xref: /frameworks/base/docs/html/guide/topics/ui/controls.jd

page.title=Input Controls
parent.title=User Interface
parent.link=index.html
@jd:body

<div class="figure" style="margin:0">
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/ui/ui-controls.png" alt="" style="margin:0" />
</div>

<p>Input controls are the interactive components in your app's user interface. Android provides a
wide variety of controls you can use in your UI, such as buttons, text fields, seek bars,
checkboxes, zoom buttons, toggle buttons, and many more.</p>

<p>Adding an input control to your UI is as simple as adding an XML element to your <a
href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/declaring-layout.html">XML layout</a>. For example, here's a
layout with a text field and button:</p>

<pre style="clear:right">
&lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
&lt;LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="horizontal">
    &lt;EditText android:id="@+id/edit_message"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:hint="@string/edit_message" />
    &lt;Button android:id="@+id/button_send"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/button_send"
        android:onClick="sendMessage" />
&lt;/LinearLayout>
</pre>

<p>Each input control supports a specific set of input events so you can handle events such as when
the user enters text or touches a button.</p>


<h2 id="CommonControls">Common Controls</h2>
<p>Here's a list of some common controls that you can use in your app. Follow the links to learn
more about using each one.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> Android provides several more controls than are listed
here. Browse the {@link android.widget} package to discover more. If your app requires a
specific kind of input control, you can build your own <a
href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/custom-components.html">custom components</a>.</p>

<table>
    <tr>
        <th scope="col">Control Type</th>
        <th scope="col">Description</th>
	<th scope="col">Related Classes</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/button.html">Button</a></td>
        <td>A push-button that can be pressed, or clicked, by the user to perform an action.</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.Button Button} </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/text.html">Text field</a></td>
        <td>An editable text field. You can use the <code>AutoCompleteTextView</code> widget to create a text entry widget that provides auto-complete suggestions</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.EditText EditText}, {@link android.widget.AutoCompleteTextView}</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/checkbox.html">Checkbox</a></td>
        <td>An on/off switch that can be toggled by the user. You should use checkboxes when presenting users with a group of selectable options that are not mutually exclusive.</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.CheckBox CheckBox} </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/radiobutton.html">Radio button</a></td>
        <td>Similar to checkboxes, except that only one option can be selected in the group.</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.RadioGroup RadioGroup} 
	<br>{@link android.widget.RadioButton RadioButton} </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/togglebutton.html" style="white-space:nowrap">Toggle button</a></td>
        <td>An on/off button with a light indicator.</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.ToggleButton ToggleButton} </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/spinner.html">Spinner</a></td>
        <td>A drop-down list that allows users to select one value from a set.</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.Spinner Spinner} </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td><a href="controls/pickers.html">Pickers</a></td>
        <td>A dialog for users to select a single value for a set by using up/down buttons or via a swipe gesture. Use a <code>DatePicker</code>code> widget to enter the values for the date (month, day, year) or a <code>TimePicker</code> widget to enter the values for a time (hour, minute, AM/PM), which will be formatted automatically for the user's locale.</td>
	<td>{@link android.widget.DatePicker}, {@link android.widget.TimePicker}</td>
    </tr>
</table>