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Android Custom ListView Texts Tutorial

Last Updated: April 30, 2013

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a custom listview with texts in your Android Applications. Using a custom adapter allows to you to customize listview item layouts. We will create a listview to show texts and on listview item click will show the selected results in a new activity. So lets begin…

Create a new project in Eclipse File > New > Android Application Project. Fill in the details and name your project CustomListView.

Application Name : CustomListView

Project Name : CustomListView

Package Name : com.androidbegin.customlistview

Open your MainActivity.java and paste the following code.

MainActivity.java

package com.androidbegin.customlistview;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemClickListener;
import android.widget.ListView;
import android.view.View;

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

	// Declare Variables
	ListView list;
	ListViewAdapter adapter;
	String[] rank;
	String[] country;
	String[] population;

	@Override
	public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
		// Get the view from listview_main.xml
		setContentView(R.layout.listview_main);

		// Generate sample data into string arrays
		rank = new String[] { "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10" };

		country = new String[] { "China", "India", "United States",
				"Indonesia", "Brazil", "Pakistan", "Nigeria", "Bangladesh",
				"Russia", "Japan" };

		population = new String[] { "1,354,040,000", "1,210,193,422",
				"315,761,000", "237,641,326", "193,946,886", "182,912,000",
				"170,901,000", "152,518,015", "143,369,806", "127,360,000" };

		// Locate the ListView in listview_main.xml
		list = (ListView) findViewById(R.id.listview);

		// Pass results to ListViewAdapter Class
		adapter = new ListViewAdapter(MainActivity.this, rank, country, population);
		// Binds the Adapter to the ListView
		list.setAdapter(adapter);
		// Capture ListView item click
		list.setOnItemClickListener(new OnItemClickListener() {

			@Override
			public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view,
					int position, long id) {
				Intent i = new Intent(MainActivity.this, SingleItemView.class);
				// Pass all data rank
				i.putExtra("rank", rank);
				// Pass all data country
				i.putExtra("country", country);
				// Pass all data population
				i.putExtra("population", population);
				// Pass listview item click position
				i.putExtra("position", position);
				// Open SingleItemView.java Activity
				startActivity(i);
			}

		});
	}
}

In this activity, we have created string arrays with sample data and pass it into the ListViewAdapter class. On listview item click will pass the selected position and string arrays to a new activity.

Next, create an XML graphical layout for your MainActivity. Go to res > layout > Right Click on layout > New > Android XML File

Name your new XML file listview_main.xml and paste the following code.

listview_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" >

    <ListView
        android:id="@+id/listview"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent" />

</RelativeLayout>

Output:

CustomListView Main Graphical Layout

Next, create a custom listview adapter. Go to File > New > Class and name it ListViewAdapter.java. Select your package named com.androidbegin.customlistview and click Finish.

Open your ListViewAdapter.java and paste the following code.

ListViewAdapter.java

package com.androidbegin.customlistview;

import android.content.Context;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.BaseAdapter;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class ListViewAdapter extends BaseAdapter {

	// Declare Variables
	Context context;
	String[] rank;
	String[] country;
	String[] population;
	LayoutInflater inflater;

	public ListViewAdapter(Context context, String[] rank, String[] country,
			String[] population) {
		this.context = context;
		this.rank = rank;
		this.country = country;
		this.population = population;
	}

	@Override
	public int getCount() {
		return rank.length;
	}

	@Override
	public Object getItem(int position) {
		return null;
	}

	@Override
	public long getItemId(int position) {
		return 0;
	}

	public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {

		// Declare Variables
		TextView txtrank;
		TextView txtcountry;
		TextView txtpopulation;

		inflater = (LayoutInflater) context
				.getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);

		View itemView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.listview_item, parent, false);

		// Locate the TextViews in listview_item.xml
		txtrank = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.rank);
		txtcountry = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.country);
		txtpopulation = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.population);

		// Capture position and set to the TextViews
		txtrank.setText(rank[position]);
		txtcountry.setText(country[position]);
		txtpopulation.setText(population[position]);

		return itemView;
	}
}

In this custom listview adapter class, string arrays are passed into the ListViewAdapter and set into the TextViews followed by the positions.

Next, create an XML graphical layout for your listview item. Go to res > layout > Right Click on layout > New > Android XML File

Name your new XML file listview_item.xml and paste the following code.

listview_item.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/ranklabel"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/ranklabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/rank"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/ranklabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/countrylabel"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/ranklabel"
        android:text="@string/countrylabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/country"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/rank"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/countrylabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/populationlabel"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/countrylabel"
        android:text="@string/populationlabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/population"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/country"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/populationlabel" />

</RelativeLayout>

Output:

CustomListView Item Graphical Layout

Next, create a new activity to show results on listview item click. Go to File > New > Class and name it SingleItemView.java. Select your package named com.androidbegin.customlistview and click Finish.

Open your SingleItemView.java and paste the following code.

SingleItemView.java

package com.androidbegin.customlistview;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class SingleItemView extends Activity {

	// Declare Variables
	TextView txtrank;
	TextView txtcountry;
	TextView txtpopulation;
	String[] rank;
	String[] country;
	String[] population;
	int position;

	@Override
	public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
		setContentView(R.layout.singleitemview);
		// Retrieve data from MainActivity on listview item click
		Intent i = getIntent();
		// Get the listview item click position
		position = i.getExtras().getInt("position");
		// Get the list of rank
		rank = i.getStringArrayExtra("rank");
		// Get the list of country
		country = i.getStringArrayExtra("country");
		// Get the list of population
		population = i.getStringArrayExtra("population");

		// Locate the TextViews in singleitemview.xml
		txtrank = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.rank);
		txtcountry = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.country);
		txtpopulation = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.population);

		// Load the text into the TextViews followed by the position
		txtrank.setText(rank[position]);
		txtcountry.setText(country[position]);
		txtpopulation.setText(population[position]);
	}
}

In this activity, strings are retrieved from the ListViewAdapter by using Intent sets the TextViews.

Next, create an XML graphical layout for your SingleItemView. Go to res > layout > Right Click on layout > New > Android XML File

Name your new XML file singleitemview.xml and paste the following code.

singleitemview.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/ranklabel"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/ranklabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/rank"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/ranklabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/countrylabel"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/ranklabel"
        android:text="@string/countrylabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/country"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/rank"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/countrylabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/populationlabel"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/countrylabel"
        android:text="@string/populationlabel" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/population"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/country"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/populationlabel" />

</RelativeLayout>

Next, change the application name and texts. Open your strings.xml in your res > values folder and paste the following code.

strings.xml

<resources>

    <string name="app_name">CustomListView</string>
    <string name="hello_world">Hello world!</string>
    <string name="menu_settings">Settings</string>
    <string name="ranklabel">"Rank : "</string>
    <string name="countrylabel">"Country : "</string>
    <string name="populationlabel">"Population : "</string>

</resources>

In your AndroidManifest.xml, we need to declare an activity. Open your AndroidManifest.xml and paste the following code.

AndroidManifest.xml

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.androidbegin.customlistview"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="8"
        android:targetSdkVersion="15" />

    <application
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity android:name=".MainActivity" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
        <activity android:name=".SingleItemView" >
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

Output :

CustomListView ScreenShot

Source Code

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Latest comments

cheers，it remembers me of Symbian...

Wei Huang

Android Custom ListView Texts Tutorial

how to make all list view items click listener outside an adapter

Androd Mangalore

Android Custom ListView Texts Tutorial

Great tutorial. It's helped me lots. Thank you. I have done this tutorial with Fragment. :)

Fahry Mohammed

Android Custom ListView Texts Tutorial

Dear Sir The Same tutorial but its papolated from mysql using json

Muhammed Hussain

Android Custom ListView Texts Tutorial