UNIT 4

Controls

ANDROID KOTLIN
Android Kotlin Unit 4 : Controls

Que 1 : What is Menu in Android?

In android, Menu is an important part of the UI component

which is used to provide some common functionality around the
application.

With the help of menu, users can experience a smooth and

consistent experience throughout the application.

In order to use menu, we should define it in a separate XML file and

use that file in our application based on our requirements.

Also, we can use menu APIs to represent user actions and other
options in our android application activities.

How to define Menu in XML File?

Android Studio provides a standard XML format for the

type of menus to define menu items.

We can simply define the menu and all its items in XML menu
resource instead of building the menu in the code and also load
menu resource as menu object in the activity or fragment used
in our android application.

Here, we should create a new folder menu inside of our project

directory (res/menu) to define the menu and also add a new
XML file to build the menu with the following elements.
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Below is the example of defining a menu in the XML file

(menu_example.xml).

Way to create menu directory and menu resource file:

To create the menu directory just right-click on res folder

and navigate to res->New->Android Resource Directory.

Give resource directory name as menu and resource type also

menu. one directory will be created under res folder.

To create xml resource file simply right-click on menu folder and

navigate to New->Menu Resource File.

Give name of file as menu_example. One menu_example.xml

file will be created under menu folder.

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

<menu
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

<item android:id="@+id/mail"
android:icon="@drawable/ic_mail"
android:title="@string/mail" />

<item android:id="@+id/upload"

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android:icon="@drawable/ic_upload"
android:title="@string/upload"
android:showAsAction="ifRoom" />

<item android:id="@+id/share"
android:icon="@drawable/ic_share"
android:title="@string/share" />
</menu>

 <menu>
It is the root element that helps in defining Menu in XML
file and it also holds multiple elements.

 <item>
It is used to create a single item in the menu. It also contains
nested <menu> element in order to create a submenu.

 <group>
It is optional and invisible for <item> elements to
categorize the menu items so they can share properties like
active state, and visibility.

Android Different Types of Menus

In android, we have three types of Menus available to define a

set of options and actions in our android applications. The
Menus in android applications are the following:

Android Options Menu

Android Context Menu
Android Popup Menu

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Android Context Menu is a floating menu that only appears
when the user clicks for a long time on an element and is useful
for elements that affect the selected content or context frame.

Android Options Menu is a primary collection of menu items

in an android application and is useful for actions that have a
global impact on the searching application.

Android Popup Menu displays a list of items in a vertical list

which presents the view that invoked the menu and is useful to
provide an overflow of actions related to specific content.

Que 2 : What is Android Context Menu in

Android?
In Android, a context menu is a floating menu that appears when
a user performs a long-click (press and hold) on a view or an item
within a view. It provides options or actions relevant to the selected
item or view.

The Android Context Menu typically includes actions that can be

performed on the selected item, such as copying, pasting, deleting,
sharing, or other contextual actions specific to the application or
content being interacted with.

Context menus are commonly used in various types of user

interfaces, including lists, grids, and other interactive components.
They provide a convenient way for users to access relevant actions
without cluttering the main user interface with unnecessary options.
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Developers can implement context menus in Android applications by

registering the views or items for which they want to show the
context menu, defining the menu items and their actions, and
handling the user selections accordingly. This can be done
programmatically or by using XML menu resources.

Que 3 : What is Android Option Menu in

Android?
In Android, an options menu (also known as an action menu) is
a standard menu that appears at the top of the screen when the user
taps the "menu" button on their device or when they touch the menu
icon in the app's UI. The options menu typically contains actions and
settings relevant to the current activity or screen within the
application.

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The options menu provides users with access to various actions and
settings that they can perform within the app. Common items found
in an options menu include actions like "Save", "Edit", "Delete",
"Settings", and so on.

Developers can define the contents of the options menu either

programmatically or by using XML resources. The options menu can
be customized to include icons, text labels, checkboxes, radio
buttons, and other UI elements.

Handling user selections from the options menu involves

implementing callback methods such as
`onCreateOptionsMenu()` to inflate the menu layout,
`onOptionsItemSelected()` to handle menu item selections, and
`onPrepareOptionsMenu()` to dynamically update the menu
items based on the current state of the application.

Overall, the options menu provides a convenient way for users to

access app-specific actions and settings, enhancing the usability and
functionality of Android applications..

Simple option menu that contains three menu items.

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Option menu that contains three menu items with image.

Que 4 : What is Android Pop-Up Menu in

Android?

In Android, a popup menu is a type of menu that appears

anchored to a specific view or component in the UI when the user
interacts with it, such as tapping or long-pressing. Popup menus are
often used to display a list of actions or options relevant to the
selected item or context.

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Compared to options menus, popup menus offer more flexibility in
terms of customization and placement within the user interface.
Popup menus can be displayed either above or below the anchor
view, depending on the available space and the desired UI layout.

Popup menus can contain various types of menu items, including

text-only items, items with icons, checkboxes, radio buttons, or
custom views. Developers have control over the appearance and
behavior of popup menus, allowing them to tailor the menu to suit
the specific requirements of their application.

In Android, popup menus are typically created and managed using

the PopupMenu class. Developers can programmatically create
popup menus, define the menu items, set listeners to handle item
selections, and show the popup menu when triggered by user
interaction.

Overall, popup menus provide a versatile way to present context-

specific actions or options to users within an Android application,
enhancing the user experience and usability of the app.

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Que 5: What is Recyclerview in Android?

In Android, RecyclerView is a powerful and flexible view

component that is used to display a large set of data items efficiently.
It's an advanced version of the older ListView and GridView
components, providing better performance and more customization
options.

RecyclerView is designed to efficiently handle large data sets by

recycling and reusing views as they scroll off the screen, hence the
name "RecyclerView." This recycling mechanism helps in reducing
memory usage and improves the performance of scrolling,
particularly when dealing with large lists or grids.

Key features of RecyclerView include:

1. ViewHolder Pattern: RecyclerView uses the ViewHolder

pattern to cache views of individual list items or grid items. This
pattern helps in minimizing the number of calls to the
findViewById() method, which improves performance.

2. LayoutManager: RecyclerView requires a LayoutManager to

manage the arrangement and layout of its child views. Android
provides built-in LayoutManager implementations such as
LinearLayoutManager, GridLayoutManager, and
StaggeredGridLayoutManager, which allow developers to create
linear lists, grids, or staggered grids easily.

3. Item Decorations: RecyclerView allows developers to add

decorations to the items in the list or grid. Item decorations can be
used to add spacing, dividers, or custom drawing to the items,
enhancing the visual appearance of the RecyclerView.
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4. Item Animations: RecyclerView supports built-in item

animations, allowing developers to animate changes in the dataset,
such as adding, removing, or moving items. This helps in providing
a more polished and engaging user experience.

5. Item Touch Helpers: RecyclerView provides support for

handling user interactions such as dragging and swiping items. This
functionality is often used in applications with features like
reordering lists or implementing swipe-to-dismiss actions.

Overall, RecyclerView is a versatile and efficient component for

displaying large datasets in Android applications, offering better
performance, flexibility, and customization options compared to its
predecessors. It has become the standard choice for implementing
list and grid layouts in modern Android development.

1. Recycler view with list items

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2. Recycler view with list items and some animations like as
you can see music waves animation
3. Recycler view with list items and images

Que 6: What is custom list view in Android?

A custom ListView in Android refers to the customization of

the appearance and behavior of the ListView component to suit
specific design requirements or functionality needs of an
application. In Android, a ListView is a view group that displays a
list of scrollable items. Each item in the list is typically represented
by a View object or a layout resource defined in XML.

Customizing a ListView involves creating a custom adapter that

extends from the base Adapter class provided by Android (such as
ArrayAdapter, BaseAdapter, or CursorAdapter) and overriding
methods to provide custom data and views for the list items.

Here are the general steps to create a custom ListView:

1. Define the Custom Layout for List Items: Create a layout

XML file that represents the layout of each item in the list. This
layout can include multiple views such as TextViews, ImageViews,
Buttons, etc., arranged according to your design requirements.

2. Create the Custom Adapter: Extend one of the adapter

classes provided by Android (e.g., ArrayAdapter, BaseAdapter)
and override methods such as `getView()` to inflate the custom
layout for each list item and bind data to the views.

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3. Bind Data to the Custom Views: In the custom adapter's

`getView()` method, retrieve the data for each list item and bind
it to the corresponding views in the custom layout.

4. Set the Custom Adapter on the ListView: In the activity or

fragment where the ListView is used, instantiate the custom adapter
and set it as the adapter for the ListView using the `setAdapter()`
method.

By creating a custom ListView, developers have full control over the

appearance and behavior of the list items, allowing them to
implement complex layouts, incorporate custom animations,
handle user interactions, and more. This flexibility is useful for
creating visually appealing and interactive lists in Android
applications.

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Que 7: What is Seekbar in Android?

In Android development, a SeekBar is a UI element that allows

users to adjust a value within a range by dragging a thumb along a
horizontal or vertical bar. It provides a visual representation of a
continuous progression between a minimum and maximum value.

A SeekBar typically consists of a draggable thumb, a track that

represents the range, and optionally, tick marks and labels to
indicate specific values along the range. Users can interact with the
SeekBar by touching and dragging the thumb to set the desired
value.

SeekBars are commonly used in applications where users need to

specify a value within a range, such as adjusting volume, brightness,
or progress in media playback. They are customizable and can be
styled to match the visual design of the app. In Android
development, SeekBars are implemented using the SeekBar class
provided by the Android SDK.

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Que 8: What is Audio Player & Video Player in

Android?
In Android development, audio and video players are
components used to play audio files and video files respectively
within an application. These players are essential for applications
that involve media playback, such as music players, video streaming
apps, or multimedia presentations.

1. Audio Player: An audio player in Android is responsible for

playing audio files, such as MP3, AAC, WAV, etc. It provides
controls for playback, pause, stop, seek, and volume adjustment.
Developers can use various APIs and libraries to implement audio
playback functionality in their Android applications. Some common
APIs and libraries used for audio playback in Android include
MediaPlayer, ExoPlayer, and Android's MediaCodec API.

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2. Video Player: A video player in Android is similar to an audio

player but is specialized for playing video files. It supports various
video formats such as MP4, AVI, MKV, etc., and provides controls
for playback, pause, stop, seek, volume adjustment, and sometimes
features like subtitles, aspect ratio adjustment, and streaming
capabilities. Android provides several APIs and libraries for video
playback, including MediaPlayer, ExoPlayer, VideoView, and
MediaCodec API.

Developers can choose the appropriate player based on their

requirements and the features they need for their application. For
instance, MediaPlayer is a basic API provided by Android that
covers most simple audio and video playback scenarios, while
ExoPlayer is a more advanced and flexible media player library that
offers enhanced features like adaptive streaming, DRM support,
and customization options.

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Que 9: What is Rating bar in Android?

In Android development, a RatingBar is a user interface
element used to allow users to provide a rating or score for an item
or experience. It typically consists of a series of graphical elements,
such as stars or other icons, that users can interact with to indicate
their rating.

A RatingBar allows users to select a rating value by either tapping

on the desired rating level or by dragging a thumb along the bar to
set the rating. The selected rating value is usually represented
visually by filling or highlighting the corresponding graphical
elements (such as filling in stars).

Developers can customize the appearance and behavior of a

RatingBar, such as the number of rating levels, the style of
graphical elements, and whether fractional ratings are allowed.
They can also programmatically retrieve the selected rating value to
perform actions based on user feedback.

RatingBars are commonly used in various Android applications,

such as rating products in e-commerce apps, rating movies or
restaurants in review apps, or gathering feedback in survey forms.
They provide a simple and intuitive way for users to express their
opinions and preferences.

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Que 10: What is floating button in Android?

In Android development, a Floating Action Button (FAB) is a
special type of button that is typically circular and floats above the
content in an app. It is a prominent UI element used to trigger
primary actions within the app and is commonly used for actions
such as creating new content, initiating a common action, or
providing quick access to important features.

Key features of a Floating Action Button include:

1. Prominence: FABs are designed to stand out and draw the user's
attention. They often have a distinctive color or icon to indicate
their purpose.

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2. Floating: Unlike traditional buttons that are placed within the
layout hierarchy, FABs "float" above the content of the app, usually
positioned in the lower right corner. This positioning ensures that
the button remains visible and accessible even when the user scrolls
through the content.

3. Circular Shape: FABs are typically circular in shape, although

their appearance can be customized to fit the app's design aesthetic.

4. Iconography: FABs often contain an icon that represents the

action it triggers. The iconography is typically simple and visually
intuitive.

5. Accessibility: FABs should be accessible to all users, including

those with disabilities. This includes ensuring that they are easily
tappable and that their purpose is clearly communicated through
labels or tooltips.

Floating Action Buttons are commonly used in Material Design,

Google's design language for Android apps, but they can also be
found in apps following other design guidelines. They provide a
convenient and visually appealing way to access important app
functionality, contributing to a smooth and efficient user
experience.

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Que 11: What is grid view in Android?

In Android development, a GridView is a type of ViewGroup that
displays items in a two-dimensional, scrollable grid. It is commonly
used to create grids of items, such as images, text, or other views,
where each item is laid out in a grid pattern with fixed or variable-
sized cells.

GridView organizes its items in rows and columns, similar to a

table, and allows users to scroll vertically and horizontally if the
content exceeds the available space. Each cell in the grid typically
contains a single item, and items can be selected by the user for
further interaction.

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Developers can populate a GridView with data using an adapter,
which is responsible for creating views for each item in the grid and
managing the data set. Android provides various built-in adapters,
such as ArrayAdapter and CursorAdapter, or developers can create
custom adapters to suit their specific needs.

GridViews are highly customizable, allowing developers to control

aspects such as the number of columns, spacing between items,
scrolling behavior, and item selection. They are commonly used in
Android applications for displaying collections of items in a
structured and visually appealing manner, such as image galleries,
product listings, or menu grids.

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