Dynamically adding items to Spinner Widget in Android

In this article we are creating an application in which user inputs items to a Spinner widget via an EditText widget.

The application described here is developed using Eclipse 3.7.2 with ADT plugin ( 20.0.2 ) and Android SDK ( R20.0.1 )

1. Create a new Android application project namely “AddItemsDynamicallySpinner”

Figure 1 : Create new Android application Project

2. Design application launcher

Figure 2 : Design Application Launcher

3. Create a blank activity

Figure 3 : Create a blank activity

4. Enter MainActivity details

Figure 3 : Enter MainActivity Details

5. Update the file res/values/strings.xml

<resources>

    <string name="app_name">AddItemsDynamicallySpinner</string>
    <string name="hello_world">Hello world!</string>
    <string name="menu_settings">Settings</string>
    <string name="title_activity_main">MainActivity</string>

    <string name="hintTxtItem">Enter an item here ...</string>
    <string name="lblBtnAdd">Add Item</string>

</resources>

6. Update the layout file res/layout/activity_main.xml

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/txtItem"
        android:layout_width="240dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:inputType="text"
        android:hint="@string/hintTxtItem"
    />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnAdd"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/lblBtnAdd"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@id/txtItem"
    />

    <Spinner
        android:id="@+android:id/spinner"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@id/txtItem"
    />

</RelativeLayout>

7. Update the file MainActivity.java

package in.wptrafficanalyzer.additemsdynamicallyspinner;

import java.util.ArrayList;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Spinner;

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    /** Items entered by the user is stored in this ArrayList variable */
    ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();

    /** Declaring an ArrayAdapter to set items to ListView */
    ArrayAdapter<String> adapter;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        /** Defining the ArrayAdapter to set items to Spinner Widget */
        adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, list);

        /** Defining click event listener for the button */
        OnClickListener listener = new OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                EditText txtItem = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.txtItem);
                list.add(txtItem.getText().toString());
                txtItem.setText("");
                adapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
            }
        };

        /** Getting a reference to button object of the resource activity_main */
        Button btnAdd = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnAdd);

        /** Setting click listener for the button */
        btnAdd.setOnClickListener(listener);

        /** Getting a reference to Spinner object of the resource activity_main */
        Spinner spinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinner);

        /** Setting the adapter to the ListView */
        spinner.setAdapter(adapter);

        /** Adding radio buttons for the spinner items */
        adapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);

    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.activity_main, menu);
        return true;
    }
}

8. Application in Execution

Figure 5 : Screenshot of the application

9. Download

Dynamically add items to Spinner Widget 674.68 KB

Download Full Source Code

10. Reference

http://developer.android.com/guide/index.html

How to hire me?

I am George Mathew, working as software architect and Android app developer at wptrafficanalyzer.in

You can hire me on hourly basis or on project basis for Android applications development.

For hiring me, please mail your requirements to info@wptrafficanalyzer.in.

My other blogs
store4js.blogspot.com

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Tags: array adapter, dynamic, spinner, spinner adapter