How do you create an Android View Pager with a dots indicator?

Question

All we need are: ViewPager, TabLayout and 2 drawables for selected and default dots.

Firstly, we have to add TabLayout to our screen layout, and connect it with ViewPager. We can do this in two ways:

---

Nested TabLayout in ViewPager

<androidx.viewpager.widget.ViewPager
    android:id="@+id/photos_viewpager"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <com.google.android.material.tabs.TabLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
</androidx.viewpager.widget.ViewPager>

In this case TabLayout will be automatically connected with ViewPager, but TabLayout will be next to ViewPager, not over it.

---

Separate TabLayout

<androidx.viewpager.widget.ViewPager
    android:id="@+id/photos_viewpager"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"/>

<com.google.android.material.tabs.TabLayout
    android:id="@+id/tab_layout"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

In this case, we can put TabLayout anywhere, but we have to connect TabLayout with ViewPager programmatically

ViewPager pager = (ViewPager) view.findViewById(R.id.photos_viewpager);
PagerAdapter adapter = new PhotosAdapter(getChildFragmentManager(), photosUrl);
pager.setAdapter(adapter);

TabLayout tabLayout = (TabLayout) view.findViewById(R.id.tab_layout);
tabLayout.setupWithViewPager(pager, true);

Once we created our layout, we have to prepare our dots. So we create three files: selected_dot.xml, default_dot.xml and tab_selector.xml.

---

selected_dot.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item>
        <shape
            android:innerRadius="0dp"
            android:shape="ring"
            android:thickness="8dp"
            android:useLevel="false">
            <solid android:color="@color/colorAccent"/>
        </shape>    
    </item>
</layer-list>

---

default_dot.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item>
        <shape
            android:innerRadius="0dp"
            android:shape="ring"
            android:thickness="8dp"
            android:useLevel="false">
            <solid android:color="@android:color/darker_gray"/>
        </shape>    
    </item>
</layer-list>

---

tab_selector.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <item android:drawable="@drawable/selected_dot"
          android:state_selected="true"/>

    <item android:drawable="@drawable/default_dot"/>
</selector>

---

Now we need to add only 3 lines of code to TabLayout in our XML layout.

app:tabBackground="@drawable/tab_selector"
app:tabGravity="center"
app:tabIndicatorHeight="0dp"

First Create a layout, in that give one LinerLayout for Dots which show over your View Pager

<RelativeLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

    <android.support.v4.view.ViewPager
        android:id="@+id/view_pager"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>


    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/pager_dots"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
        android:background="@android:color/transparent"
        android:gravity="center_horizontal"
        android:orientation="horizontal">
    </LinearLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

After that create 2 drawables

1. Unselected Drawable

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape android:shape="oval" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <solid android:color="@android:color/transparent"/>
    <size android:width="12dp" android:height="12dp"/>

    <stroke android:width="1dp" android:color="#ffffff"/>
</shape>

2. Selected Drawable

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape android:shape="oval" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <solid android:color="@android:color/transparent"/>
    <size android:width="12dp" android:height="12dp"/>

    <stroke android:width="1dp" android:color="#000000"/>
</shape>

After that set adapter

private LinearLayout llPagerDots;
private ViewPager viewPager;
private ArrayList<String> eventImagesUrl;
private HomeViewPagerAdapter homeViewPagerAdapter;
private ImageView[] ivArrayDotsPager;

public void setUpViewPager() {
    viewPager = (ViewPager) findViewById(R.id.view_pager);
    llPagerDots = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.pager_dots);

    homeViewPagerAdapter = new HomeViewPagerAdapter(mContext, eventImagesUrl);

    viewPager.setAdapter(homeViewPagerAdapter);

    setupPagerIndidcatorDots();

    ivArrayDotsPager[0].setImageResource(R.drawable.page_indicator_selected);

    viewPager.addOnPageChangeListener(new ViewPager.OnPageChangeListener() {
        @Override
        public void onPageScrolled(int position, float positionOffset, int positionOffsetPixels) {

        }

        @Override
        public void onPageSelected(int position) {
            for (int i = 0; i < ivArrayDotsPager.length; i++) {
                ivArrayDotsPager[i].setImageResource(R.drawable.page_indicator_unselected);
            }
            ivArrayDotsPager[position].setImageResource(R.drawable.page_indicator_selected);
        }

        @Override
        public void onPageScrollStateChanged(int state) {

        }
    });
}

Create a method setupPagerIndidcatorDots() :

private void setupPagerIndidcatorDots() {
    ivArrayDotsPager = new ImageView[eventImagesUrl.size()];
    for (int i = 0; i < ivArrayDotsPager.length; i++) {
        ivArrayDotsPager[i] = new ImageView(getActivity());
        LinearLayout.LayoutParams params = new LinearLayout.LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT, ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);
        params.setMargins(5, 0, 5, 0);
        ivArrayDotsPager[i].setLayoutParams(params);
        ivArrayDotsPager[i].setImageResource(R.drawable.page_indicator_unselected);
        //ivArrayDotsPager[i].setAlpha(0.4f);
        ivArrayDotsPager[i].setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                view.setAlpha(1);
            }
        });
        llPagerDots.addView(ivArrayDotsPager[i]);
        llPagerDots.bringToFront();
    }

You can check out my library to handle your request : https://github.com/tommybuonomo/dotsindicator

In your XML layout

  <com.tbuonomo.viewpagerdotsindicator.DotsIndicator
      android:id="@+id/dots_indicator"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
      app:dotsColor="@color/colorPrimary"
      app:dotsSize="16dp"
      app:dotsWidthFactor="3"
      />

In your Java code

dotsIndicator = (DotsIndicator) findViewById(R.id.dots_indicator);
viewPager = (ViewPager) findViewById(R.id.view_pager);
adapter = new ViewPagerAdapter();
viewPager.setAdapter(adapter);
dotsIndicator.setViewPager(viewPager);

When you want something similar to this with the latest ViewPager2 and Kotlin

Everything is self-explaining, no need to explain!

1. Your Activity or Fragment

val imageList = listOf(
        ImageModel(R.drawable.offer1),
        ImageModel(R.drawable.splash),
        ImageModel(R.drawable.offer1),
        ImageModel(R.drawable.splash2)
    )

    val adapter = HomeOffersAdapter()
    adapter.setItem(imageList)
    photos_viewpager.adapter = adapter

    TabLayoutMediator(tab_layout, photos_viewpager) { tab, position ->
    }.attach()
}

2. Layout

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="@dimen/dp_200">

<androidx.viewpager2.widget.ViewPager2
    android:id="@+id/photos_viewpager"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="@dimen/dp_200" />

<com.google.android.material.tabs.TabLayout
    android:id="@+id/tab_layout"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
    android:layout_gravity="bottom|center"
    app:tabBackground="@drawable/tab_selector"
    app:tabGravity="center"
    app:tabIndicatorHeight="0dp"
    app:tabSelectedTextColor="@android:color/transparent"
    app:tabTextColor="@android:color/transparent" />

3. Drawable: tab_selector.xml

<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:drawable="@drawable/dot_selected" android:state_selected="true" />
<item android:drawable="@drawable/dot_default" />

4. Drawable: dot_selected.xml

<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:innerRadius="0dp"
android:shape="ring"
android:thickness="@dimen/dp_8"
android:useLevel="false">

<solid android:color="@color/colorPrimary" />

<stroke
    android:width="@dimen/dp_1"
    android:color="@android:color/white" />

5. Drawable: dot_default.xml

<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:innerRadius="0dp"
android:shape="ring"
android:thickness="@dimen/dp_8"
android:useLevel="false">

<solid android:color="@android:color/transparent" />

<stroke
    android:width="@dimen/dp_1"
    android:color="@android:color/white" />

6. Adapter

class HomeOffersAdapter : RecyclerView.Adapter<HomeOffersAdapter.HomeOffersViewHolder>() {

private var list: List<ImageModel> = listOf()


override fun onCreateViewHolder(parent: ViewGroup, viewType: Int): HomeOffersViewHolder {
    return HomeOffersViewHolder(parent)
}


override fun onBindViewHolder(holder: HomeOffersViewHolder, position: Int) {
    holder.bind(list[position])
}

fun setItem(list: List<ImageModel>) {
    this.list = list
    notifyDataSetChanged()
}

override fun getItemCount(): Int = list.size

class HomeOffersViewHolder constructor(itemView: View) : RecyclerView.ViewHolder(itemView) {

    constructor(parent: ViewGroup) : this(
        LayoutInflater.from(parent.context).inflate(
            R.layout.pager_item,
            parent, false
        )
    )

    fun bind(imageModel: ImageModel) {
        itemView.offerImage.setImageResource(imageModel.image)
    }
}

}

7. Layout: pager_item.xml

<LinearLayout 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:fitsSystemWindows="true"
android:orientation="vertical">

<androidx.appcompat.widget.AppCompatImageView
    android:id="@+id/offerImage"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="@dimen/dp_200"
    android:adjustViewBounds="true"
    android:scaleType="fitXY"
    tools:src="@drawable/offer1" />

2021, how to actually do it. ViewPager2 only.

Refer to this excellent short article, which has a couple of problems:

https://medium.com/@adrian.kuta93/android-viewpager-with-dots-indicator-a34c91e59e3a

Starting with a normal Android Studio default project as of 2021, with a reasonably new minimum (24 currently)...

General concept:

Make a standard TabLayout, but replace each "tab unit" with "a little dot" rather than the usual text.

In TabLayout, you can indeed replace each "tab unit" using "tabBackground":

        app:tabBackground="@drawable/tab_selector"

So add the following to the XML of your screen, which has a ViewPager2:

    <com.google.android.material.tabs.TabLayout
        android:id="@+id/tab_layout"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom|center"
        android:background="#00FFFFFF"
        app:tabBackground="@drawable/tab_selector"
        app:tabIndicatorGravity="center"
        app:tabIndicatorHeight="0dp"/>

Notice carefully we are replacing each and every one of the "tab units" in the TabLayout, with our own "tab_selector".

To be completely clear, "tabBackground" means the individual little "tab units", not the whole tab bar system.

(Aside, note that the two tricks tabIndicatorGravity and tabIndicatorHeight will indeed get rid of the "boxes" that are the usual "tab units".)

Next create three drawables in the obvious way, tab_selector and the two different dots. See the above article or 100s of examples on this page.

The magic code:

In your onCreate have the expected code ...

viewPager = findViewById(R.id.simple_slide_pager);
tab_layout = findViewById(R.id.tab_layout);
viewPager.setAdapter(new ScreenSlidePagerAdapter(this));

and then here at last is the magic code fragment to make it work. Follow the above by:

Up to date for 2021:

TabLayoutMediator tabLayoutMediator =
  new TabLayoutMediator(tab_layout, viewPager, true,
    new TabLayoutMediator.TabConfigurationStrategy() {
      @Override public void onConfigureTab(
        @NonNull TabLayout.Tab tab, int position) { }
    }
);
tabLayoutMediator.attach();

It's done.

(Inside onConfigureTab you can do any sound effects or whatever the heck might be needed. For shorter syntax see the key comment by @F1iX above.)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.appcompat.widget.LinearLayoutCompat xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <androidx.viewpager.widget.ViewPager
        android:id="@+id/vpImage"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/_150sdp" />

    <com.google.android.material.tabs.TabLayout
        android:id="@+id/tlImage"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        app:tabBackground="@drawable/selector_product_image"
        app:tabGravity="center"
        app:tabIndicatorHeight="0dp"
        app:tabMaxWidth="12dp"
        app:tabRippleColor="@null" />

</androidx.appcompat.widget.LinearLayoutCompat>

---

ImageAdapter imageAdapter = new ImageAdapter(getActivity(), arrayListSlider);
binding.vpImage.setOffscreenPageLimit(1);
binding.vpImage.setAdapter(imageAdapter);
binding.tlImage.setupWithViewPager(binding.vpImage);

selector_product_image.xml

<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <item android:drawable="@drawable/image_selected" android:state_selected="true" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/image_unselected" />

</selector>

image_selected.xml

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item>
        <shape
            android:innerRadius="0dp"
            android:shape="ring"
            android:thickness="4dp"
            android:useLevel="false">
            <solid android:color="@color/colorAccent" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

image_unselected.xml

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item>
        <shape
            android:innerRadius="0dp"
            android:shape="ring"
            android:thickness="4dp"
            android:useLevel="false">
            <solid android:color="@color/colorPrimary" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

ImageAdapter.java

class ImageAdapter extends PagerAdapter {

  private Context context;
  private ArrayList<ImageModel> arrayList;
  private LayoutInflater layoutInflater;

  public ImageAdapter(Context context, ArrayList<ImageModel> arrayList) {
      this.context = context;
      this.arrayList = arrayList;
      this.layoutInflater = (LayoutInflater) this.context.getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
  }

  @Override
  public int getCount() {
      return arrayList.size();
  }

  @Override
  public boolean isViewFromObject(@NonNull View view, @NonNull Object o) {
      return view == ((View) o);
  }

  @Override
  public Object instantiateItem(ViewGroup container, int position) {
      View view = layoutInflater.inflate(R.layout.row_slider_image, container, false);

      AppCompatImageView ivProductImage = view.findViewById(R.id.ivProductImage);

      if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(arrayList.get(position).getImage())) {
          Glide.with(context)
                  .load(arrayList.get(position).getImage())
                  .apply(new RequestOptions().placeholder(R.drawable.no_image).error(R.drawable.no_image))
                  .into(ivProductImage);
      }

      container.addView(view);
      return view;
  }

  @Override
  public void destroyItem(ViewGroup container, int position, Object object) {
      container.removeView((View) object);
  }
}

row_slider_image.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.appcompat.widget.LinearLayoutCompat xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <androidx.appcompat.widget.AppCompatImageView
        android:id="@+id/ivProductImage"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:adjustViewBounds="true"
        android:scaleType="fitXY"
        android:src="@drawable/no_image" />

</androidx.appcompat.widget.LinearLayoutCompat>