Change the background color of both the actionbar and the rest of the activity

Question

In continues to this question, I'd like to change the colors of both the actionbar (the upper pane)to one color and the rest of the screen to a different color.
How can I do it?
when I tried this -

<style name="MyTheme" parent="@style/Theme.AppCompat.Light">
        <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBar</item>        
        <item name="android:background">#ffffd982</item> 
</style>

it seems like the 'android:background' definition override also the actionbarstyle definition

Yash Sampat · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-26T11:10:57.393

2

Indeed, the background attribute is known to supersede the actionBarStyle attribute. However, changing the color of the entire Activity needs to be done through the Activity's XML layout, using the android:background attribute of the parent ViewGroup. The ActionBar styles won't help you there.

In your Activity's root ViewGroup, set the background attribute as:

<LinearLayout
    android:id="@+id/outermost_viewgroup"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background = "#00FF00"
    ....
    ....

EDIT:

I just realized that there is a way for this:

<item name="android:windowBackground">@color/background</item>

Add the above tag to to your ActionBar style definition, and the background in the colors.xml file:

<resources>
    <color name="background">#00FF00 </color>
</resources>

There, done!

edited Feb 26 '15 at 11:10

answered Feb 26 '15 at 11:02

Yash Sampat

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Hi, I want to set the background for ALL the activities of my application, not for a single activity – GyRo Feb 26 '15 at 11:06
I completely forgot that there's a way to do what you want ... please see edited answer! – Yash Sampat Feb 26 '15 at 11:11
The 'android:windowBackground' tag didn't effect the 'android:windowBackground' style but when I put your suggested item in my main Theme definition it worked. But you were close enough and I simpathies you, so I accept this answer – GyRo Mar 01 '15 at 10:01

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 26 '15 at 11:14

To change Actionbar style In your style.xml file define style like bellow

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

<!-- Application theme. -->
<style name="AppTheme" parent="AppBaseTheme">
    <item name="android:actionBarStyle">@style/MyActionBar</item>
</style>

<style name="MyActionBar" parent="@android:style/Widget.ActionBar">
    <item name="android:background"><YourColor></item>
    <item name="android:titleTextStyle"><Your String Color></item>
</style>

In your menifest.xml file used your style inside application tag like bellow

<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >

And for set background color of your activity just set android:background attribute in your each activity like

<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"
android:background="#ff2323"
tools:context=".MainActivity" >

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView1"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/textView2"
    android:layout_below="@+id/textView2"
    android:layout_marginTop="121dp"
    android:text="Medium Text"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium" />

I think this is work for you...!

Change the background color of both the actionbar and the rest of the activity

2 Answers2