How to set Style for a button in Android?

Question

I have defined the below files in res folder.

styles_apptheme.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!-- Generated with http://android-holo-colors.com -->
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

  <style name="ButtonAppTheme" parent="android:Widget.Holo.Light.Button">
      <item name="android:background">@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_holo_light</item>
  </style> 
</resources>

themes_apptheme.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!-- Generated with http://android-holo-colors.com -->
<resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

  <style name="AppTheme" parent="@style/_AppTheme"/>

  <style name="_AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light">

    <item name="android:editTextBackground">@drawable/apptheme_edit_text_holo_light</item>

    <item name="android:buttonStyle">@style/ButtonAppTheme</item>

  </style>

</resources>

In my Layout.xml file, i have defined my button as below

<Button
        android:id="@+id/btnAddTitle"
        android:layout_below="@id/edEnterTitleValue"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/btn_AddTitle"
        android:layout_margin="20dp"
/>

If i add the below line to the button view above,

android:background="@style/ButtonAppTheme"

Application crashes saying that drawable resource should be set for the background attribute.

So i created the below drawable file - abc.xml

<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:state_window_focused="false" android:state_enabled="true"
        android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_normal_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_window_focused="false" android:state_enabled="false"
        android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_disabled_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_pressed="true"
        android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_pressed_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_focused="true" android:state_enabled="true"
        android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_focused_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_enabled="true"
        android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_normal_holo_light" />
    <item android:state_focused="true"
        android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_disabled_focused_holo_light" />
    <item
         android:drawable="@drawable/apptheme_btn_default_disabled_holo_light" />
</selector>

If i set android:background="@drawable/abc" i dont see the style set in the button.

So please let me know how i can set the style for the button.

Thanks.

Answer 1

It would be rather simple if you do it this way.

First create a button_selector.xml in drawable folder.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
<item android:state_pressed="true" >
 <shape android:shape="rectangle"  >
     <corners android:radius="5dp" />
     <stroke android:width="1dip" android:color="@color/green_temp" />
     <gradient android:angle="-90" android:startColor="@color/green_temp" android:endColor="@color/green_temp"  />            
 </shape>
</item>
<item android:state_focused="true">
 <shape android:shape="rectangle"  >
     <corners android:radius="5dp" />
     <stroke android:width="1dip" android:color="#971E05" />
     <solid android:color="#58857e"/>       
 </shape>
</item>  
<item >
<shape android:shape="rectangle"  >
     <corners android:radius="5dp" />
     <stroke android:width="1dip" android:color="@color/bright_green" />
     <gradient android:angle="-90" android:startColor="@color/green_temp" android:endColor="@color/button_green" />            
 </shape>
</item>
</selector>

Add these colors in colors.xml of values folder.

<!-- Green -->
<color name="green_temp">#23A96E</color>
<color name="green_dark">#159204</color>
<color name="bright_green">#02D8B0</color>
<color name="button_green">#10a54a</color>

Finally in your desired button of layout.xml put background from above selector.

<Button
    android:id="@+id/btnAddTitle"
    android:layout_below="@id/edEnterTitleValue"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="@string/btn_AddTitle"
    android:background="@drawable/button_selector"
    android:layout_margin="20dp"
/>

Then its all done your button will be styled with color you want.