Text watcher in Android

Question

I have a program where i have an editText . I want to implement TextWatcher to reflect the changes in the total edittext. I want to show the alert dialog when editbox reach the max character limit 10. When i implement Text watcher it works but it show two alert box when it reach 10 character. here is my code

private TextWatcher mTextEditorWatcher = new TextWatcher() {
    public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count,
            int after) {
    }

    public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before,
            int count) {
        // This sets a textview to the current length
        // mTextView.setText(String.valueOf(s.length()));

    }

    public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
        if (s.length() == 10) {
            messageBody.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE);
            AlertDialog.Builder alert = new AlertDialog.Builder(
                    SendSms.this);

            alert.setMessage("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");
            alert.setPositiveButton("OK",
                    new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,
                                int whichButton) {

                        }
                    });

            alert.show();

        }

    }
};

Add `android:inputType="textNoSuggestions"` to EditText. This will work. Nonsence solution but works — Pankaj Kumar, Dec 06 '13 at 04:22
instead of `AlertDialog` you should use Toast or `mTextEditorWatcher.showError("")`; — SilentKiller, Dec 06 '13 at 04:26
In your XML properties for your EditText, you could add this: `android:maxLength="10"` — Michael Yaworski, Dec 06 '13 at 04:28

Venkatesh S · Answer 1 · 2013-12-06T04:48:37.397

 AlertDialog.Builder alertDialogBuilder = new AlertDialog.Builder(
             SendSms.this);
     AlertDialog alertDialog ;

 private TextWatcher mTextEditorWatcher = new TextWatcher() {
        public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count,
                int after) {
        }

        public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before,
                int count) {
            // This sets a textview to the current length
            // mTextView.setText(String.valueOf(s.length()));

      if (s.length() >= 10) {
                messageBody.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE);
                        alertDialogBuilder.setMessage("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");
         alertDialogBuilder.setPositiveButton("OK",
                 new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                     public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,
                             int whichButton) {

                     }
                 });

         alertDialog = alertDialogBuilder.create();
         if(alertDialog != null  && !alertDialog.isShowing()){
             alertDialog.show();
         }



            }
    else
    {
       mTextView.setText(String.valueOf(s.length()));
    }



        }

        public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {


        }
    };

I have editted the code . Globally declare alert Dialog and check whether alertDialog is already shown and then display the alert

the text watcher can't be implemented without afterTextChange(). — Gaurav kumar, Dec 06 '13 at 04:29
@Gauravkumar he still has the method in there. Just add it with no code in it. — Michael Yaworski, Dec 06 '13 at 04:29

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:49

1

This is common behavior of this method. You need to handle using flag.

Use this code

   private TextWatcher mTextEditorWatcher = new TextWatcher() {
        boolean flag = false; 

    @Override
    public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {
    }

    @Override
    public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count,
            int after) {
    }

    @Override
    public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
        if (s.length() == 10) {
            if (!flag) {
                messageBody.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE);
                AlertDialog.Builder alert = new AlertDialog.Builder(
                        SendSms.this);

                alert.setMessage("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");
                alert.setPositiveButton("OK",
                        new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,
                                    int whichButton) {

                            }
                        });

                alert.show();
            }
            flag = true; 
        } else {
            flag = false; 
        }

    }
});

Other references

TextWatcher events are being fired multiple times

Events of TextWatcher are being called twice

Better is to use setError. Read how to use it.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:49

Community

1
1

answered Dec 06 '13 at 04:46

Pankaj Kumar

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1

No no no. replace your code with this. See what as I updated the code – Pankaj Kumar Dec 06 '13 at 04:55
1

woo! thats nice!. Congs.. and one more thing you can do is `s.length() >= 10` instead of `s.length() == 10`. – Pankaj Kumar Dec 06 '13 at 05:06
sir i want to use test view bellow edittext. that shows that 150,149 character are left. can you help me ?? – Gaurav kumar Dec 06 '13 at 05:09
Yes sir :).. Read this http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3013791/live-character-count-for-edittext-android . See they have added `mTextView.setText(String.valueOf(s.length()));`. Here `mTextView` i the TextView where you want to show count of chars. – Pankaj Kumar Dec 06 '13 at 05:14
Read above, if any prob say me, will try to clear :) – Pankaj Kumar Dec 06 '13 at 05:14
sir i want to show. if i write 9 charcter in edit box then text view show that 151 character are left. if i write 29 character then textview show that 131 charcter are left – Gaurav kumar Dec 06 '13 at 05:16
let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/42621/discussion-between-pankaj-kumar-and-gaurav-kumar) – Pankaj Kumar Dec 06 '13 at 05:17

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 06 '13 at 04:22

Try this..

have you tried in onTextChanged

private TextWatcher mTextEditorWatcher = new TextWatcher() {
    public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count,
            int after) {
    }

    public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before,
            int count) {
        // This sets a textview to the current length
        // mTextView.setText(String.valueOf(s.length()));


        if (s.length() == 10) {
            messageBody.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE);
            AlertDialog.Builder alert = new AlertDialog.Builder(
                    SendSms.this);

            alert.setMessage("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");
            alert.setPositiveButton("OK",
                    new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,
                                int whichButton) {

                        }
                    });

            alert.show();

        }

    }

    public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {

    }
};

Why should this work instead of `afterTextChanged`? They should both give the same result. — Michael Yaworski, Dec 06 '13 at 04:30
@Gauravkumar if you type 10 letters it'll show one dialog then if you press ok then you type extra 1 letter then you erase that letter means then dialog will show. — Hariharan, Dec 06 '13 at 04:51

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 06 '13 at 04:34

Simply make the alert instance global it will work fine.

    private AlertDialog.Builder alert ;

in your onCreate

    alert = new AlertDialog.Builder(
                 RegisterActivity.this);

in your afterTextChanged

    public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
        if (s.length() == 10) {
            //messageBody.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE);
            alert.setMessage("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");
            alert.setPositiveButton("OK",
                    new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
                        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog,
                                int whichButton) {

                        }
                    });

            alert.show();

        }

    }

Gaurav in my case it is working fine. Dont put AlertDialog.Builder( RegisterActivity.this); in your afterTextChanged() method — Deniz, Dec 06 '13 at 04:46

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 06 '13 at 04:54

Hi I did such work for phone number, when it reaches 5 digits, it automatically put space. You can utilize my code. Please check below code.

public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before,
                int count) {
            if (s.length() == 5 && start == 4) {
                txtNumber.removeTextChangedListener(this);
                txtNumber.append(" ");
                txtNumber.addTextChangedListener(this);
            }
            if (s.length() == 6 && start == 5) {
                txtNumber.removeTextChangedListener(this);
                String newtext = s.toString().substring(0, s.length() - 1)
                        + " " + s.charAt(s.length() - 1);
                txtNumber.setText("");
                txtNumber.append(newtext);
                txtNumber.addTextChangedListener(this);
            }
        }

Let me know if you need more help

SilentKiller · Answer 6 · 2013-12-06T05:02:03.140

Try Following Code :

Global Instance :

private AlertDialog.Builder alert;

TextWatcher :

private TextWatcher mTextEditorWatcher = new TextWatcher() {

    public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {
    }

    public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {
        if (s.length() >= 10) {
            messageBody.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_DONE);
            // alert = new AlertDialog.Builder(MainActivity.this);
            // alert.setMessage("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");
            // alert.setPositiveButton("OK", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
            // public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int whichButton) {
            // }
            // });
            // alert.show();

            // Else you should use the following one to show error message
            messageBody.setError("You Cross the limit of 10 Words !");

        } else {
            messageBody.setError(null);
        }

    }

    public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
    }
};

Text watcher in Android

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