How can I display a list view in an Android Alert Dialog?

Question

Used below code to display custom list in AlertDialog

AlertDialog.Builder builderSingle = new AlertDialog.Builder(DialogActivity.this);
builderSingle.setIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher);
builderSingle.setTitle("Select One Name:-");

final ArrayAdapter<String> arrayAdapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(DialogActivity.this, android.R.layout.select_dialog_singlechoice);
arrayAdapter.add("Hardik");
arrayAdapter.add("Archit");
arrayAdapter.add("Jignesh");
arrayAdapter.add("Umang");
arrayAdapter.add("Gatti");

builderSingle.setNegativeButton("cancel", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                dialog.dismiss();
            }
        });

builderSingle.setAdapter(arrayAdapter, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
                String strName = arrayAdapter.getItem(which);
                AlertDialog.Builder builderInner = new AlertDialog.Builder(DialogActivity.this);
                builderInner.setMessage(strName);
                builderInner.setTitle("Your Selected Item is");
                builderInner.setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                            @Override
                            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,int which) {
                                dialog.dismiss();
                            }
                        });
                builderInner.show();
            }
        });
builderSingle.show();

According to the documentation, there are three kinds of lists that can be used with an AlertDialog:

1. Traditional single-choice list
2. Persistent single-choice list (radio buttons)
3. Persistent multiple-choice list (checkboxes)

I will give an example of each below.

Traditional single-choice list

The way to make a traditional single-choice list is to use setItems.

Java version

// setup the alert builder
AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(context);
builder.setTitle("Choose an animal");

// add a list
String[] animals = {"horse", "cow", "camel", "sheep", "goat"};
builder.setItems(animals, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
        switch (which) {
            case 0: // horse
            case 1: // cow
            case 2: // camel
            case 3: // sheep
            case 4: // goat
        }
    }
});

// create and show the alert dialog
AlertDialog dialog = builder.create();
dialog.show();

There is no need for an OK button because as soon as the user clicks on a list item control is returned to the OnClickListener.

Kotlin version

// setup the alert builder
val builder = AlertDialog.Builder(context)
builder.setTitle("Choose an animal")

// add a list
val animals = arrayOf("horse", "cow", "camel", "sheep", "goat")
builder.setItems(animals) { dialog, which ->
    when (which) {
        0 -> { /* horse */ }
        1 -> { /* cow   */ }
        2 -> { /* camel */ }
        3 -> { /* sheep */ }
        4 -> { /* goat  */ }
    }
}

// create and show the alert dialog
val dialog = builder.create()
dialog.show()

Radio button list

The advantage of the radio button list over the traditional list is that the user can see what the current setting is. The way to make a radio button list is to use setSingleChoiceItems.

Java version

// setup the alert builder
AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(context);
builder.setTitle("Choose an animal");

// add a radio button list
String[] animals = {"horse", "cow", "camel", "sheep", "goat"};
int checkedItem = 1; // cow
builder.setSingleChoiceItems(animals, checkedItem, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
        // user checked an item
    }
});

// add OK and Cancel buttons
builder.setPositiveButton("OK", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
        // user clicked OK
    }
});
builder.setNegativeButton("Cancel", null);

// create and show the alert dialog
AlertDialog dialog = builder.create();
dialog.show();

I hard coded the chosen item here, but you could keep track of it with a class member variable in a real project.

Kotlin version

// setup the alert builder
val builder = AlertDialog.Builder(context)
builder.setTitle("Choose an animal")

// add a radio button list
val animals = arrayOf("horse", "cow", "camel", "sheep", "goat")
val checkedItem = 1 // cow
builder.setSingleChoiceItems(animals, checkedItem) { dialog, which ->
    // user checked an item
}


// add OK and Cancel buttons
builder.setPositiveButton("OK") { dialog, which ->
    // user clicked OK
}
builder.setNegativeButton("Cancel", null)

// create and show the alert dialog
val dialog = builder.create()
dialog.show()

Checkbox list

The way to make a checkbox list is to use setMultiChoiceItems.

Java version

// setup the alert builder
AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(context);
builder.setTitle("Choose some animals");

// add a checkbox list
String[] animals = {"horse", "cow", "camel", "sheep", "goat"};
boolean[] checkedItems = {true, false, false, true, false};
builder.setMultiChoiceItems(animals, checkedItems, new DialogInterface.OnMultiChoiceClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which, boolean isChecked) {
        // user checked or unchecked a box
    }
});

// add OK and Cancel buttons
builder.setPositiveButton("OK", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
        // user clicked OK
    }
});
builder.setNegativeButton("Cancel", null);

// create and show the alert dialog
AlertDialog dialog = builder.create();
dialog.show();

Here I hard coded the the which items in the list were already checked. It is more likely that you would want to keep track of them in an ArrayList<Integer>. See the documentation example for more details. You can also set the checked items to null if you always want everything to start unchecked.

Kotlin version

// setup the alert builder
val builder = AlertDialog.Builder(context)
builder.setTitle("Choose some animals")

// add a checkbox list
val animals = arrayOf("horse", "cow", "camel", "sheep", "goat")
val checkedItems = booleanArrayOf(true, false, false, true, false)
builder.setMultiChoiceItems(animals, checkedItems) { dialog, which, isChecked ->
    // user checked or unchecked a box
}

// add OK and Cancel buttons
builder.setPositiveButton("OK") { dialog, which ->
    // user clicked OK
}
builder.setNegativeButton("Cancel", null)

// create and show the alert dialog
val dialog = builder.create()
dialog.show()

Notes

• For the context in the code above, don't use getApplicationContext() or you will get an IllegalStateException (see here for why). Instead, get a reference to the activity context, such as with this.
• You can also populate the list items from a database or another source using setAdapter or setCursor or passing in a Cursor or ListAdapter into the setSingleChoiceItems or setMultiChoiceItems.
• If the list is longer than will fit on the screen then the dialog will automatically scroll it. If you have a really long list, though, I'm guessing that you should probably make a custom dialog with a RecyclerView.

• To test all of the examples above I just had a simple project with a single button than showed the dialog when clicked:

  import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
  
  public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
  
      Context context;
  
      @Override
      protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
          super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
          setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
          context = this;
      }
  
      public void showAlertDialogButtonClicked(View view) {
  
          // example code to create alert dialog lists goes here
      }
  }
  

Related

• Android Alert Dialog with one, two, and three buttons
• How to implement a custom AlertDialog View

You can use a custom dialog.

Custom dialog layout. list.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <ListView
        android:id="@+id/lv"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"/>
</LinearLayout>

In your activity

Dialog dialog = new Dialog(Activity.this);
       dialog.setContentView(R.layout.list)

ListView lv = (ListView ) dialog.findViewById(R.id.lv);
dialog.setCancelable(true);
dialog.setTitle("ListView");
dialog.show();

Edit:

Using alertdialog

String names[] ={"A","B","C","D"};
AlertDialog.Builder alertDialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(MainActivity.this);
LayoutInflater inflater = getLayoutInflater();
View convertView = (View) inflater.inflate(R.layout.custom, null);
alertDialog.setView(convertView);
alertDialog.setTitle("List");
ListView lv = (ListView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.lv);
ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,names);
lv.setAdapter(adapter);
alertDialog.show();

custom.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ListView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/listView1"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" >

</ListView>

Snap

final CharSequence[] items = {"A", "B", "C"};

AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(this);
builder.setTitle("Make your selection");
builder.setItems(items, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int item) {
        // Do something with the selection
        mDoneButton.setText(items[item]);
    }
});
AlertDialog alert = builder.create();
alert.show();

Use the "import android.app.AlertDialog;" import and then you write

    String[] items = {"...","...."};             
    AlertDialog.Builder build = new AlertDialog.Builder(context);
    build.setItems(items, new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
            //do stuff....
        }
    }).create().show();