try to use AppCompatActivity in your java codes(Activity).

White title background in ActionBar after changing the Actionbar Colour

I followed the steps mentioned in Styling the Action Bar | Android Developers to change the colour of the action bar.
But I am getting weird action bar. The actionbar colour is changed to green but the text in actionbar has different background (white), the buttons in actionbar has different background (white).
The code I used is as follows:
<style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#color/core_white</item>
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar</item>
<item name="android:buttonStyle">#style/Button</item>
<item name="android:editTextStyle">#style/EditText</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#color/core_other</item>
<item name="android:backgroundStacked">#color/core_other_light</item>
<item name="android:backgroundSplit">#color/core_other</item>
</style>
Below are the screen shots of the theme I got:

<style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Material.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar</item>
<item name="android:buttonStyle">#style/Button</item>
<item name="android:editTextStyle">#style/EditText</item>
<item name="android:windowBackground">#android:color/black</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:backgroundStacked">#color/core_other_light</item>
<item name="android:backgroundSplit">#color/core_other</item>
<item name="android:background">#00ff00</item>
</style
>
Change background in app theme to windowBackground
More detail check :
https://developer.android.com/training/material/theme.html
I have used Material Theme you can use holo or other

try this
<resources>
<style name="AppTheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/ActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">ANY_HEX_COLOR_CODE</item>
</style>
</resources>

Change Color of Actionbar in Android

I am trying to change the background color of actionbar in my App but this is showing different on my app. Instead of coloring the actionbar the whole activity is color.
I am not sure why this is happening? I just want the main actionbar and settings actionbar colored.
Please check the screenshot.
Main Activity Map:
Preference Settings:
I also have transparent Actionbar with UP Navigation enabled for all my sub activities other than the main activity and preference settings activity.
I am not sure why it is showing like the above:
Here is style.xml (values-v14):
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#FF5050</item>
</style>
<style name="dialogtheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar"></style>
<!-- Transparent ActionBar Style -->
<style name="AppTheme.Light.ActionBar.Transparent" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.Solid.Inverse">
<item name="android:background">#android:color/transparent</item>
</style>
<!-- Activity Theme with transparent ActionBar -->
<style name="AppTheme.TransparentActionBar.Light" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/AppTheme.Light.ActionBar.Transparent</item>
<item name="android:windowIsTranslucent">true</item>
<item name="android:backgroundDimEnabled">true</item>
<item name="android:windowActionBarOverlay">true</item>
<item name="android:windowContentOverlay">#null</item>
<item name="android:displayOptions">showHome|homeAsUp|showTitle</item>
<item name="android:icon">#android:color/transparent</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabTextStyle">#style/ActionBarTabTextStyle.Tabtheme</item>
<item name="android:actionBarDivider">#drawable/verticallinefordivder</item>
<item name="android:actionBarTabStyle">#style/ActionBarTabStyle.MapsLocation</item>
</style>
<style name="simpledialog" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.Dialog">
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabTextStyle.Tabtheme" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:textSize">18sp</item>
<item name="android:textStyle">bold</item>
<item name="android:textColor">#android:color/black</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabStyle.MapsLocations" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.Light.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_indicator</item>
</style>
<style name="myPreferenceTheme" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/blue</item>
</style>
<style name="Widget.ActionButton" parent="#style/AppBaseTheme">
<item name="android:background">?android:attr/actionBarItemBackground</item>
<item name="android:paddingLeft">12dip</item>
<item name="android:paddingRight">12dip</item>
<item name="android:minWidth">56dip</item>
<item name="android:minHeight">?android:attr/actionBarSize</item>
</style>
</resources>

A little change and you action bar will be red:
<style name="AppBaseTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarStyle">#style/AppTheme.Light.ActionBar</item>
</style>
<style name="dialogtheme" parent="#android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar"></style>
<!-- Transparent ActionBar Style -->
<style name="AppTheme.Light.ActionBar" parent="#android:style/Widget.Holo.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#FF5050</item>
</style>
I have changed item in AppBaseTheme & AppTheme.Light.ActionBar .
Now you are good to go. let me know if it works however working at my end :P

You can try set custom view in action bar.
actionBar.setDisplayShowCustomEnabled(true);
actionBar.setCustomView(you_custom_layout);

I know this is not right answer to this question but if you want to edit your ActionBar, you can use this online Android Action Bar Style Generator.
At least you can create a style and check yours to find differences and learn how to edit your ActionBar.

Moving menu and buttons to upper actionBar

Simple question, how do I move everything from bottom actionBar to the actionBar above (right corner). What is the theme called (assuming it has to do with themes). Also how can the bottom actionBar be removed completely!
This is currently my xml-code setting the themes. Theme.ML.ActionBar2 is the theme setting the attribute's for the actionBar:
<resources>
<style name="Theme.ML.Default" parent="#style/Theme.Sherlock">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#drawable/bg_math</item>
<item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
<item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>
<style name="Theme.ML.ActionBar2" parent="#style/Theme.Sherlock">
<item name="android:windowBackground">#drawable/bg_list_topbar</item>
</style>
<style name="Theme.ML.Tabs" parent="#style/Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar.TabBar">
<item name="windowActionBarOverlay">true</item>
<item name="windowActionModeOverlay">true</item>
<item name="android:gravity">center</item>
<item name="android:listDivider">#color/transparent</item>
<item name="android:showDividers">none</item>
<item name="android:dividerPadding">0dp</item>
<item name="android:dividerHeight">0dp</item>
<item name="android:dividerVertical">#null</item>
<item name="background">#drawable/tab_bar_background</item>
<item name="android:background">#drawable/tab_bar_background</item>
</style>
<style name="Theme.ML.Text" parent="#style/Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar.TabText">
<item name="android:textColor">#color/text_tab_indicator</item>
<item name="android:textSize">8sp</item>
</style>
</resources>

check this if you have put in your manifest within your activity declaration.
android:uiOptions="splitActionBarWhenNarrow"

ActionBarSherLock divider style

Does anyone knows,
How do i set a line in between ActionBar tab bar and title bar, because i am using same color for both, that looks odd,
i am using style as:
<style name="Theme.MyTheme" parent="#style/Theme.Sherlock.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="actionBarStyle">#style/Widget.MyTheme.ActionBar</item>
<item name="actionBarTabStyle">#style/customActionBarTabStyle</item>
</style>
here i set the color,
<style name="Widget.MyTheme.ActionBar" parent="Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar">
<item name="android:background">#4B4B4B</item>
<item name="background">#4B4B4B</item>
</style>
<style name="customActionBarTabStyle" parent="Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar.TabView">
<item name="background">#4B4B4B</item>
<item name="android:background">#4B4B4B</item>
</style>

Try using something like this :
<style name="Theme.Dreams" parent="#style/Theme.Sherlock.Light.DarkActionBar">
<item name="android:actionBarTabBarStyle">#style/ActionBarTabBarStyle.Dreams</item>
</style>
<style name="ActionBarTabBarStyle.Dreams" parent="#style/Widget.Sherlock.ActionBar.TabBar">
<item name="android:background">#drawable/ic_tabbar_background</item>
<item name="android:showDividers">middle</item>
<item name="android:divider">#drawable/ic_tabbar_divider</item>
<item name="android:dividerPadding">0dp</item>
</style>