Develop Reference

Creating a string constant to ALL language strings.xml in Android Studio

When I have to make a new string constant in a project I often use to simply write down the reference first just like: R.sring.my_new_string then I use Alt + Enter to pop up this dialog:
The problem is, as you can see only the default 'values' is selected when the dialog pops and I have to select the other 'values-it' (Italian strings) manualy to create the same string resource to that file too.
Of course this results in a deficient 'values-it/strings.xml' file because a lot of times I simply forget to select the checkbox.
Is there a way to somehow set Android Studio to always create the string resource for EVERY strings.xml in the project?
Thanks in advance

Press that to select all.
That doesn't solve your problem?
Happy coding!

How should I be creating strings in AndroidStudio / intellijidea?

I'm writing my layouts and every time i type in a #string/new it just warns me that the string reference does not exist, but doesn't show any helper to create it. I have to go to my strings.xml and type in the xml tag for the new string.
The demos show that Android Studio even replaces the code to get strings with the actual strings, but the demo never shows a string being created from zero.
I know that when I'm in the visual editor I can create a new string element on the screen I get if I click the "..." button for the text property, but how do I get this functionality from the textual view of a layout?

I haven't used the new Android Studio extension, as it doesn't appear to be stable enough for production use yet, but in plain old IntelliJ IDEA 12, if you use Alt-Enter on the red R.string.foo reference, the intention menu has "Create string resource" as an item. Selecting that intention brings up the dialog to add the string. From the dialog you can type in the string and select which resource filters to use (i.e. which strings.xml to add it to).

Copy string to strings.xml

Everybody knows that if we have:
ekran3.setText("VAT Tax:");
We may (or even we SHOULD) convert it to:
ekran3.setText(getString(R.string.kwotaVat));
and add in strings.xml:
<string name="kwotaVat">VAT Tax:</string>
But is there some kind of trick to do it automatically? For example by clicking RMB on text and selecting some option? It would be nice to know it in fact it will save us a lot of time than while we're doing it manually.

If you are using Eclipse you may extract the string directly into the strings.xml file by placing the mouse within the string and hitting Ctrl + 1. It will bring up the dialog as followed and you may select "Extract String". You then give it a name (Ex: kwotaVat) and you're done.

hey you do not need to use getString() to convert it to string the values xml file is already having data in string form so you just need to use the following code to set the string
ekran3.setText(R.string.kwotaVat);
where ekran3 is the object of your text view
and kwotaVat is the id of your value string
for more detail od android codes have look here http://grabcodes.blogspot.com/

Android: resource String automatic generation

I'm new to Android. When I add a button/views in Graphical layout it adds the label text this way- android:text="Button" . Why doesnt it add "android:text="#string/my_label" and add a string resource in string.xml file. Can't it be done automatically in eclipse?

I have searched a lot but I have not get any automated way to add a string to the resource file But This will save your time a lot IMHO.
Select a String, click Refactor --> Android --> Extract Android String.

Thanks to Brent Hronik. CTRL-1 on Windows works fine.

Because you don't have to use the #string resource. The purpose of the #strings resource is to make it easier to change elements about your code. For example, if you are using your application title in mutliple places, let's say in every dialog box, then if you change the title you would have to change it in all the instances that the app title is being display. So in this instance the #string/App_Title could be set to "My Program" and all of the dialog boxes can reference that. If you change the title to "Hello World" then all of these are changed. The #strings resource, while eclipse tries, doesn't have to be used for every string. Not using it is the equivalent to hard coding the value. There are plenty of reasons for and against using #string for everything.
I am not sure if there is a setting in eclipse that will automatically add a string to the resource file when the control is added.
(EDIT: Based on other users CTRL+1 is the short cut to do this.)

You can add the string to the strings.xml by clicking command and 1(on a mac, assume it would be control 1 on a Windows or Linux box) simultaneously. This will add the resource to strings.xml and then open that up in the editor.

Thanks Siddiq Abu Bakkar! I didn't think it would be there.
On Eclipse (and Windows) the shortcut is:
Alt+Shift+A (release all and then press) S
When you use Eclipse for first time it's not easy understand how to use these kind of "complex" shortcuts.

I can't vote and i can't comment answers yet (missing reputation as i'm a new user)
But i confirm :
1) hard type the string in your code like
mydlg.setTitle("hello guys");
2) select your string (e.g : "hello guys")
3) press Alt + Shift + A then press S
a dialog will appear to let you add a new string into resources. Everything should be already filled into that dialog box.

Do externalized strings need to be in strings.xml?

When I right-click on my project in Eclipse, and select "Externalize Strings" the wizard ends up putting the strings in a new "messges.properties" file; shouldn't it go in /res/values/strings.xml, or does it matter?

"Externalize Strings" is a standard functionality that is implemented in eclipse to work with java. If you want to extract Android string you should simply select the string, press ctrl+1 and in the appeared menu choose "Extract String" with the Android picture near this option.