Setting a ListView item to selected

Question

I have a master-detail ListView set-up, and I want to to change the background for selected items in the master fragment.

I used to have the following code, but this does not allow me to use a full-fledged selector:

    @Override
    public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        View view = super.getView(position, convertView, parent);

        // Highlight selected item
        if (position == selectedPos) {
            view.setBackgroundColor((view.getResources()
            .getColor(R.color.nw_white)));
        } else {
            view.setBackgroundColor((view.getResources()
            .getColor(R.color.nw_grey)));
        }
        return view;
    }

It works fine, but I want to use selectors. (Because I want the items to change background appropriately on focus and click.)

So I changed it to:

            @Override
    public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        View view = super.getView(position, convertView, parent);

        // Highlight selected item
        if (position == selectedPos) {
            view.setSelected(true);
            // view.setBackgroundColor((view.getResources()
            // .getColor(R.color.nw_row_download_master_selected)));
        } else {
            view.setSelected(false);
            // view.setBackgroundColor((view.getResources()
            // .getColor(R.color.nw_row_download_master_normal)));
        }
        Log.d(TAG, "pos " + position + " is selected: "
            + view.isSelected());

        return view;
    }

Where the list rows look like this:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/LinearLayout1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@drawable/selector_row_collection_master"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    >

   ...
</LinearLayout>

And the selector like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/row_master_detail_pressed"
          android:state_pressed="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/row_master_detail_focused"
          android:state_focused="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@color/nw_row_master_master_selected"
          android:state_selected="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@color/nw_row_master_normal" />
</selector>

The row responds to click events but not to being selected, even though the logger says that the view, indeed, is selected! What is going on?

get rid of getView stuff, just set selector to a ListView item's android:backkground — pskink, Aug 20 '13 at 10:06
I tried with simple TextView as a ListView row and it worked just fine — pskink, Aug 20 '13 at 11:37

Maarten · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-20T10:43:37.837

I don't know why the view won't show as selected, even though it is set to selected, but this code should work:

Use ListView.setItemChecked():

mListView.setChoiceMode(ListView.CHOICE_MODE_SINGLE);
mListView.setItemChecked(position, isActivated);

Selector:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/row_master_detail_pressed"
          android:state_pressed="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/row_master_detail_focused"
          android:state_focused="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@color/nw_row_master_master_selected"
          android:state_activated="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@color/nw_row_master_normal" />
</selector>

Because android:state_activated is only available post-Honeycomb, add this to getView():

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {
                // Highlight selected item
                if (position == selectedPos) {
                    view.setBackgroundColor((view.getResources()
                            .getColor(R.color.nw_row_master_selected)));
                } else {
                    Drawable sel = view.getResources().getDrawable(
                            R.drawable.selector_row_collection_master);
                    view.setBackgroundDrawable(sel);
                }
            }

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 20 '13 at 10:05

1

You have to set the selector for you item view and remove the selector of your list-view. just set your list-view's selector as @null. Hope this helps.

answered Aug 20 '13 at 10:05

user2652394

1,686
1
13
15

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:05

1

You should use state_activated, not state_selected see https://stackoverflow.com/a/13634298/1283554

make your list choosable, e.g. set android:choiceMode="singleChoice" on the ListView
use a selector with a 'state_activated="true" state as item background
select the item on the ListView with myListView.setItemChecked(position, true)

Note : state_activated is only available since Honeycomb. For older version I think you can't do it using only a selector. You probably have to set the background in getView

edited May 23 '17 at 12:05

Community

1
1

answered Aug 20 '13 at 10:15

bwt

17,292
1
42
60

I've tried stateActivated(true), and it doesn't update either. – Maarten Aug 20 '13 at 10:31

Setting a ListView item to selected

3 Answers3