Capitalize every word in Edit text while typing

Question

I want to capitilze every word in edit text while typing.

My XML:-

<com.project.edittext.AutoFitEditText
                android:id="@+id/txt_name"
                style="@style/scan_text_fields_white_bg"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:digits="@string/validation_accept_all_except_special_char"
                android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
                android:imeOptions="flagNoExtractUi|actionDone"
                android:inputType="textNoSuggestions|textCapWords"
                android:maxLength="50"
                android:paddingBottom="3dp"
                android:paddingLeft="12dp"
                android:paddingRight="0dp"
                android:paddingTop="0dp"
                android:singleLine="true"
                android:textColor="@color/orange"
                />

Now I am using

mName.setInputType(InputType.TYPE_CLASS_TEXT | InputType.TYPE_TEXT_FLAG_CAP_WORDS);

But problem is it is not working in some device. Ex LG tablet. So I decided to do this programatically.

So I am using following codes.

public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub                   
                String mNameStr=s.toString();
                String finalStr="";
                if(!mNameStr.equals("")) {
                    String[] strArray = mNameStr.split("[\\s']");
                    if (strArray.length > 0) {
                        for (int i = 0; i < strArray.length; i++) {
                            finalStr+=capitalize(strArray[i]);
                        }
                        Logger.d("finalStr==> ", finalStr);
                    }
                }
                mName.setText(finalStr.toString());
            }



private String capitalize(final String line) {
        return Character.toUpperCase(line.charAt(0)) + line.substring(1);
    }

Here my app getting crash. I found the problem while debugging. Problem is the onTextChanged is not getting stopped. So that it execute continuously. Anyone help me to resolve my problem. I want to capitalize every word. Please suggest any solutions.

Possible duplicate of [How to capitalize every letter in an Android EditText?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13705776/how-to-capitalize-every-letter-in-an-android-edittext) — Jordi Castilla, Mar 01 '16 at 09:43
if its crashing then attach the logcat for the exception thrown — Bhargav, Mar 01 '16 at 09:45
I would suggest you to use `split("\\s+")` instead. Also, can you post your logcat. — Uma Kanth, Mar 01 '16 at 09:50
Crash issue is because of continuously executing. If I remove `mName.setText(finalStr)` it is working fine. Because if I do setText `onTextChanged` calling again. So it calling again and again. — Vijayadhas Chandrasekaran, Mar 01 '16 at 09:55
Finally I decided to do it programatically. Because I think it is not possible for this device. So please help me to do this by programatically. — Vijayadhas Chandrasekaran, Mar 01 '16 at 10:00
A Quick optimization would be only to captilize the sentence only if the last entered letter is after a space. — Uma Kanth, Mar 01 '16 at 10:02

Uma Kanth · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-01T10:44:10.337

The reason your code freezes is that the onChangeListener is triggered as soon as you setText.

You'll have to find a way to stop trigering if the text is the same.

For this you can use a temp string to store the prev value and compare each time the event triggers. This will keep the flow to be consistent and not looping.

String prevString = "";

In afterTextChanged

String mNameStr = s.toString();
String finalStr = "";
if (!mNameStr.equals("")) {
 String[] strArray = mNameStr.split("[\\s']");
 if (strArray.length > 0) {
  int i = 0;
  for (i = 0; i < strArray.length - 1; i++) {
   finalStr += capitalize(strArray[i]) + " ";
  }
  finalStr += capitalize(strArray[i]);
  Log.d("finalStr==> ", finalStr);
 }
}
if (!finalStr.equals(prevString)) {
 prevString = finalStr;
 editText.setText(finalStr.toString());
 editText.setSelection(finalStr.length());
}

An optimization to your code is to only capitalize the sentence if the last entered letter is after a space. You can see it implemented here.

editText.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {
        @Override
        public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {

        }

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

        }

        @Override
        public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
            String string = s.toString();
            Log.d("STRING", string + " " + prevString);
            if (string.equals(prevString)) {
                return;
            } else if (string.length() == 0)
                return;
            // 1st character
            else if (string.length() == 1) {
                prevString = string.toUpperCase();
                editText.setText(string.toUpperCase());
                editText.setSelection(string.length());
            }
            // if the last entered character is after a space 
            else if (string.length() > 0 && string.charAt(string.length() - 2) == ' ') {
                string = string.substring(0, string.length() - 1) + Character.toUpperCase(string.charAt(string.length() - 1));
                prevString = string;
                editText.setText(string);
                editText.setSelection(string.length());
            }
        }
    });

However, there is a down-side to the above method. This will not consider the case where in you change the cursor position and enter text.

PS: you can use getSelectionEnd() method and enhance the above method

I think it will work. I will check and let you know @Uma Kanth..!! — Vijayadhas Chandrasekaran, Mar 01 '16 at 10:35
Thank you Uma Kanth.. :-) It working FINE..!! Thanks AGAIN..!! — Vijayadhas Chandrasekaran, Mar 01 '16 at 11:10

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 24 '19 at 02:50

You can use any one of the following (in your .xml file), depending on what you need...

android:inputType="textCapCharacters"

android:inputType="textCapSentences"

android:inputType="textCapWords"

This is deprecated so don't use this android:capitalize="characters"

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

0

Do this in your xml design

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/txtName"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:inputType="textCapWords" />

Reference from this

EDIT

If not working then try this

android:capitalize="characters"

to edit text in xml.

Reference from this

edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

Community

1
1

answered Mar 01 '16 at 09:45

ELITE

5,815
3
19
29

I tried this. It is not working in particular devices. I am using LG tablet. It is not working in this tablet. – Vijayadhas Chandrasekaran Mar 01 '16 at 09:46
No luck :-( . I will add my XML also. – Vijayadhas Chandrasekaran Mar 01 '16 at 09:52
android:capitalize="characters" is deprecated – DragonFire Apr 24 '19 at 02:46

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 01 '16 at 09:46

0

Try this:

Add the following in the <EditText ../> in XML:

android:textAllCaps="true"

answered Mar 01 '16 at 09:46

Mohammad Arman

7,020
2
36
50

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 01 '16 at 10:05

0

There is a afterTextChanged event,you should try to use that method when your input has been temporary finished.

answered Mar 01 '16 at 10:05

zionpi

2,593
27
38

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Mar 02 '21 at 12:11

If you are looking for Kotlin code to make every later of word in EditText to capital. It will change first later to capital while typing.

 private fun handleFirstLatterCap() {
        var prevString = ""
        edittext.addTextChangedListener(object : TextWatcher {
            override fun beforeTextChanged(s: CharSequence, start: Int, count: Int, after: Int) {}
            override fun onTextChanged(s: CharSequence, start: Int, before: Int, count: Int) {}
            override fun afterTextChanged(s: Editable) {
                var str = s.toString()
                if (str == prevString) {
                    return
                } else if (str.isEmpty()) return else if (str.length == 1) {
                    prevString = str.toUpperCase()
                    edittext.setText(str.toUpperCase())
                    edittext.setSelection(str.length)
                } else if (str.isNotEmpty() && str[str.length - 2] == ' ') {
                    str = str.substring(
                        0,
                        str.length - 1
                    ) + Character.toUpperCase(str[str.length - 1])
                    prevString = str
                    edittext.setText(str)
                    edittext.setSelection(str.length)
                }
            }
        })
    }

Capitalize every word in Edit text while typing

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