How to style DialogPreference with a custom theme?

Question

In my application I was using Theme.Holo and Theme.Holo.Light without any issues. When Holo theme is used and I click on a DialogPreference/ListPreference, a popped dialog is also themed with Holo. Same for the Holo.Light. But when PreferencesActivity is styled with my custom theme, which is derived from Holo.Light, all dialogs are themed with Holo.Light. I think I am missing somthing in my theme. Could anyone help me? Thanks a lot!

Here is my theme code:

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

<!-- Generated with http://android-holo-colors.com -->
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

  <style name="GreenTheme" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light">

    <item name="android:editTextBackground">@drawable/edit_text_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:autoCompleteTextViewStyle">@style/AutoCompleteTextViewGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:listChoiceIndicatorMultiple">@drawable/btn_check_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:listChoiceIndicatorSingle">@drawable/btn_radio_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:buttonStyle">@style/ButtonGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:imageButtonStyle">@style/ImageButtonGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:dropDownSpinnerStyle">@style/SpinnerGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:tabWidgetStyle">@style/TabWidgetGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:progressBarStyleHorizontal">@style/ProgressBarGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:seekBarStyle">@style/SeekBarGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:buttonStyleToggle">@style/ToggleGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:listChoiceBackgroundIndicator">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:activatedBackgroundIndicator">@drawable/activated_background_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:fastScrollThumbDrawable">@drawable/fastscroll_thumb_holo</item>

    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/ActionBar.Solid.Greenactionbar</item>

    <item name="android:buttonBarButtonStyle">@style/ButtonBarButtonStyleGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:preferenceStyle">@style/TimePickerDialogFragmentGreen</item>
  </style>

      <style name="TimePickerDialogFragmentGreen" parent="@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.Dialog">
         <item name="android:editTextBackground">@drawable/edit_text_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:autoCompleteTextViewStyle">@style/AutoCompleteTextViewGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:listChoiceIndicatorMultiple">@drawable/btn_check_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:listChoiceIndicatorSingle">@drawable/btn_radio_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:buttonStyle">@style/ButtonGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:imageButtonStyle">@style/ImageButtonGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:dropDownSpinnerStyle">@style/SpinnerGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:tabWidgetStyle">@style/TabWidgetGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:progressBarStyleHorizontal">@style/ProgressBarGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:seekBarStyle">@style/SeekBarGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:buttonStyleToggle">@style/ToggleGreenTheme</item>

    <item name="android:listChoiceBackgroundIndicator">@drawable/list_selector_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:activatedBackgroundIndicator">@drawable/activated_background_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:fastScrollThumbDrawable">@drawable/fastscroll_thumb_holo</item>

    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/ActionBar.Solid.Greenactionbar</item>

    <item name="android:buttonBarButtonStyle">@style/ButtonBarButtonStyleGreenTheme</item>
    </style>
</resources>

*But when PreferencesActivity is styled with my custom theme, which is derived from Holo.Light, all dialogs are themed with Holo.Light.* - and what do you expect to happen especially as you extendd from `Theme.Holo.Light.Dialog`!?? For `DialogPrefrence` the preference is declared by `dialogPreferenceStyle` which points to `Preference.Holo.DialogPreference`. That style is limited so you need to make your own `DialogPreference`. — user, Aug 13 '13 at 16:34

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

I found this rather unformatted but otherwise nice answer.

The gist is that DialogPreferences are AlertDialogs created without the theme parameter, which means they apply which ever theme android:alertDialogTheme points to.

So I extended my theme like this to have the dialog themed:

<resources>

    <!-- Base application theme. -->
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/yellow_500</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/yellow_a700</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/purple_400</item>
        <item name="android:alertDialogTheme">@style/DialogTheme</item>
    </style>

    <style name="DialogTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.Dialog">
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/yellow_500</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/yellow_a700</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/purple_400</item>
        <item name="android:windowMinWidthMinor">@android:dimen/dialog_min_width_minor</item>
    </style>

</resources>

The colorPrimary, colorPrimaryDark and colorAccent in the AppTheme were the colours I wanted to have applied to the dialog as well.

Note that I needed the android:windowMinWidthMinor to prevent the dialog from collapsing horizontally.

I read and tried so many solutions, but this one works. Thanks for contributing this. I hope this saves someone else from wasting the hours that I have on such a simple thing. — snapfractalpop, Aug 12 '18 at 12:41
@snapfractalpop Thx for the kind words! Iirc, this was actually the answer I created this account for :) Super glad this was helpful to you. Cheers. — dtk, Aug 13 '18 at 10:57

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 16 '13 at 14:30

I have clarifying questions, but can't ask them because of low rate. So:
1.Does your first style work correctly?
2.Are you sure, that theme @android:style/Theme.Holo.Light.Dialog has all items, you declared in TimePickerDialogFragmentGreen?For example:

<item name="android:tabWidgetStyle"> @style/TabWidgetGreenTheme</item>

3. Have you tried the idea proposed by Luksprog

And finally: I used something like that to create custom style for my EditTexts:

 <style name="EditTextStyle" parent="@style/Indents">
 <item name="android:textColor">@android:color/black</item>
 <item name="android:background">@android:color/white</item>
 <item name="android:textColorHint">@android:color/darker_gray</item>
 <item name="android:textSize">14sp</item>
</style>
<style name="Indents" parent="@style/Margins">
    <item name="android:paddingBottom">@dimen/activity_vertical_padding</item>
    <item name="android:paddingTop">@dimen/activity_vertical_padding</item>
</style>
<style name="Margins">
    <item name="android:layout_marginTop">@dimen/activity_vertical_margin </item>
    <item name="android:layout_marginBottom">@dimen/activity_vertical_margin </item>
    <item name="android:layout_marginLeft">@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin </item>
    <item name="android:layout_marginRight">@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin </item>
</style>

How to style DialogPreference with a custom theme?

2 Answers2