Nested PreferenceScreens under a dynamic list of preferences on Android

Question

I'm trying to create a preferences screen with a dynamic list of entries, and when clicking each of them, I have another screen of preferences. As an example, think of a list of mail accounts and each one having their account settings available.

While I can create the nesting I want using just PreferenceScreens, this can't easily be scaled to multiple entries without creating the sub preferences structure in code for each one.

I see several different variations throughout the Android UI.

Is there a recomended way to create such a structure as this?

Possibilites include:

Separate, independant activities
Works but is messy in my opinion
Nested, code created PreferenceScreens
Pain in the ass for maintainence and it means the preferences are no longer stored as XML fragments
Nested, inflated PreferenceScreens
I can't find a way to expand another XML file into a sub tree
One "sub" PreferenceScreen that is shown using setPreferenceScreen() for each one
I can't find a way to hide the "template" PreferenceScreen and it breaks the navigation.

Sample XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:title="@string/prefs_title">
    <EditTextPreference android:key="add_console"
        android:title="@string/prefs_add_console"></EditTextPreference>
    <PreferenceCategory android:title="@string/prefs_consoles_title"
        android:key="list">
        <PreferenceScreen android:summary="http://cctv.icode.co.uk/"
            android:title="iCode Console">
        </PreferenceScreen>
        <PreferenceScreen android:summary="http://test.icode.co.uk/"
            android:title="Test Console">
        </PreferenceScreen>
    </PreferenceCategory>
    <PreferenceScreen android:title="Console (template)"
        android:key="console">
        <EditTextPreference android:title="@string/prefs_console_host"
            android:summary="@string/prefs_not_set" android:key="host"></EditTextPreference>
        <CheckBoxPreference android:title="@string/prefs_console_auth"
            android:summary="@string/prefs_console_auth_summary" android:key="auth"></CheckBoxPreference>
        <EditTextPreference android:shouldDisableView="true"
            android:title="@string/prefs_console_authuser" android:key="authuser"
            android:dependency="auth" android:summary="@string/prefs_not_set"></EditTextPreference>
        <EditTextPreference android:title="@string/prefs_console_authpass"
            android:key="authpass" android:dependency="auth" android:summary="@string/prefs_not_set"></EditTextPreference>
        <CheckBoxPreference android:title="@string/prefs_console_pair"
            android:summary="@string/prefs_console_pair_summary" android:key="pair"></CheckBoxPreference>
    </PreferenceScreen>
</PreferenceScreen>

I want the entries under list to be dynamic and show the console preferences under each.

All other ideas welcome.

Thanks

I'm not sure I understand the question. We can already do what you want (I think) with just the basic implementation. What is it about the current implementation that you don't like? — user432209, Jan 25 '11 at 01:20
I know I can add each sub tree in code beneath the dynaimc entries I add, but was hoping I could add the sub tree by inflating an XML file. — Deanna, Jan 25 '11 at 06:44
(damn enter key) Either that or use multiple activities, but I don;t know the best approach. — Deanna, Jan 25 '11 at 06:45

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered May 14 '13 at 12:30

Have you tried to include dynamically XML files into the main one used for the preferences?

This technique is detailed in these 2 articles:

http://www.aslingandastone.com/2010/dynamically-changing-android-views/

http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2009/02/android-layout-tricks-2-reusing-layouts.html

They explain how to do what you were asking in your point 3:

Nested, inflated PreferenceScreens

Basically the idea would be to use this simple tag to include another XML file into an existing one:

<include
    android:id="@+id/layout_to_nest"
    layout="@layout/layout_to_nest" />

I don't know if you tried that yet but if not, it seems to be worth a try!

Nested PreferenceScreens under a dynamic list of preferences on Android

1 Answers1