I'll give you the advise to get completely independent from the TabWidget and create your own Navigation, which you can customize however you want and don't bother with the stiff TabWidget. I don't mean to throw away the awesome TabHost, because it's easy to use the TabHost with a custom navigation:
First set your TabWidget as gone:
<TabHost
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<TabWidget
android:id="@android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:visibility="gone"/>
And then create you own navigation in place of it. You could also create a menu (with the hardware menu button) or something like this:
<TabHost
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<TabWidget
android:id="@android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:visibility="gone"/>
<!-- content of your tabs-->
<FrameLayout
android:id="@android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_above="@id/slider_stub"
android:background="@color/overview_banner_bg_down"/>
<!-- custom slider with horizontal scrollable radio buttons-->
<com.example.WrappingSlidingDrawer
android:id="@+id/tab_slider"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:handle="@+id/tab_slider_handle"
android:content="@+id/tab_scroller">
<RelativeLayout
android:id="@+id/tab_slider_handle"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="@drawable/def_slider">
</RelativeLayout>
<HorizontalScrollView
android:id="@+id/tab_scroller"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:fadeScrollbars="false"
android:scrollbarAlwaysDrawHorizontalTrack="true"
android:scrollbarTrackHorizontal="@drawable/scrollbar_horizontal_track"
android:scrollbarThumbHorizontal="@drawable/scrollbar_horizontal_thumb"
android:fillViewport="true"
android:scrollbarSize="3dip"
android:fadingEdgeLength="80dp"
android:background="#343534">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<RadioGroup
android:id="@+id/custom_tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:gravity="center"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:checkedButton="@+id/tab_overview">
<RadioButton
android:id="@+id/tab_overview"
android:layout_height="55dp"
android:layout_width="55dp"
android:button="@null"
android:background="@drawable/def_checktab_overview"/>
<RadioButton
android:id="@+id/tab_news"
android:layout_height="55dp"
android:layout_width="55dp"
android:button="@null"
android:background="@drawable/def_checktab_news"/>
.....etc....your tabs......
</RadioGroup>
</RelativeLayout>
</HorizontalScrollView>
</com.example.WrappingSlidingDrawer>
</RelativeLayout>
</TabHost>
What you have to do in code now:
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main_tab_layout);
setTabs();
RadioGroup tabs = (RadioGroup) findViewById(R.id.custom_tabs);
tabs.setOnCheckedChangeListener(new OnCheckedChangeListener() {
@Override
public void onCheckedChanged(RadioGroup group, int checkedId) {
switch (checkedId) {
case R.id.tab_overview:
getTabHost().setCurrentTab(0);
break;
case R.id.tab_news:
getTabHost().setCurrentTab(1);
break;
....etc.....
}
}
});
}
/**
* Delegate tab creation and adding.
*/
private void setTabs() {
// add the necessary tabs
addTab(R.string.tab_overv_tag, OverviewActivityGroup.class);
addTab(R.string.tab_news_tag, NewsActivityGroup.class);
.....etc.....
}
/**
* Create a tab with an Activity and add it to the TabHost
*
* @param tagId
* resource id of the string representing the tag for finding the tab
* @param activity
* the activity to be added
*/
private void addTab(int tagId, Class<? extends ActivityGroup> activity) {
// create an Intent to launch an Activity for the tab (to be reused)
Intent intent = new Intent().setClass(this, activity);
// initialize a TabSpec for each tab and add it to the TabHost
TabHost.TabSpec spec = usedTabHost.newTabSpec(getString(tagId));
// use layout inflater to get a view of the tab to be added
View tabIndicator = getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.tab_indicator, getTabWidget(), false);
spec.setIndicator(tabIndicator);
spec.setContent(intent);
usedTabHost.addTab(spec);
}
The whole indicator stuff is not needed btw.^^ In your ActivityGroups you have to set the appropriate Activities, etc. You know the stuff.
You can use anything for your navigation and can still use the advantages of a TabHost. Just don't bother with that TabWidget anymore. ;)