Android Open Tutorials

  • Android
    • Dialog
    • ImageView
    • ListView
    • SharedPreferences
    • Spinner
    • SQLite
    • ViewPager
Menu
 Home > Spinner > Android: How to get Holo Spinner Theme in Android 2.x?

Android: How to get Holo Spinner Theme in Android 2.x?

Nithya Vasudevan+ March 14, 20142014-03-14T22:51:54+00:002014-03-21T18:39:10+00:00 Spinner 1 Comment

This Android tutorial explains,

  • How to get holo theme for Spinner in Android 2.x
  • How to change the Spinner background style
  • How to change the background color of selected spinner list item

Download “Android Spinner Style Example” SpinnerStyleDemo.zip – Downloaded 5805 times – 1 MB

You can use this site http://www.android-holo-colors.com/ to generate drawables and themes which you can copy into your project.

In Android 2.x, Spinner style looks like the one shown below. The default theme for versions less than 11 is @android:style/Theme.

android-2-spinner

In Android 4.x, Spinner style looks like the one shown below.
android-4-spinner

If an app does not explicitly request a theme in its manifest, Android System will determine the default theme based on the app’s targetSdkVersion to maintain the app’s original expectations:

Android SDK VersionDefault Theme
Version < 11@android:style/Theme
Version between 11 and 13@android:style/Theme.Holo
14 and higher@android:style/Theme.DeviceDefault

Android’s resource system selects the themes for your app automatically based on the platform version of the device it’s running on. For example,

  • If the device version is < 11, it applies the theme defined in res/values folder.
  • If the device version is between 11 and 13, it applies the theme defined in res/values-v11 folder.
  • If the device version is 14 or higher, it applies the theme defined in res/values-v14 folder.
To get the Holo theme for Spinner in Android 2.x, we can define theme in res/values folder.

Android Project

Create an Android project and name it as SpinnerStyleDemo.

res/values folder

strings.xml

Open res/values/strings.xml and replace it with following content.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
 
    <string name="app_name">SpinnerStyleDemo</string>
    <string name="action_settings">Settings</string>
    <string name="hello_world">Hello world!</string>
 
    <string-array name="fruit_array">
        <item >Apple</item>
        <item >Banana</item>
        <item >Orange</item>
        <item >Mango</item>
        <item >Pineapple</item>
        <item >Strawberry</item>
        <item >Cranberry</item>
    </string-array>
</resources>

colors.xml

Create a new file colors.xml in res/values/ to define colors and replace it with following content.

1
2
3
4
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>    
    <color name="transparent">#00000000</color>    
</resources>

styles.xml

Open res/values/styles.xml and replace it with following content.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
<resources>
 
    <style name="SpinnerTheme" parent="android:Widget.Spinner">
        <item name="android:background">@drawable/spinner_background_holo_light</item>
        <item name="android:dropDownSelector">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
    <style name="SpinnerTheme.DropDown">
        <item name="android:spinnerMode">dropdown</item>
    </style>
 
    <!-- Changes the spinner drop down item radio button style -->
    <style name="DropDownItemSpinnerTheme" parent="android:Widget.DropDownItem.Spinner">
        <item name="android:checkMark">@drawable/btn_radio_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
    <style name="ListViewSpinnerTheme" parent="android:Widget.ListView">
        <item name="android:listSelector">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
    <style name="ListViewSpinnerTheme.White" parent="android:Widget.ListView.White">
        <item name="android:listSelector">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
    <style name="SpinnerItemTheme"
            parent="android:TextAppearance.Widget.TextView.SpinnerItem">
        <item name="android:textColor">#000000</item>
    </style>
 
</resources>

themes.xml

Create a new file themes.xml in res/values and replace it with following content. This Android themes.xml defines Holo theme for Spinner widget for devices running on Android 2.x.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
 
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Light">
        <item name="android:spinnerStyle">@style/SpinnerTheme</item>
        <item name="android:dropDownSpinnerStyle">@style/SpinnerTheme.DropDown</item>
        <item name="android:spinnerDropDownItemStyle">@style/DropDownItemSpinnerTheme</item>
        <item name="android:listViewStyle">@style/ListViewSpinnerTheme</item>
        <item name="android:listViewWhiteStyle">@style/ListViewSpinnerTheme.White</item>
        <item name="android:spinnerItemStyle">@style/SpinnerItemTheme</item>
    </style>
 
</resources>

res/values-v11 folder

styles.xml

Create a new res/values-v11/styles.xml and replace it with following content.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
<resources>
 
    <style name="SpinnerTheme" parent="android:Widget.Holo.Light.Spinner">
        <item name="android:background">@drawable/spinner_background_holo_light</item>
        <item name="android:dropDownSelector">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
</resources>

themes.xml

Create a new res/values-v11/themes.xml and replace it with following content. This Android themes.xml defines theme for Spinner widget for devices running on versions between 11 and 13. Here, we define custom style for Spinner, i.e.)

  • to change the default spinner background color
  • to change the spinner list item highlighted color

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
 
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light">
        <item name="android:dropDownSpinnerStyle">@style/SpinnerTheme</item>
        <item name="android:listChoiceBackgroundIndicator">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
 
        <!-- Drawable used as a background for activated items. -->
        <item name="android:activatedBackgroundIndicator">
        @drawable/activated_background_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
</resources>

res/values-v14 folder

styles.xml

Create a new res/values-v14/styles.xml and replace it with following content.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
<resources>
  
    <style name="SpinnerAppTheme" parent="android:Widget.Holo.Light.Spinner">
        <item name="android:background">@drawable/spinner_background_holo_light</item>
        <item name="android:dropDownSelector">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
    <style name="ListViewAppTheme" parent="android:Widget.Holo.Light.ListView">
        <item name="android:listSelector">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>
    </style>
 
</resources>

themes.xml

Create a new res/values-v14/themes.xml and replace it with following content. This Android themes.xml defines theme for Spinner widget for devices running on versions 14 or higher. Here, we define custom style for Spinner, i.e.)

  • to change the default spinner background color
  • to change the spinner list item highlighted color

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
<resources>
 
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.DarkActionBar">
 
        <!-- API 14 theme customizations can go here. -->
        <item name="android:spinnerStyle">@style/SpinnerAppTheme</item>
        <item name="android:dropDownListViewStyle">@style/ListViewAppTheme</item>
        <item name="android:listViewStyle">@style/ListViewAppTheme</item>
    </style>
 
</resources>

res/drawable folder

All these drawable XML files refers to drawables in hdpi, mdpi, xhdip folders.

activated_background_holo_light.xml

This drawable file is used by themes.xml defined in values-v11. It defines drawable used as a background for activated items.

1
2
3
4
5
6
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:state_activated="true" android:drawable="@drawable/list_activated_holo" />
    <item android:drawable="@android:color/transparent" />
</selector>

btn_radio_holo_light.xml

This drawable file changes the spinner drop down item radio button style.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:state_checked="true" android:state_window_focused="false"
          android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="false" android:state_window_focused="false"
          android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_holo_light" />
          
    <item android:state_checked="true" android:state_pressed="true"
          android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_pressed_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="false" android:state_pressed="true"
          android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_pressed_holo_light" />
 
    <item android:state_checked="true" android:state_focused="true"
          android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_focused_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="false" android:state_focused="true"
          android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_focused_holo_light" />
 
    <item android:state_checked="false" android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="true" android:state_enabled="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_holo_light" />
 
    <!-- Disabled states -->
 
    <item android:state_checked="true" android:state_window_focused="false"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_disabled_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="false" android:state_window_focused="false"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_disabled_holo_light" />
 
    <item android:state_checked="true" android:state_focused="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_disabled_focused_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="false" android:state_focused="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_disabled_focused_holo_light" />
 
    <item android:state_checked="false"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_off_disabled_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_checked="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/btn_radio_on_disabled_holo_light" />
 
</selector>

item_background_holo_light.xml

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
 
    <!-- Even though these two point to the same resource,
        have two states so the drawable will invalidate itself
        when coming out of pressed state. -->
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_disabled_holo_light"
          android:state_enabled="false"
          android:state_focused="true"
          android:state_pressed="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_disabled_holo_light"
          android:state_enabled="false" android:state_focused="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_background_transition_holo_light"
          android:state_focused="true" android:state_pressed="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_background_transition_holo_light"
          android:state_focused="false" android:state_pressed="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_focused_holo"
          android:state_focused="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@color/transparent"/>
 
</selector>

list_selector_background_transition_holo_light.xml

1
2
3
4
5
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<transition xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_pressed_holo_light"  />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_longpressed_holo"  />
</transition>

list_selector_holo_light.xml

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
 
    <item android:drawable="@android:color/transparent"
          android:state_window_focused="false"/>
 
    <!-- Even though these two point to the same resource,
        have two states so the drawable will invalidate itself
        when coming out of pressed state. -->
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_disabled_holo_light"
          android:state_enabled="false"
          android:state_focused="true"
          android:state_pressed="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_disabled_holo_light"
          android:state_enabled="false" android:state_focused="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_background_transition_holo_light"
          android:state_focused="true" android:state_pressed="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_selector_background_transition_holo_light"
          android:state_focused="false" android:state_pressed="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/list_focused_holo" android:state_focused="true"/>
 
</selector>

spinner_background_holo_light.xml

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:state_enabled="false"
          android:drawable="@drawable/spinner_disabled_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_pressed="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/spinner_pressed_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_pressed="false" android:state_focused="true"
          android:drawable="@drawable/spinner_focused_holo_light" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/spinner_default_holo_light" />
</selector>

XML layout file

This Android Spinner style example uses a layout file to display a Spinner. Open activity_main.xml file in res/layout and replace it with the following content.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    tools:context=".MainActivity" >
 
    <Spinner
    android:id="@+id/spinner"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginBottom="5dp"
    android:entries="@array/fruit_array"
    android:scrollbars="none" />
</RelativeLayout>

Output

Place all the nine patch assets, images in drawable (drawable-hdpi, drawable-mdpi and drawable-xhdpi) folder and run the project to get the expected output.

References

  • http://android-developers.blogspot.in/2012/01/holo-everywhere.html
  • http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/themes.html
Tags:Android change background color of spinner, Android change spinner item highlight color, Android customize spinner styling, Android Examples, Android highlight selected item in spinner, Android holo theme for android 2.x, Android spinner change default highlight color, Android Spinner Examples, Android spinner styles, Android spinner styling, Android Styles and Themes example

About The Author

nithya

  • Leo Santana

    thank you !! , it help me a lot ;)

    Find us on Facebook

    Find us on Google Plus

    Top Posts

    • Android Image Slideshow using ViewPager - 282,508 views
    • Android: DatePickerDialog on EditText Click Event - 218,777 views
    • Android SharedPreferences Tutorial and Example - 158,812 views
    • Android: How to store list of values in SharedPreferences - 143,899 views
    • Android SQLite Join Multiple Tables Example - 129,090 views
    • Android Vertical ScrollBar Styling - 102,996 views
    • Android: How to get Holo Spinner Theme in Android 2.x? - 86,982 views
    • Android SQLite Example - 70,929 views
    • Android: ListView Fastscroll and its styling - 58,164 views
    • Android: ListView with Alphabetical side index - 56,708 views

    Categories

    • Android (2)
    • Dialog (1)
    • ImageView (1)
    • ListView (2)
    • SharedPreferences (2)
    • Spinner (1)
    • SQLite (2)
    • ViewPager (1)
    January 2022
    MTWTFSS
    « Mar  
     12
    3456789
    10111213141516
    17181920212223
    24252627282930
    31 
  • Follow @opentutorials
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter

Tags

11Android Examples2Android ListView Examples2Android SharedPreferences example2Android SQLite Examples2SharedPreferences2Android SharedPreferences Tutorial2SQLite2Android SQLite2Android SQLite Date2Android orientation changes2android back navigation of fragments2imageview1android edittext onclick datepicker1Android ListView with index1Listview with alphabetic index1Android ListView Fastscroll1Android ListView Fastscroll styling1Android change background color of spinner1Android change spinner item highlight color1Android customize spinner styling1Android highlight selected item in spinner1Android holo theme for android 2.x1Android spinner change default highlight color1Android spinner styles1Android spinner styling1Android Styles and Themes example1Android Spinner Examples1Android SectionIndexer example1calendar datepickerdialog1edittext click event1edittext1calendar1datepickerdialog1json shared preferences1gson1Android Sqlite Multiple tables example1Android SQLiteQueryBuilder multiple table column alias1android animation1android imageview animation1android imageview blink animation1SharedPreferences store list1SharedPreferences store arraylist1Android SharedPreferences favorites1android sqlite join1android sqlite multiple table join1Android Spinner Data from SQLite1Android ScrollView1Android Scrollbar1ScrollView1Scrollbar1Android Scrollbar styling1styling1Android Vertical ScrollBar Styling1Android ViewPager Example1ViewPager1Android ViewPager1Android ViewPager Image Slideshow1Android ImageView Slideshow1universal image loader1viewpagerindicator1viewpager slideshow
Android Open Tutorials Copyright © 2022.
Back to Top ↑
  • Android
    • Dialog
    • ImageView
    • ListView
    • SharedPreferences
    • Spinner
    • SQLite
    • ViewPager