Change background color/drawable from the source

Question

I have many XMLs that use background color from shape drawables like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
    android:background="@drawable/background"
/>

My shape background xml is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shape="rectangle">
    <gradient 
        android:type="linear"
        android:startColor="#FFffffff"
        android:endColor="#FFE8E8E8"
        android:angle="315" />    
</shape>

Now I want to add a feature where I give the user the option to change the background color. Is there a quick way that I can change the source shape drawable based on some value instead of going to Each activity that loads xml and change that?

Thank you.

do you want to change the color of the shape at run time or you want to change the shape ? — hatib abrar, Oct 27 '16 at 05:58

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 27 '16 at 05:59

You can create a list or buttons for user with different names. Based on the button clicked you can change the layout background programmatically. For example:

 @Override
public void onClick(View v) {
    switch (v.getId()) {
        case R.id.drawable1Button:
             final int sdk = android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT;
             if(sdk < android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN) {
             layout.setBackgroundDrawable( getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.drawable1) );
             } else {
               layout.setBackground( getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.drawable1));
             }

            break;

        case R.id.drawable2Button:
             final int sdk = android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT;
             if(sdk < android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN) {
             layout.setBackgroundDrawable( getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.drawable2) );
             } else {
               layout.setBackground( getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.drawable2));
             }
             break;
        case R.id.drawable3Button:
             final int sdk = android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT;
             if(sdk < android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN) {
             layout.setBackgroundDrawable( getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.drawable3) );
             } else {
               layout.setBackground( getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.drawable3));
             }
            break;
        }
       }

Thanks but please read my email carefuly. I "don't" want to go and change it for activity as I have many layout xml. I want it to be done in one place — Snake, Oct 27 '16 at 14:21
Then make a common method in some class and you will have to access it from each activity. Which will only take a single line of code. — Aayush Thakur, Oct 27 '16 at 18:01
Accessing it from every activity is effectively changing the code of every activity. It is a big project with at least 40 activities and fragments. I don't to change each one. I want to change the source (the xml drawable) if possible — Snake, Oct 28 '16 at 03:05

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 27 '16 at 06:56

Change your background.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:id="@+id/shape_id">
        <shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
            android:shape="line">
            <gradient
                android:angle="315"
                android:endColor="#FFE8E8E8"
                android:startColor="#FFffffff"
                android:type="linear" />

        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

Now on button click just find out which color combinations you want to change and put that color in array and change on click.

 final LinearLayout l =(LinearLayout)findViewById(R.id.linearLayout);
        l.setBackgroundResource(R.drawable.background);
      final  View v = findViewById(R.id.linearLayout);
        Button b =(Button)findViewById(R.id.button);
        b.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                int colors[] = { 0xff255779, 0xffa6c0cd };
                GradientDrawable gradientDrawable = new GradientDrawable(
                        GradientDrawable.Orientation.TOP_BOTTOM, colors);
                l.setBackground(gradientDrawable);

            }
        });

I have to put the it in every activity. I don't want that like I said in the question — Snake, Oct 27 '16 at 14:22

Change background color/drawable from the source

2 Answers2