Spinner does now show selected value in some screens- how should I design it?

Question

I'm developing an android application - I'm using Horizontal LinearLayout with textView and spinners.

In some screen resolutions everything just works fine, but in some other screens it does not show what I have selected in the spinner.

This is the way I designed it:

<LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:weightSum="21"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <Spinner
            android:id="@+id/nightEndHoursSpinner"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginStart="5dp"
            android:layout_weight="4"
            />

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/nightEndSep"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0.5"
            android:text=":"
            android:textSize="30sp" />

        <Spinner
            android:id="@+id/nightEndMinutesSpinner"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="4"
            />

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/nightEndTextView"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:textSize="20sp"
            android:text="@string/to"
            android:textDirection="anyRtl"
            android:gravity="end"
            android:layout_marginEnd="5dp"
            android:layout_weight="2"
            />

        <Spinner
            android:id="@+id/nightStartHoursSpinner"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginStart="5dp"
            android:textDirection="anyRtl"
            android:gravity="end"
            android:textAlignment="gravity"
            android:layout_weight="4"
            />

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/nightStartSep"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0.5"
            android:text=":"
            android:textSize="30sp" />

        <Spinner
            android:id="@+id/nightStartMinutesSpinner"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="4"
            />

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/nightFromTextView"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:textSize="20sp"
            android:layout_marginEnd="5dp"
            android:text="@string/from"
            android:textDirection="anyRtl"
            android:gravity="end"
            android:textAlignment="gravity"
            android:layout_weight="2"
            />

    </LinearLayout>

Image showing issue: no text in spinners

Java code: initializing the spinners:

 private void initializeSpinners() {
    ArrayList<String> hoursList = range(0, 23);
    ArrayAdapter<String> hoursAdapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,
            android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, hoursList);
    hoursAdapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
    morningStartHoursSpinner.setAdapter(hoursAdapter);
    nightStartHoursSpinner.setAdapter(hoursAdapter);
    morningEndHoursSpinner.setAdapter(hoursAdapter);
    nightEndHoursSpinner.setAdapter(hoursAdapter);

    ArrayList<String> minutesList = range(0, 59);
    ArrayAdapter<String> minutesAdapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,
            android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, minutesList);
    minutesAdapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
    morningStartMinutesSpinner.setAdapter(minutesAdapter);
    nightStartMinutesSpinner.setAdapter(minutesAdapter);
    morningEndMinutesSpinner.setAdapter(minutesAdapter);
    nightEndMinutesSpinner.setAdapter(minutesAdapter);

    updateSpinners(hoursList, minutesList);
}

private void updateSpinners(ArrayList<String> hoursList, ArrayList<String> minutesList) {
    String startMorningTime = DatabaseMgr.getPreferences(getString(R.string.saved_morning_start_time), this);
    updateSpinner(morningStartHoursSpinner, morningStartMinutesSpinner, startMorningTime, hoursList, minutesList, 9);
    String endMorningTime = DatabaseMgr.getPreferences(getString(R.string.saved_morning_end_time), this);
    updateSpinner(morningEndHoursSpinner, morningEndMinutesSpinner, endMorningTime, hoursList, minutesList, 11);

    String startNightTime = DatabaseMgr.getPreferences(getString(R.string.saved_night_start_time), this);
    updateSpinner(nightStartHoursSpinner, nightStartMinutesSpinner, startNightTime, hoursList, minutesList, 19);
    String endNightTime = DatabaseMgr.getPreferences(getString(R.string.saved_night_end_time), this);
    updateSpinner(nightEndHoursSpinner, nightEndMinutesSpinner, endNightTime, hoursList, minutesList, 21);
}

private void updateSpinner(Spinner hoursSpinner, Spinner minsSpinner, String time, ArrayList<String> hoursList, ArrayList<String> minutesList, int defaultHoursIdx) {
    if (time == null || time.equals("")) {
        hoursSpinner.setSelection(defaultHoursIdx);
        return;
    }
    String hours = time.split(":")[0];
    int hoursIdx = hoursList.indexOf(hours);
    String mins = time.split(":")[1];
    int minsIdx = minutesList.indexOf(mins);

    hoursSpinner.setSelection(hoursIdx);
    minsSpinner.setSelection(minsIdx);
}

simple_spinner_item.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
    android:id="@android:id/text1"
    style="?android:attr/spinnerItemStyle"
    android:singleLine="true"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:ellipsize="marquee"
    android:textAlignment="inherit"/>

spinnerAdapater is a ArrayList

I did not override any of spinner properties in java.

What is wrong with my code ? How should I design it ? to make it work for all screen resolutions

Thanks A lot!!

You will need to include you activity and possibly the adapter that is involved. — Juan, May 11 '18 at 12:46
@Juan I have added my java code which initializing the spinners — AndroidDev, May 11 '18 at 12:55
I think the problem is just that the layout doesn't fit the width. You mightaswell use a vertical linearlayout withing the horizontal one to separate in two lines each pair of "from" - "to". — Juan, May 11 '18 at 14:15
@Juan added, how could this happen ? you mean I should break it ? — AndroidDev, May 11 '18 at 14:16
if you put the mobile in layout position do you see the elements? — Juan, May 11 '18 at 14:17
yes, I see them, if the solution is to break them to 2 lines then I will go for it, but how come that linearlayout has a width ? it should not match itself to the content? — AndroidDev, May 11 '18 at 14:22
It isn't the linearlayout it is the space needed by the spinners — Juan, May 11 '18 at 14:34

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered May 11 '18 at 12:58

I have set the value of spinner in string.xml . Review the below code.

spinnerType = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinnerType);
    leaveAdapter = ArrayAdapter.createFromResource(this, R.array.leave_arrays, android.R.layout.simple_selectable_list_item);
    leaveAdapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
    spinnerType.setAdapter(leaveAdapter);
    spinnerType.setPrompt("-Choose-");
    spinnerType.setOnItemSelectedListener(new AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener() {
        @Override
        public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {
            TextView tv = (TextView) spinnerType.getChildAt(position);
            if (position == 0) {

                if (tv != null) {
                    tv.setText("Select Leave Type");
                    tv.setTextColor(Color.GRAY);
                }

            }
        }
        @Override
        public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> parent) {

        }});

Thanks, mostly it's design issue, it works perfectly on some screen resolutions — AndroidDev, May 11 '18 at 13:05

Spinner does now show selected value in some screens- how should I design it?

1 Answers1