1.Defining Preferences in XML
Although you can instantiate new Preference
objects at runtime, you should define your list of settings in XML with a hierarchy of Preference
objects. Using an XML file to define your collection of settings is preferred because the file provides an easy-to-read structure that's simple to update. Also, your app's settings are generally pre-determined, although you can still modify the collection at runtime.
Each Preference
subclass can be declared with an XML element that matches the class name, such as<CheckBoxPreference>
.
You must save the XML file in the res/xml/
directory. Although you can name the file anything you want, it's traditionally named preferences.xml
. You usually need only one file, because branches in the hierarchy (that open their own list of settings) are declared using nested instances of PreferenceScreen
.
Note: If you want to create a multi-pane layout for your settings, then you need separate XML files for each fragment.
The root node for the XML file must be a <PreferenceScreen>
element. Within this element is where you add each Preference
. Each child you add within the <PreferenceScreen>
element appears as a single item in the list of settings.
2.For example
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"> <CheckBoxPreference android:key="pref_sync" android:title="@string/pref_sync" android:summary="@string/pref_sync_summ" android:defaultValue="true" /> <ListPreference android:dependency="pref_sync" android:key="pref_syncConnectionType" android:title="@string/pref_syncConnectionType" android:dialogTitle="@string/pref_syncConnectionType" android:entries="@array/pref_syncConnectionTypes_entries" android:entryValues="@array/pref_syncConnectionTypes_values" android:defaultValue="@string/pref_syncConnectionTypes_default" /> </PreferenceScreen>
In this example, there's a CheckBoxPreference
and a ListPreference
. Both items include the following three attributes:
-
This attribute is required for preferences that persist a data value. It specifies the unique key (a string) the system uses when saving this setting's value in the
SharedPreferences
.The only instances in which this attribute is not required is when the preference is a
PreferenceCategory
orPreferenceScreen
, or the preference specifies anIntent
to invoke (with an<intent>
element) or aFragment
to display (with anandroid:fragment
attribute). - This provides a user-visible name for the setting.
-
This specifies the initial value that the system should set in the
SharedPreferences
file. You should supply a default value for all settings.
android:key
android:title
android:defaultValue
For information about all other supported attributes, see the Preference
(and respective subclass) documentation.
![](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/0da0904945059898d50b1fcc9fc40150.png)
Figure 2. Setting categories with titles.
1. The category is specified by the<PreferenceCategory>
element.
2. The title is specified with the android:title
attribute.
When your list of settings exceeds about 10 items, you might want to add titles to define groups of settings or display those groups in a separate screen. These options are described in the following sections.
Creating setting groups
If you present a list of 10 or more settings, users may have difficulty scanning, comprehending, and processing them. You can remedy this by dividing some or all of the settings into groups, effectively turning one long list into multiple shorter lists. A group of related settings can be presented in one of two ways:
You can use one or both of these grouping techniques to organize your app's settings. When deciding which to use and how to divide your settings, you should follow the guidelines in Android Design's Settings guide.
Using titles
If you want to provide dividers with headings between groups of settings (as shown in figure 2), place each group ofPreference
objects inside a PreferenceCategory
.
For example:
<PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"> <PreferenceCategory android:title="@string/pref_sms_storage_title" android:key="pref_key_storage_settings"> <CheckBoxPreference android:key="pref_key_auto_delete" android:summary="@string/pref_summary_auto_delete" android:title="@string/pref_title_auto_delete" android:defaultValue="false"... /> <Preference android:key="pref_key_sms_delete_limit" android:dependency="pref_key_auto_delete" android:summary="@string/pref_summary_delete_limit" android:title="@string/pref_title_sms_delete"... /> <Preference android:key="pref_key_mms_delete_limit" android:dependency="pref_key_auto_delete" android:summary="@string/pref_summary_delete_limit" android:title="@string/pref_title_mms_delete" ... /> </PreferenceCategory> ... </PreferenceScreen>
Using subscreens
If you want to place groups of settings into a subscreen (as shown in figure 3), place the group of Preference
objects inside a PreferenceScreen
.
Figure 3. Setting subscreens. The <PreferenceScreen>
element creates an item that, when selected, opens a separate list to display the nested settings.
For example:
<PreferenceScreen xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"> <!-- opens a subscreen of settings --> <PreferenceScreen android:key="button_voicemail_category_key" android:title="@string/voicemail" android:persistent="false"> <ListPreference android:key="button_voicemail_provider_key" android:title="@string/voicemail_provider" ... /> <!-- opens another nested subscreen --> <PreferenceScreen android:key="button_voicemail_setting_key" android:title="@string/voicemail_settings" android:persistent="false"> ... </PreferenceScreen> <RingtonePreference android:key="button_voicemail_ringtone_key" android:title="@string/voicemail_ringtone_title" android:ringtoneType="notification" ... /> ... </PreferenceScreen> ... </PreferenceScreen>
Using intents
In some cases, you might want a preference item to open a different activity instead of a settings screen, such as a web browser to view a web page. To invoke an Intent
when the user selects a preference item, add an<intent>
element as a child of the corresponding <Preference>
element.
For example, here's how you can use a preference item to open a web page:
<Preference android:title="@string/prefs_web_page" > <intent android:action="android.intent.action.VIEW" android:data="http://www.example.com" /> </Preference>
You can create both implicit and explicit intents using the following attributes:
android:action | The action to assign, as per the setAction() method. |
android:data | The data to assign, as per the setData() method. |
android:mimeType | The MIME type to assign, as per the setType() method. |
android:targetClass | The class part of the component name, as per the setComponent() method. |
android:targetPackage | The package part of the component name, as per the setComponent() method. |