Dynamically create CheckBoxPreferences

Question

I am currently building out a list of rows with checkboxes dynamically using content from a web service. However, this ListView will need to do pretty much what a PreferenceActivity would accomplish.

I don't know the number of rows as the content is dynamic so I can't create each CheckBoxPreference in XML. How do I go about building a PreferenceActivity that will display an unknown number rows with a CheckBoxPreference dynamically?

Gidgetgie

Answer 1

I think you're looking for something like this:

public class MyPreferenceActivity extends PreferenceActivity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        addPreferencesFromResource(R.xml.my_preference_activity);

        //fetch the item where you wish to insert the CheckBoxPreference, in this case a PreferenceCategory with key "targetCategory"
        PreferenceCategory targetCategory = (PreferenceCategory)findPreference("targetCategory");

        //create one check box for each setting you need
        CheckBoxPreference checkBoxPreference = new CheckBoxPreference(this);
        //make sure each key is unique  
        checkBoxPreference.setKey("keyName");
        checkBoxPreference.setChecked(true);

        targetCategory.addPreference(checkBoxPreference);
    }
}

Connotation

for title: checkBoxPreference.setTitle("my title"); – Vernavernacular

Answer 2

Well @Jodes, actually both of you are right, but the correct way of doing this would be using a ListPreference.

I would use a entire programmatic approach, from my experience it's easier to be consistent; either create an entire XML layout via code, or via XML, but mixing the 2 can be weird and you cannot alter everything set via XML...

onCreate(){
    this.setPreferenceScreen(createPreferenceHierarchy());
}

public PreferenceScreen createPreferenceHierarchy(){
    PreferenceScreen root = getPreferenceManager().createPreferenceScreen(this);

    // category 1 created programmatically
    PreferenceCategory cat1 = new PreferenceCategory(this);
    cat1.setTitle("title");
    root.addPreference(cat1);

    ListPreference list1 = new ListPreference(this);
    list1.setTitle(getResources().getString(R.string.some_string_title));
    list1.setSummary(getResources().getString(R.string.some_string_text));      
    list1.setDialogTitle(getResources().getString(R.string.some_string_pick_title));
    list1.setKey("your_key");

    CharSequence[] entries  = calendars.getCalenders(); //or anything else that returns the right data
    list1.setEntries(entries);
    int length              = entries.length;
    CharSequence[] values   = new CharSequence[length];
    for (int i=0; i<length; i++){
        CharSequence val = ""+i+1+"";
        values[i] =  val;
    }
    list1.setEntryValues(values);

    cat1.addPreference(list1);

    return root;
}//end method

However, using this approach you will run into the platform's limitations of not having a multiple select ListPreference, and you'll probably want to implement something else.

I found this solution, which works great. You'll have to read the comments to find clues about how to debug the code though...

Halfbound

this is the way to go. – Luxor

You just made my whole day. Clear answer and showed a bit more with using the PreferenceCategory with a list. Thank you! – Spindry

Answer 3

You need a ListView for that, a PreferenceActivity. As discussed in this link, PreferenceActivity should only be used for actually saving preferences.

Instead you could either create a simple dialog with single or multiple choice options: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/dialogs.html

Or use a ListView as in the API examples Google provides, they give a simple example:

http://hi-android.info/docs/resources/samples/ApiDemos/src/com/example/android/apis/view/List10.html

Iand

Thanks for the quick response. This list is meant for saving preferences. The items in this list are filter settings for the app's content and these filters are pulled from a web service. Never mind the logic behind how this app works, I just need to know how to properly build a dynamic PreferenceActivity programmatically with CheckBoxPreferences in each row. It sounds like just using a ListView I know, but it would save me a world of time if it could be done using preferences instead, since thats what it needs to function like. – Gidgetgie

Answer 4

Use PreferenceFragmentCompat from Preference Compat Library

compile 'com.android.support:preference-v7:23.4.0'

Check this article for the implementation details https://medium.com/@arasthel92/dynamically-creating-preferences-on-android-ecc56e4f0789#.71ssvjses

Yasmeen