What you can do is decorate your SpinnerAdapter with one that presents a 'Select Option...' View initially for the Spinner to display with nothing selected.
Here is a working example tested for Android 2.3, and 4.0 (it uses nothing in the compatibility library, so it should be fine for awhile) Since it's a decorator, it should be easy to retrofit existing code and it works fine with CursorLoaders also. (Swap cursor on the wrapped cursorAdapter of course...)
There is an Android bug that makes this a little tougher to re-use views. (So you have to use the setTag or something else to ensure your convertView is correct.) Spinner does not support multiple view types
Code notes: 2 constructors
This allows you to use a standard prompt or define your own 'nothing selected' as the first row, or both, or none. (Note: Some themes show a DropDown for a Spinner instead of a dialog. The Dropdown doesn't normally show the prompt)
You define a layout to 'look' like a prompt, for example, grayed out...
![Initial nothing selected]()
Using a standard prompt (notice that nothing is selected):
![With a standard prompt]()
Or with a prompt and something dynamic (could have had no prompt also):
![Prompt and nothing selected row]()
Usage in above example
Spinner spinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinner);
ArrayAdapter<CharSequence> adapter = ArrayAdapter.createFromResource(this, R.array.planets_array, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item);
adapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
spinner.setPrompt("Select your favorite Planet!");
spinner.setAdapter(
new NothingSelectedSpinnerAdapter(
adapter,
R.layout.contact_spinner_row_nothing_selected,
// R.layout.contact_spinner_nothing_selected_dropdown, // Optional
this));
contact_spinner_row_nothing_selected.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:textSize="18sp"
android:textColor="#808080"
android:text="[Select a Planet...]" />
NothingSelectedSpinnerAdapter.java
import android.content.Context;
import android.database.DataSetObserver;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.ListAdapter;
import android.widget.SpinnerAdapter;
/**
* Decorator Adapter to allow a Spinner to show a 'Nothing Selected...' initially
* displayed instead of the first choice in the Adapter.
*/
public class NothingSelectedSpinnerAdapter implements SpinnerAdapter, ListAdapter {
protected static final int EXTRA = 1;
protected SpinnerAdapter adapter;
protected Context context;
protected int nothingSelectedLayout;
protected int nothingSelectedDropdownLayout;
protected LayoutInflater layoutInflater;
/**
* Use this constructor to have NO 'Select One...' item, instead use
* the standard prompt or nothing at all.
* @param spinnerAdapter wrapped Adapter.
* @param nothingSelectedLayout layout for nothing selected, perhaps
* you want text grayed out like a prompt...
* @param context
*/
public NothingSelectedSpinnerAdapter(
SpinnerAdapter spinnerAdapter,
int nothingSelectedLayout, Context context) {
this(spinnerAdapter, nothingSelectedLayout, -1, context);
}
/**
* Use this constructor to Define your 'Select One...' layout as the first
* row in the returned choices.
* If you do this, you probably don't want a prompt on your spinner or it'll
* have two 'Select' rows.
* @param spinnerAdapter wrapped Adapter. Should probably return false for isEnabled(0)
* @param nothingSelectedLayout layout for nothing selected, perhaps you want
* text grayed out like a prompt...
* @param nothingSelectedDropdownLayout layout for your 'Select an Item...' in
* the dropdown.
* @param context
*/
public NothingSelectedSpinnerAdapter(SpinnerAdapter spinnerAdapter,
int nothingSelectedLayout, int nothingSelectedDropdownLayout, Context context) {
this.adapter = spinnerAdapter;
this.context = context;
this.nothingSelectedLayout = nothingSelectedLayout;
this.nothingSelectedDropdownLayout = nothingSelectedDropdownLayout;
layoutInflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
}
@Override
public final View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
// This provides the View for the Selected Item in the Spinner, not
// the dropdown (unless dropdownView is not set).
if (position == 0) {
return getNothingSelectedView(parent);
}
return adapter.getView(position - EXTRA, null, parent); // Could re-use
// the convertView if possible.
}
/**
* View to show in Spinner with Nothing Selected
* Override this to do something dynamic... e.g. "37 Options Found"
* @param parent
* @return
*/
protected View getNothingSelectedView(ViewGroup parent) {
return layoutInflater.inflate(nothingSelectedLayout, parent, false);
}
@Override
public View getDropDownView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
// Android BUG! http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=17128 -
// Spinner does not support multiple view types
if (position == 0) {
return nothingSelectedDropdownLayout == -1 ?
new View(context) :
getNothingSelectedDropdownView(parent);
}
// Could re-use the convertView if possible, use setTag...
return adapter.getDropDownView(position - EXTRA, null, parent);
}
/**
* Override this to do something dynamic... For example, "Pick your favorite
* of these 37".
* @param parent
* @return
*/
protected View getNothingSelectedDropdownView(ViewGroup parent) {
return layoutInflater.inflate(nothingSelectedDropdownLayout, parent, false);
}
@Override
public int getCount() {
int count = adapter.getCount();
return count == 0 ? 0 : count + EXTRA;
}
@Override
public Object getItem(int position) {
return position == 0 ? null : adapter.getItem(position - EXTRA);
}
@Override
public int getItemViewType(int position) {
return 0;
}
@Override
public int getViewTypeCount() {
return 1;
}
@Override
public long getItemId(int position) {
return position >= EXTRA ? adapter.getItemId(position - EXTRA) : position - EXTRA;
}
@Override
public boolean hasStableIds() {
return adapter.hasStableIds();
}
@Override
public boolean isEmpty() {
return adapter.isEmpty();
}
@Override
public void registerDataSetObserver(DataSetObserver observer) {
adapter.registerDataSetObserver(observer);
}
@Override
public void unregisterDataSetObserver(DataSetObserver observer) {
adapter.unregisterDataSetObserver(observer);
}
@Override
public boolean areAllItemsEnabled() {
return false;
}
@Override
public boolean isEnabled(int position) {
return position != 0; // Don't allow the 'nothing selected'
// item to be picked.
}
}
