How to create a chat activity with the time stamp in bubble

Question

I want to create a chat activity in which user can send and receive messages. Sender messages on right in bubble with time stamp and received messages on left in buble with time stamp.

What I have done so far is that I have created a chat application its working fine, i get my messages on right and received messages on left but I don't know how to add time stamp in bubble just like whatsapp.

Please help its very important for me.

Chalcidice

Answer 1

use following code to get current time :

 DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm");
 Calendar calobj = Calendar.getInstance();
 System.out.println(df.format(calobj.getTime()));

Tresatrescha

i know how to get time.....but iam not getting how to put time in same bubble like in whatsapp – Chalcidice

you have to make custom adapter and use custom listview for that – Tresatrescha

Done it..but i cant add time stamp in chat bubble...can you tell me how to do this.. i have followed up this project androidhive.info/2014/10/… – Chalcidice

1. add view in the xml where you want the time 2. get a reference to it in the java class related to the activity 3. parse a String according to the answer above 4. attach this string from #3 to the view you have a reference for – Uniform

Answer 2

A bit late but maybe someone still needs it. Please consider that the in the following scenario I set the gravity and the textAlignment programmatically, depending on the position of the bubble, left or right. This is how I managed to do this:

Normal View

Layout boundaries enabled

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
    android:id="@+id/chat_wrapper"
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

  <RelativeLayout
      android:id="@+id/message_wrapper"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:layout_marginTop="10dip">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/message_text"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:minWidth="100dip"
        android:paddingBottom="5dip"
        android:textColor="#000000"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/message_date"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignEnd="@+id/message_text"
        android:layout_below="@+id/message_text"
        android:textColor="#000000"
        android:textSize="9sp"/>

  </RelativeLayout>

</LinearLayout>

Other info

The background is a 9-patch image that I set programmatically, can be found with a simple search. Tested on:

• Samsung Galaxy S4
• Android 22.0.1

Claustral

Answer 3

I have downloaded the code from the androidhive link you have to change following two layout files

list_item_message_right.xml. 
list_item_message_left.xml.

add a new textview for timestamp in above layout files and then set their values time stamp values in MessageListAdapter class

    lblFrom.setText(m.getFromName());

//set time stamp here

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