simple / elegant / how I do it:
Preview:
XML:
spinnerMode set to dropdown is androids way to make a dropdown. (https://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/Spinner#attr_android:spinnerMode)
Java:
//get the spinner from the xml.
Spinner dropdown = findViewById(R.id.spinner1);
//create a list of items for the spinner.
String[] items = new String[]{“1”, “2”, “three”};
//create an adapter to describe how the items are displayed, adapters are used in several places in android.
//There are multiple variations of this, but this is the basic variant.
ArrayAdapter
//set the spinners adapter to the previously created one.
dropdown.setAdapter(adapter);
Documentation:
This is the basics but there is more to be self taught with experimentation.
https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/controls/spinner.html
You can use a setOnItemSelectedListener with this. (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/controls/spinner.html#SelectListener)
You can add a strings list from xml. (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/controls/spinner.html#Populate)
There is an appCompat version of this view. (https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/appcompat/widget/AppCompatSpinner)
Spinner xml:
java:
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener{
private Spinner spinner;
private static final String[] paths = {“item 1”, “item 2”, “item 3”};
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main_layout);
spinner = (Spinner)findViewById(R.id.spinner);
ArrayAdapter
android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item,paths);
adapter.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
spinner.setAdapter(adapter);
spinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(this);
}
@Override
public void onItemSelected(AdapterView parent, View v, int position, long id) {
switch (position) {
case 0:
// Whatever you want to happen when the first item gets selected
break;
case 1:
// Whatever you want to happen when the second item gets selected
break;
case 2:
// Whatever you want to happen when the thrid item gets selected
break;
}
}
@Override
public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView parent) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
}