How can I get color-int from color resource?

Question

Is there any way to get a color-int from a color resource?

I am trying to get the individual red, blue and green components of a color defined in the resource (R.color.myColor) so that I can set the values of three seekbars to a specific level.

Donavon

Answer 1

You can use:

getResources().getColor(R.color.idname);

Check here on how to define custom colors:

http://sree.cc/google/android/defining-custom-colors-using-xml-in-android

EDIT(1): Since getColor(int id) is deprecated now, this must be used :

ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.your_color);

(added in support library 23)

EDIT(2):

Below code can be used for both pre and post Marshmallow (API 23)

ResourcesCompat.getColor(getResources(), R.color.your_color, null); //without theme

ResourcesCompat.getColor(getResources(), R.color.your_color, your_theme); //with theme

Nanceenancey

what about android.R.color.some_color :-( – Dukedom

@Dukedom uhh, dunno if you need it now but this works for android.R.color.some_color too e.g.: getResources().getColor(android.R.color.holo_blue_bright) (at least, on API 17) – Donavon

How is the performance of this? Is it worth caching the result so I don't have to look it up every time, or does Android do that internally? – Hutto

@Hutto don't prematurely optimise. It's not a long running operation, and given the param is an ID, it's likely a simple lookup. Resources src if you wanted to have a look – Donavon

@RestInPeace extract it to a method int getMyColor() { ... }. You can keep the color in a variable if the verbosity is impacting clarity of your code - I wouldn't do it for performance reasons though – Donavon

This call was deprecated in API23. But, you can call getResources().getColor(R.color.idname, null); instead – Derry

getColor() is now deprecated, you can use: ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.your_color); – Baran

I realize you aren't the one who made the edits, but what is the difference between ContextCompat and ResourcesCompat? If there is no practical difference, it would be less confusing if you removed one of them from your answer. – Stier

Why does Google feel the need to deprecate a perfectly good function for that awful app compact library. It sucks, have both. – Sulphurize

@Andrew I agree. Especially since I am using APKBuilder which doesnt have any support or compatibility libraries. – Sunbathe

I am perpetually in awe of the atrociousness of this platform... at a loss for words. – Stylolite

getResources().getColor(R.color.your_color) is now deprecated. You might use getColor(R.color.your_color) directly – Aldas

Answer 2

Based on the new Android Support Library (and this update), now you should call:

ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.name.color);

According to the documentation:

public int getColor (int id)

This method was deprecated in API level 23. Use getColor(int, Theme) instead

It is the same solution for getResources().getColorStateList(id):

You have to change it like this:

ContextCompat.getColorStateList(getContext(),id);

EDIT 2019

Regarding ThemeOverlay use the context of the closest view:

val color = ContextCompat.getColor(
  closestView.context,
  R.color.name.color
)

So this way you get the right color based on your ThemeOverlay.

Specially needed when in same activity you use different themes, like dark/light theme. If you would like to understand more about Themes and Styles this talk is suggested: Developing Themes with Style

Domella

For those wondering what to fill in as the theme in the new method, Theme can be passed as null, so just call getColor(R.color.my_color, null) if you're unsure what theme to pass in. – Derry

hmm... this is what everyone says but i can't get it to work. Do i have to initialize context? Currently I get "cannot resolve symbol 'context'" – Majuscule

To make sure that you are doing it right, try calling it inside the onCreate of the activity, than to get context you need to call getContext() or just "this" – Domella

Answer 3

Define your color

values/color.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>

    <!-- color int as #AARRGGBB (alpha, red, green, blue) -->
    <color name="orange">#fff3632b</color>
    ...
    <color name="my_view_color">@color/orange</color>

</resources>

Get the color int and set it

int backgroundColor = ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.my_view_color);
// Color backgroundColor = ... (Don't do this. The color is just an int.)

myView.setBackgroundColor(backgroundColor);

See also

• How to set background color of a View
• Color docs
• Color Style Design docs

Stier

can you only use getResources() in an Activity or Fragment ? – Benavidez

@Zapnologica, see the answers to this question for thoughts on using getResources() outside of an Activity or Fragment. – Stier

@Benavidez no. getResources() is also available as a public API on anything implementing Context and also on Views. – Donavon

Answer 4

Found an easier way that works as well:

Color.parseColor(getString(R.color.idname));

Leonie

Interesting, didn't realise you could get the color as a string in this way. I don't think it's easier, but it's interesting 😅 – Donavon

Answer 5

Best Approach

As @sat answer, good approach for getting color is

ResourcesCompat.getColor(getResources(), R.color.your_color, null);

or use below way when you don't have access to getResources() method.

Context context  = getContext(); // like Dialog class
ResourcesCompat.getColor(context.getResources(), R.color.your_color, null);

What i do is

public void someMethod(){
    ...
    ResourcesCompat.getColor(App.getRes(), R.color.your_color, null);
}

It is most simple to use anywhere in your app! Even in Util class or any class where you don't have Context or getResource()

Problem (When you don't have Context)

When you don't have Context access, like a method in your Util class.

Assume below method without Context.

public void someMethod(){
    ...
    // can't use getResource() without Context.
}

Now you will pass Context as a parameter in this method and use getResources().

public void someMethod(Context context){
    ...
    context.getResources...
}

So here is a Bonus unique solution by which you can access resources from anywhere like Util class . Add Resources to your Application class or Create one if does not exist.

import android.app.Application;
import android.content.res.Resources;

public class App extends Application {
    private static App mInstance;
    private static Resources res;


    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        mInstance = this;
        res = getResources();
    }

    public static App getInstance() {
        return mInstance;
    }

    public static Resources getResourses() {
        return res;
    }

}

Add name field to your manifest.xml <application tag. (If not added already)

<application
        android:name=".App"
        ...
        >
        ...
    </application>

Now you are good to go. Use ResourcesCompat.getColor(App.getRes(), R.color.your_color, null); anywhere in app.

Basement

Answer 6

If your current min. API level is 23, you can simply use getColor() like we are using for getString():

//example
textView.setTextColor(getColor(R.color.green));
// if context is not available(ex: not in activity) use with context.getColor()

If you want below API level 23, just use this:

textView.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.green));

But note that getResources().getColor() is deprecated in API Level 23. In that case replace above with:

textView.setTextColor(ContextCompat.getColor(this /*context*/, R.color.green)) //Im in an activity, so I can use `this`

ContextCompat: Helper for accessing features in Context

If You want, you can constraint with SDK_INT like below:

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
    textView.setTextColor(getColor(R.color.green));
} else {
    textView.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.green));
}

Iggie

Answer 7

I updated to use ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.your_color); but sometimes (On some devices/Android versions. I'm not sure) that causes a NullPointerExcepiton.

So to make it work on all devices/versions, I fall back on the old way of doing it, in the case of a null pointer.

try {
    textView.setTextColor(ContextCompat.getColor(getActivity(), R.color.text_grey_dark));
}
catch(NullPointerException e) {
    if(Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {
        textView.setTextColor(getContext().getColor(R.color.text_grey_dark));
    }
    else {
        textView.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.text_grey_dark));
    }
}

Appall

why not use the old version in all cases, or if you are checking the version anyway, use the new API Resources.getColor(int, Theme) if you can? You should not catch runtime exceptions. – Donavon

Just OCD I suppose. ContextCompat, to me seems to be the future proof way of doing it, and therefore the right way. So my approach is, do it the right way. And if that fails (on old devices or whatever), do it the old way. Why should I not catch exceptions at runtime? – Appall

Answer 8

For more information on another use-case that may help surface this question in search results, I wanted to apply alpha to a color defined in my resources.

Using @sat's correct answer:

int alpha = ... // 0-255, calculated based on some business logic
int actionBarBackground = getResources().getColor(R.color.actionBarBackground);
int actionBarBackgroundWithAlpha = Color.argb(
        alpha,
        Color.red(actionbarBackground),
        Color.green(actionbarBackground),
        Color.blue(actionbarBackground)
);

Donavon

Answer 9

ContextCompat.getColor(context, R.color.your_color);

in activity

ContextCompat.getColor(actvityname.this, R.color.your_color);

in fragment

ContextCompat.getColor(getActivity(), R.color.your_color);

for example:

tvsun.settextcolour(ContextCompat.getColor(getActivity(), R.color.your_color))

Antilogism

Answer 10

Accessing colors from a non-activity class can be difficult. One of the alternatives that I found was using enum. enum offers a lot of flexibility.

public enum Colors
{
  COLOR0(0x26, 0x32, 0x38),    // R, G, B
  COLOR1(0xD8, 0x1B, 0x60),
  COLOR2(0xFF, 0xFF, 0x72),
  COLOR3(0x64, 0xDD, 0x17);


  private final int R;
  private final int G;
  private final int B;

  Colors(final int R, final int G, final int B)
  {
    this.R = R;
    this.G = G;
    this.B = B;
  }

  public int getColor()
  {
    return (R & 0xff) << 16 | (G & 0xff) << 8 | (B & 0xff);
  }

  public int getR()
  {
    return R;
  }

  public int getG()
  {
    return G;
  }

  public int getB()
  {
    return B;
  }
}

Semanteme

Answer 11

Most Recent working method:

getColor(R.color.snackBarAction)

Feodor

Answer 12

or if you have a function(string text,string color) and you need to pass the Resource Color String you can do as follow

String.valueOf(getResources().getColor(R.color.enurse_link_color))

Heaviside

Answer 13

In kotlin just use this in your activity

R.color.color_name

ex-

mytextView.setTextColor(R.color.red_900)

Grory

This doesn't answer the question. – Donavon

Get a warning Should pass resolved color instead of resource id here: getResources().getColor(R.color.Black) – Clos