Unable to add attribute primary color in android drawable xml

Question

I have my theme defined as

<style name="AppThemeRed" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.NoActionBar">
        <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimaryRed</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDarkRed</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccentRed</item>
    </style>

In my XML layouts, I am doing

<android.support.design.widget.AppBarLayout
        android:background="?attr/colorPrimary"
        android:id="@+id/topBar"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme.AppBarOverlay">

Whenever I change any theme the colorPrimary changes

However, if I have the same thing added in drawable e.g

<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:state_pressed="true">
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <solid android:color="?attr/colorPrimary" />
            <corners android:radius="5dp"/>
        </shape>
    </item>
    <item>
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <solid android:color="?attr/colorPrimary" />
            <corners android:radius="5dp"/>
        </shape>
    </item>
</selector>

It crashes with unable to inflate view, the view which has background set as @drawabe/xxxx

How can I define theme color attribute in my XML drawable

do you get any `android.view.InflateException: Binary XML file line`... ex? — Charuක, Jan 06 '17 at 05:17
we cannot use `android:color` in , we need to use `android:drawable` to set background, — Charuක, Jan 06 '17 at 05:24
@Charuka the problem is how to define attributed color to drawable since i am changing themes and for each theme there is a separate color. In layout xml it works but in drawable xml it doesn't — Muhammad Umar, Jan 06 '17 at 05:26
@MuhammadUmar i told you way of defining attributed color in drawble in my answer ... use it as you want — Abhishek Singh, Jan 06 '17 at 05:37

Abhishek Singh · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-06T05:27:16.347

4

just replace...

android:color="?attr/colorPrimary"

to...

android:color="@color/colorPrimaryRed"

Update

It is not possible to reference an attribute in an xml drawable below API 21. In order to make your theme you need to:

Create one xml drawable per theme. Include the needed color into you drawable directly with the @color tag or #RGB format.

Make an attribute for your drawable in attrs.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <!-- Attributes must be lowercase as we want to use them for drawables -->
    <attr name="my_drawable" format="reference" />
</resources>

Add your drawable to your theme.xml.

<style name="MyTheme" parent="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar">
   <item name="my_drawable">@drawable/my_drawable</item>
</style>

Reference your drawable in your layout using your attribute.

<TextView android:background="?my_drawable" />

edited Jan 06 '17 at 05:27

answered Jan 06 '17 at 05:17

Abhishek Singh

9,008
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i dont want to do that :) – Muhammad Umar Jan 06 '17 at 05:22
1

@Abi do u see the selector xml, thats what i want to change, The layout xml already works fine. – Muhammad Umar Jan 06 '17 at 05:29
android:background="?attr/colorPrimary" this WORKS, this doesn't – Muhammad Umar Jan 06 '17 at 05:30
@MuhammadUmar try `?colorPrimary` or `?android:colorPrimary` – Abhishek Singh Jan 06 '17 at 05:32

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:32

0

This seems to be supported on API 21+. Below that you cannot reference an attribute in drawable. https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=26251.

This might help for workarounds: How to reference style attributes from a drawable?

edited May 23 '17 at 12:32

Community

1
1

answered Jan 06 '17 at 05:05

Amey Shirke

599
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the workaround says its for 21+ API. my minimum is 16 – Muhammad Umar Jan 06 '17 at 05:26
Might help: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8041537/how-to-reference-style-attributes-from-a-drawable – Amey Shirke Jan 06 '17 at 05:37

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 06 '17 at 05:52

0

Can you please try

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

instead of

<solid android:color="?attr/colorPrimary" />

answered Jan 06 '17 at 05:52

Mahesh

974
6
12

Doesn't work mate. First one is obviously 21+ and other one is what i am doing and getting a crash – Muhammad Umar Jan 06 '17 at 05:54

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 06 '17 at 06:17

0

You can use :-

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

answered Jan 06 '17 at 06:17

Nainal

1,728
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Unable to add attribute primary color in android drawable xml

4 Answers4