How to add a switch to android action bar?

Question

I would like to add a button switch similar to jellybean native look. (Blue/gray switch at the top of the view)

Documentation shows how to create a menu there or add icons, but it does not say, how to add a custom elements. eg. a switch. http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/actionbar.html

Answer 1

Create a layout for the switch switch_layout.xml. Custom layouts for menu should always be RelativeLayout

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"     android:layout_width="fill_parent"     android:layout_height="match_parent"     android:orientation="horizontal" >      <Switch         android:id="@+id/switchForActionBar"         android:layout_width="wrap_content"         android:layout_height="wrap_content"         android:text="" />  </RelativeLayout> 

Then, in your mainmenu.xml add the item as follows

<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >     <item         android:id="@+id/myswitch"         android:title=""         android:showAsAction="always"         android:actionLayout="@layout/switch_layout"     />    </menu> 

And in your activity, inflate the mainmenu.xml as you always do

getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.mainmenu, menu); return true; 

Answer 2

Finally figured out my problem: for those that's using the new AppCompat, you should be using android.support.v7.widget.SwitchCompat instead of Switch on the switch layout...otherwise, it won't show on the ActionBar (assumed you're using AppCompat ActionBar as well), well, the actionLayout attribute doesn't work, it has to be set in the code.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"     android:id="@+id/switchView"     android:layout_width="match_parent"     android:layout_height="match_parent"     android:orientation="horizontal">      <android.support.v7.widget.SwitchCompat         android:id="@+id/switchForActionBar"         android:layout_width="match_parent"         android:layout_height="wrap_content"         android:text="" />  </RelativeLayout> 

Then set the layout in the code:

@Override public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {     // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.     getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_main, menu);     MenuItem item = menu.findItem(R.id.on_off_switch);     item.setActionView(R.layout.on_off_switch);     return true; }