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PreferenceActivity with custom functionality

Mon, 07/04/2011 - 06:28 | by gabor
SDK Version: 
M3

As we previously desribed in PreferenceActivity Basics a preferences screen with basic features can be done with minimal work, only using XML. Now we will inplement some functionality beyond the base ones, this will require some coding in addition to the XML definition.

We will display the actual value in each preferences summary field, like this:

The base XML will be the same as in the previous example, but we dont need to fill summary fields, they will be filled dinamically.

  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  2. <PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  3.         android:title="Settings">
  4.         <EditTextPreference android:title="Name"
  5.                 android:inputType="text"

PreferenceActivity Basics

Fri, 05/27/2011 - 01:35 | by gabor
SDK Version: 
M3
The PreferenceActivity class is a very easy way to create a standard looking settings screen for any application.

Minimal coding is required. The values are stored in SharedPreferences automatically by the PreferenceActivity.

The list of settings, default values, keys to stored under are defined in a very simple xml file.

The xml file should be located in res/xml/ directory and look like something like this:

  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  2. <PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  3.         android:title="Settings">
  4.  
  5.         <EditTextPreference android:title="Name"
  6.                 android:inputType="text" android:summary="Set your login name here"
  7.                 android:key="name" android:persistent="true" android:defaultValue=""></EditTextPreference>
  8.                
  9.         <EditTextPreference android:title="Password"

Calling system settings from an Android app - GPS example

Tue, 06/29/2010 - 16:05 | by gabor
SDK Version: 
M3
This tutorial shows how to redirect the user to a system settings screen asking to modify some settings the application depends on. We will make a specific example with GPS: The application can be used only if GPS is available.

The android systems GPS setting screen can be called just like any other Activities:

  1. startActivityForResult(new Intent(android.provider.Settings.ACTION_LOCATION_SOURCE_SETTINGS), 0);

To check GPS availability use the code code below: (the Activity must implement LocationListener)

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