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Quick question, Android related..

How do I display a working "THREE VERTICAL-DOTS" floating action button, to trigger same functionality as Android menu button that worked on Kitkat (Android-4), and all previous Android versions?

Details: I have an Android app that uses Java Native Interface. It worked fine in Kitkat (Android 4.x series), but in Android 5.x, the menu-options button (three vertical dots) no longer responds. Originally, in Kitkat (Android 4.x), the standard Android menu button brought up the applications configuration menus. Now, in Android-5, the Menu button has been replaced with a "Recent Apps" button (this was a very poor design change - probably the worst basic re-design of a working interface I have seen in 30 years... ). Is there an easy way to use a "floating action button" or something like that, to restore functionality of the standard Android "Menu" button?

On Samsung tablets, one can tweak: "Settings / Accessibility / Dexterity and interaction / Assistant menu " to "On", and then a floating-action-button appears, which then has the three vertical-dots as one of it's optional push-buttons, if invoked. Pressing that three vertical-dots button (on the Samsung FAB (floating-action-button)), triggers the old Kitkat/Android4 menu, and at least Samsung users can alter set my app config parameters.

In my app's AndroidManifest.xml file, I have minSdkVersion="8" and the targetSDKVersion="8". I have tried setting the targetSDKVersion to higher levels, which results in a non-functional floating action button, showing three vertical dots, appearing on the screen.

There must be an obvious way to fix this damage that the Android "Material Girl Design" people did to Android Kitkat(and previous Android vers.) Android Menu Button. I've detailed a work-around for my user-base at this point, and released an new app version which offers details on the work-around - at least for Samsung phone and tablet users, but an in-app button really should just appear to allow the main app configuration menu to be triggered.

I have looked at this: http://developer.android.com/training/appbar/setting-up.html#utility

Don't want an "Action Bar". My app is a DOS-emulator, and needs all the screen space.

I have also reviewed: Android Options Menu in Fragment

This gets closer, but rather than trial-and-error, I would like to just jump to the solution, if possible. There must be some code or a feature selection that just fixes the little action button that appears (but does not work), when I set the targetSDKVersion="12" (or higher values), in the AndroidManifest.xml file.

My app uses SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) vers. 1.2 and 1.3 to control and draw the screen.

I will post the answer here when I find it. I know it is possible, because Samsung is already doing this, within its "Accessibility/ Dexterity.. /Assistant Menu" feature.

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  • What's the minSDK of your app? And you are referring to a physical device buttons or on-screen navigation bar? – Morrison Chang Dec 28 '15 at 03:03
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    The _Recents_ button (what you call "stacked papers") has been around since at least Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). There is no reason for you to be intercepting that. Perhaps you were intercepting a hardware or software _Menu_ key before, but those have become more or less obsolete (again, as far back as 4.0). It is expected that if your app has any sort of menu or settings, it's accessed within the app and not through some system button. – Karakuri Dec 28 '15 at 04:04
  • Morrison: The minSDK of the my app is 8, using API level 22. App deploys to Android 4.4.2 correctly, works correctly on Android 5.x, but "stacked papers" button does not bring up menu of parameters, like it did on Android 4.x. (Eg. Samsung Galaxy Tab-4, 8-inch, ST-T310, runs Android 4.4.2., press "stacked papers" button, and you get a menu of options). On Samsung Galaxy Tab-A, running Android 5.0.2, "stacked papers" is now the "Recents" button, shows recent apps. Each device has 3 buttons ("stacked papers, the pushbutton, and back-arrow). Many apps used "stacked papers" to set parameters. – Rusfuture Dec 28 '15 at 22:10
  • Not sure if this is the answer, but it has a code-example, and bravo for this fellow. Here is the github example. I have not tried it yet, but I'm getting closer... https://github.com/FaizMalkani/Fabulous/blob/master/FloatingActionButton/src/com/faizmalkani/floatingactionbutton/FloatingActionButton.java – Rusfuture Jan 05 '16 at 15:36

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