topics/resources/color-list-resource.jd

page.title=Color State List Resource
parent.title=Resource Types
parent.link=available-resources.html
@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">
  <div id="qv">
    <h2>See also</h2>
    <ol>
      <li><a href="more-resources.html#Color">Color (simple value)</a></li>
    </ol>
  </div>
</div>


<p>A {@link android.content.res.ColorStateList} is an object you can define in XML
that you can apply as a color, but will actually change colors, depending on the state of
the {@link android.view.View} object to which it is applied. For example, a {@link
android.widget.Button} widget can exist in one of several different states (pressed, focused,
or niether) and, using a color state list, you can provide a different color during each state.</p>

<p>You can describe the state list in an XML file. Each color is defined in an {@code
&lt;item>} element inside a single {@code &lt;selector>} element. Each {@code &lt;item>}
uses various attributes to describe the state in which it should be used.</p>

<p>During each state change, the state list is traversed top to bottom and the first item that
matches the current state will be used&mdash;the selection is <em>not</em> based on the "best
match," but simply the first item that meets the minimum criteria of the state.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> If you want to provide a static color resource, use a
simple <a href="more-resources.html#Color">Color</a> value.</p>

<dl class="xml">

<dt>file location:</dt>
<dd><code>res/color/<em>filename</em>.xml</code><br/>
The filename will be used as the resource ID.</dd>

<dt>compiled resource datatype:</dt>
<dd>Resource pointer to a {@link android.content.res.ColorStateList}.</dd>

<dt>resource reference:</dt>
<dd>
In Java: <code>R.color.<em>filename</em></code><br/>
In XML: <code>@[<em>package</em>:]color/<em>filename</em></code>
</dd>

<dt>syntax:</dt>
<dd>
<pre class="stx">
&lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
&lt;<a href="#selector-element">selector</a> xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
    &lt;<a href="#item-element">item</a>
        android:color="<em>hex_color</em>"
        android:state_pressed=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_focused=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_selected=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_active=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_checkable=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_checked=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_enabled=["true" | "false"]
        android:state_window_focused=["true" | "false"] />
&lt;/selector>
</pre>
</dd>

<dt>elements:</dt>
<dd>
<dl class="tag-list">

  <dt id="selector-element"><code>&lt;selector&gt;</code></dt>
    <dd><strong>Required.</strong> This must be the root element. Contains one or more {@code
&lt;item>} elements.
      <p class="caps">attributes:</p>
      <dl class="atn-list">
        <dt><code>xmlns:android</code></dt>
          <dd><em>String</em>. <strong>Required.</strong> Defines the XML namespace, which must be
          <code>"http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"</code>.
      </dl>
    </dd>
  <dt id="item-element"><code>&lt;item&gt;</code></dt>
    <dd>Defines a color to use during certain states, as described by its attributes. Must be a
child of a <code>&lt;selector&gt;</code> element.
      <p class="caps">attributes:</p>
      <dl class="atn-list">
        <dt><code>android:color</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Hexadeximal color</em>. <strong>Required</strong>. The color is specified with an
RGB value and optional alpha channel.
<p>The value always begins with a pound (#) character and then followed by the
Alpha-Red-Green-Blue information in one of the following formats:</p>
<ul>
  <li>#<em>RGB</em></li>
  <li>#<em>ARGB</em></li>
  <li>#<em>RRGGBB</em></li>
  <li>#<em>AARRGGBB</em></li>
</ul></dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_pressed</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the object is pressed (such as when a button
is touched/clicked); "false" if this item should be used in the default, non-pressed state.</dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_focused</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the object is focused (such as when a button
is highlighted using the trackball/d-pad); "false" if this item should be used in the default,
non-focused state.</dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_selected</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the object is selected (such as when a
tab is opened); "false" if this item should be used when the object is not selected.</dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_checkable</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the object is checkable; "false" if this
item should be used when the object is not checkable. (Only useful if the object can
transition between a checkable and non-checkable widget.)</dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_checked</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the object is checked; "false" if it
should be used when the object is un-checked.</dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_enabled</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the object is enabled (capable of
receiving touch/click events); "false" if it should be used when the object is disabled.</dd>
        <dt><code>android:state_window_focused</code></dt>
          <dd><em>Boolean</em>. "true" if this item should be used when the application window has focus (the
application is in the foreground), "false" if this item should be used when the application
window does not have focus (for example, if the notification shade is pulled down or a dialog appears).</dd>
      </dl>
      <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> Remember that the first item in the state list that
matches the current state of the object will be applied. So if the first item in the list contains
none of the state attributes above, then it will be applied every time, which is why your
default value should always be last (as demonstrated in the following example).</p>
    </dd>

</dl>
</dd> <!-- end  elements and attributes -->

<dt>example:</dt>
<dd>XML file saved at <code>res/color/button_text.xml</code>:
<pre>
&lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
&lt;selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    &lt;item android:state_pressed="true"
          android:color="#ffff0000"/> &lt;!-- pressed --&gt;
    &lt;item android:state_focused="true"
          android:color="#ff0000ff"/> &lt;!-- focused --&gt;
    &lt;item android:color="#ff000000"/> &lt;!-- default --&gt;
&lt;/selector>
</pre>

<p>This layout XML will apply the color list to a View:</p>
<pre>
&lt;Button
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="@string/button_text"
    android:textColor="@color/button_text" />
</pre>
</dd> <!-- end example -->

<dt>see also:</dt>
<dd>
<ul>
  <li><a href="more-resources.html#Color">Color (simple value)</a></li>
  <li>{@link android.content.res.ColorStateList}</li>
  <li><a href="drawable-resource.html#StateList">State List Drawable</a></li>
</ul>
</dd>

</dl>