Android: How to bind spinner to custom object list?

Question

I know the thread is old, but just in case...

User object:

public class User{

    private int _id;
    private String _name;

    public User(){
        this._id = 0;
        this._name = "";
    }

    public void setId(int id){
        this._id = id;
    }

    public int getId(){
        return this._id;
    }

    public void setName(String name){
        this._name = name;
    }

    public String getName(){
        return this._name;
    }
}

Custom Spinner Adapter (ArrayAdapter)

public class SpinAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<User>{

    // Your sent context
    private Context context;
    // Your custom values for the spinner (User)
    private User[] values;

    public SpinAdapter(Context context, int textViewResourceId,
            User[] values) {
        super(context, textViewResourceId, values);
        this.context = context;
        this.values = values;
    }

    @Override
    public int getCount(){
       return values.length;
    }

    @Override
    public User getItem(int position){
       return values[position];
    }

    @Override
    public long getItemId(int position){
       return position;
    }


    // And the "magic" goes here
    // This is for the "passive" state of the spinner
    @Override
    public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        // I created a dynamic TextView here, but you can reference your own  custom layout for each spinner item
        TextView label = (TextView) super.getView(position, convertView, parent);
        label.setTextColor(Color.BLACK);
        // Then you can get the current item using the values array (Users array) and the current position
        // You can NOW reference each method you has created in your bean object (User class)
        label.setText(values[position].getName());

        // And finally return your dynamic (or custom) view for each spinner item
        return label;
    }

    // And here is when the "chooser" is popped up
    // Normally is the same view, but you can customize it if you want
    @Override
    public View getDropDownView(int position, View convertView,
            ViewGroup parent) {
        TextView label = (TextView) super.getDropDownView(position, convertView, parent);
        label.setTextColor(Color.BLACK);
        label.setText(values[position].getName());

        return label;
    }
}

And the implementarion:

public class Main extends Activity {
    // You spinner view
    private Spinner mySpinner;
    // Custom Spinner adapter (ArrayAdapter<User>)
    // You can define as a private to use it in the all class
    // This is the object that is going to do the "magic"
    private SpinAdapter adapter;

        @Override
        public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        // Create the Users array
        // You can get this retrieving from an external source
        User[] users = new User[2];

        users[0] = new User();
        users[0].setId(1);
        users[0].setName("Joaquin");

        users[1] = new User();
        users[1].setId(2);
        users[1].setName("Alberto");

        // Initialize the adapter sending the current context
        // Send the simple_spinner_item layout
        // And finally send the Users array (Your data)
        adapter = new SpinAdapter(Main.this,
            android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item,
            users);
        mySpinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.miSpinner);
        mySpinner.setAdapter(adapter); // Set the custom adapter to the spinner
        // You can create an anonymous listener to handle the event when is selected an spinner item
        mySpinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new OnItemSelectedListener() {

            @Override
            public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> adapterView, View view,
                    int position, long id) {
                // Here you get the current item (a User object) that is selected by its position
                User user = adapter.getItem(position);
                // Here you can do the action you want to...
                Toast.makeText(Main.this, "ID: " + user.getId() + "\nName: " + user.getName(),
                    Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
            @Override
            public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> adapter) {  }
        });
    }
}

Simplest Solution

After scouring different solutions on SO, I found the following to be the simplest and cleanest solution for populating a Spinner with custom Objects. Here's the full implementation:

User.java

public class User{
    public int ID;
    public String name;

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return this.name; // What to display in the Spinner list.
    }
}    

res/layout/spinner.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:textSize="14sp"
    android:textColor="#FFFFFF"
    android:spinnerMode="dialog" />

res/layout/your_activity_view.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <Spinner android:id="@+id/user" />

</LinearLayout>

In Your Activity

List<User> users = User.all(); // This example assumes you're getting all Users but adjust it for your Class and needs.
ArrayAdapter userAdapter = new ArrayAdapter(this, R.layout.spinner, users);

Spinner userSpinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.user);
userSpinner.setAdapter(userAdapter);
userSpinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener() {
    @Override
    public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {
        // Get the value selected by the user
        // e.g. to store it as a field or immediately call a method
        User user = (User) parent.getSelectedItem();
    }

    @Override
    public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> parent) {
    }
});

For simple solutions you can just Overwrite the "toString" in your object

public class User{
    public int ID;
    public String name;

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return name;
    }
}

and then you can use:

ArrayAdapter<User> dataAdapter = new ArrayAdapter<User>(mContext, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item, listOfUsers);

This way your spinner will show only the user names.

You can look at this answer. You can also go with a custom adapter, but the solution below is fine for simple cases.

Here's a re-post:

So if you came here because you want to have both labels and values in the Spinner - here's how I did it:

1. Just create your Spinner the usual way
2. Define 2 equal size arrays in your array.xml file -- one array for labels, one array for values
3. Set your Spinner with android:entries="@array/labels"

4. When you need a value, do something like this (no, you don't have to chain it):

     String selectedVal = getResources().getStringArray(R.array.values)[spinner.getSelectedItemPosition()];
   

By far the simplest way that I've found:

@Override
public String toString() {
    return this.label;           
}

Now you can stick any object in your spinner, and it will display the specified label.

Just a small tweak to Joaquin Alberto's answer can solve the style issue.Just replace the getDropDownView function in the custom adapter as below,

@Override
    public View getDropDownView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
        View v = super.getDropDownView(position, convertView, parent);
        TextView tv = ((TextView) v);
        tv.setText(values[position].getName());
        tv.setTextColor(Color.BLACK);
        return v;
    }