selected item on custom listview with contextual action bar

Question

I recently started using android actionbars and contextual action bars (CAB).

I have just one activity which is a ListActivity. Basically I use the following code snipped to "activate" the CAB:

ListView listView = getListView();
listView.setChoiceMode(ListView.CHOICE_MODE_MULTIPLE_MODAL);
listView.setMultiChoiceModeListener(new MultiChoiceModeListener() {

    @Override
    public void onItemCheckedStateChanged(ActionMode mode, int position,
                                      long id, boolean checked) {
        // Here you can do something when items are selected/de-selected,
        // such as update the title in the CAB
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onActionItemClicked(ActionMode mode, MenuItem item) {
        // Respond to clicks on the actions in the CAB
        switch (item.getItemId()) {
            case R.id.menu_delete:
                deleteSelectedItems();
                mode.finish(); // Action picked, so close the CAB
                return true;
            default:
                return false;
        }
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateActionMode(ActionMode mode, Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu for the CAB
        MenuInflater inflater = mode.getMenuInflater();
        inflater.inflate(R.menu.context, menu);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroyActionMode(ActionMode mode) {
        // Here you can make any necessary updates to the activity when
        // the CAB is removed. By default, selected items are deselected/unchecked.
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onPrepareActionMode(ActionMode mode, Menu menu) {
        // Here you can perform updates to the CAB due to
        // an invalidate() request
        return false;
    }
});

The layout of the list:

<ImageView
    android:id="@+id/message_on_clipboard_icon"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
    android:minWidth="30dp"
    android:padding="7sp"
    android:src="@android:drawable/presence_online" >
</ImageView>

<LinearLayout
    android:id="@+id/linearLayout2"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@drawable/listitem_background"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/message"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginRight="5sp"
        android:fadingEdge="horizontal"
        android:singleLine="true"
        android:text="TextView"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" >
    </TextView>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/linearLayout1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@drawable/listitem_background"
        android:orientation="horizontal" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/message_length"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginRight="5sp"
            android:text="@string/message_length"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall" >
        </TextView>

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/message_count"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginRight="5sp"
            android:text="TextView"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall" >
        </TextView>

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/date_label"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginRight="5sp"
            android:text="@string/date_label" >
        </TextView>

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/date_message"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="TextView" >
        </TextView>
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

And within main.xml:

<ListView
    android:id="@+android:id/list"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
>
</ListView>

Now if I do a long click on a list item the CAB shows up as expected:

I use a MultiChoiceModeListener but unfortunately the selected list items do not change the background like in the example here (light blue background after an item is selected):

Do I have to use a custom selector? Or is there a standard procedure how android does handle this and I just need to make my LinearLayouts transparent? I also tried the following but with no success:

ListView item background via custom selector

It would be great If somebody could point me in the right direction. Please let me know if you need more application code or xml files.

Columbia

Answer 1

I've only ever tested this in CHOICE_MODE_SINGLE, but in that situation it works by doing the following.

• When you select a list item, in code, call "setItemChecked(position, checked)" method (on the ListView instance) for that item in the list.

• Add this to the XML for individual ListView items:
  android:background="?android:attr/activatedBackgroundIndicator"

Microdont

I get a StackOverflowError if I do the following within onItemCheckedStateChanged(): listView.setItemChecked(position, checked); – Columbia

nvm. it works just with: android:background="?android:attr/activatedBackgroundIndicator" thank you so much! – Columbia

As an addition to domi´s comment: if you want to customize the look of selected rows you can do so by using your own implementation of the row´s layout, as it is described in this tutorial: marvinlabs.com/2010/10/custom-listview-ability-check-items – Acidhead

The call to setItemChecked will result in StackOverflowError because calling setItemChecked in onItemCheckedStateChanged will be just calling each other infinitely. – Involuntary

Konsumierer's link is no longer valid.. new link: blog.marvinlabs.com/2010/10/29/… – Jerryjerrybuild

For lists listChoiceBackgroundIndicator is a better choice. – Powerful

Sure calling setItemChecked() inside onItemCheckedStateChanged will result in StackOverflow - because onItemCheckedStateChanged is called when one changes the item check status - so you create an endless loop – Cwmbran

I am uunable to call this setItemChecked in my adapter class? How to call it and which parameter to send. – Shorter

To @domi, by setting this listView.setItemChecked(position, checked);, your invoking the onItemCheckedStateChanged method again and again which results to end-less calls to the method and finally results to StackOverflowError. Hope it will resolve your query. – Roseline

@jitainsharma yeah I know! already pointed out by Takeshi Kaga. – Columbia

Answer 2

Just create a a drawable called custom_background on the way:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:drawable="@color/highlight" android:state_activated="true"/>
    <item android:drawable="@color/normal"/>
</selector>

and set as background on your parent layout:

android:background="@drawable/custom_background"

Norther

Perfect! I created the selector and applied it as grid view item background. Thanks. – Cysteine

Answer 3

Only trying to support ICS devices and up but this new layout does what you are trying to achieve, in keeping the selected line highlighted.

adapter = new SimpleCursorAdapter(getActivity(),
     android.R.layout.simple_list_item_activated_1, 
     null, 
     from, 
     to,
     0);

Explicable

Answer 4

For anyone still meet this issue, please check your android:minSdkVersion. If it's too low, selector background color may not work.

Lund