Unable to use ?customColor in drawable

Question

I'm trying to define a custom color for my app's theme. Here is how I do:

define custom attribute:

<declare-styleable name="ApplicationStyle">
    <attr name="colorWeekdaysBg" format="color"/>
</declare-styleable>

Define an application style:

<style name="ApplicationStyle" parent="Theme.AppCompat.NoActionBar">
    <item name="android:editTextStyle">@style/EditTextStyle</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/dark_blue</item>
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/dark_blue</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/dark_blue</item>
    <item name="colorWeekdaysBg">@color/access_weekdays</item>
</style>

Set style in the manifest:

<application
    android:name=".App"
    android:icon="@drawable/icon_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/ApplicationStyle">

Use this attribute in the drawable xml:

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:right="-1dp">
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <stroke
                android:width="1dp"
                android:color="?colorWeekdaysBg" />

            <corners
                android:bottomLeftRadius="100dp"
                android:topLeftRadius="100dp" />

        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

But for some reason it does not apply my color to the drawable. It applies a transparent color instead.

One more strange thing is if I replace my ?colorWeekdaysBg with ?colorAccent, which is defined in the Theme.AppCompat, then it applies correct color.

So finally the question: Do you have any idea why it doesn't work, and how to fix it?

Where are u setting what's the color of colorWeekdaysBg? In a variable called "access_weekdays" in colors.xml ? — Tatsuya, Mar 07 '18 at 15:05
Did you try use "@color/access_weekdays" in the drawable xml? Let's try unsulate where the app lose the color. — Tatsuya, Mar 07 '18 at 16:19
yes, that's how I was using it before I decided to move it to the theme — Vladyslav Matviienko, Mar 08 '18 at 09:38

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 08 '18 at 14:41

As per answer give by mudit here it is a bug in the pre-lollipop OS.
It is reported in Google's Issue Tracker.

In the devices which have Android Lollipop and above OS version it will work fine.

Check below code:

attr.xml

<declare-styleable name="AppTheme">
        <attr name="colorWeekdaysBg" format="color|reference" /> <!-- Or you can keep color only. It will be ok -->
    </declare-styleable>

You have to set the attribute in the v21 style file. Might be you missed this one.
v21\styles.xml

<!-- Base application theme. -->
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
        <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>
        <item name="android:splitMotionEvents">false</item>
        <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
        <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
        <item name="android:navigationBarColor">@color/black</item>
        <item name="colorWeekdaysBg">@color/access_weekdays</item>
    </style>

Create two drawable files to get it work on all devices. One for normal i.e. pre-lollipop version and another for Lollipop and above i.e. v21 drawable.

your_drawable.xml In this you have to set color from the color file.

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:right="-1dp">
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <stroke
                android:width="1dp"
                android:color="@color/access_weekdays" />
            <corners
                android:bottomLeftRadius="100dp"
                android:topLeftRadius="100dp" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

v21\your_drawable.xml In this file you can set custom attribute like you did.

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:right="-1dp">
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <stroke
                android:width="1dp"
                android:color="?colorWeekdaysBg" />
            <corners
                android:bottomLeftRadius="100dp"
                android:topLeftRadius="100dp" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

your_layout.xml In your layout you can give that drawable as below

<Button
    android:id="@+id/btnTest"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@drawable/your_drawable"
    android:text="Test Text" />

Now check the answers of your questions.

But for some reason it does not apply my color to the drawable. It applies a transparent color instead.

Because you may not have defined your attribute in v21 style.xml file

One more strange thing is if I replace my ?colorWeekdaysBg with ?colorAccent, which is defined in the Theme.AppCompat, then it applies the correct color.

Android Studio displays color in preview but when you will run the application and reached on that screen your application will be crash with the Error inflating class error
android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line #68: Error inflating class Button

So finally the question: Do you have any idea why it doesn't work, and how to fix it?

I think now you have got the idea that why it doesn't work and how to fix it.

Unable to use ?customColor in drawable

1 Answers1