Show soft keyboard (numeric) using AlertDialog.Builder

Question

I have an EditText in an AlertDialog, but when it pops up, I have to click on the text box before the keyboard pops up. This EditText is declared in the XML layout as "number", so when the EditText is clicked, a numeric keypad pops up. I want to eliminate this extra tap and have the numeric keypad pop up when the AlertDialog is loaded.

All of the other solutions I found involve using

dialog.getWindow().setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_ALWAYS_VISIBLE);

This is NOT an acceptable solution, as this results in the standard keyboard rather than the numeric keyboard popping up. Does anyone have a way to make the numeric keyboard pop up in an AlertDialog, preferably while keeping my layout defined in XML?

AlertDialog dialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(this)
    .setTitle("Mark Runs")
    .setView(markRunsView)
    .setPositiveButton("OK", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {                        
        @Override
        public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {
            EditText runs = (EditText)markRunsView.findViewById(R.id.runs_marked);
            int numRuns = Integer.parseInt(runs.getText().toString());
         // ...
        })
    .setNegativeButton("Cancel", null)
    .show();

Edit: I want to be perfectly clear that my layout already has:

android:inputType="number"
android:numeric="integer"

I also tried this:

//...
.setNegativeButton("Cancel", null)
.create();
EditText runs = (EditText)markRunsView.findViewById(R.id.runs_marked);
runs.setInputType(InputType.TYPE_CLASS_NUMBER);
dialog.getWindow().setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_ALWAYS_VISIBLE);
dialog.show();

but that also did not work. With the setSoftInputMode line, I still get the full keyboard when the AlertDialog loads; without it, I still get nothing. In either case, tapping on the text box will bring up the numeric keypad.

Edit Again:

This is the XML for the EditText

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/runs_marked"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginLeft="4dip"
    android:inputType="number"
    android:numeric="integer">
    <requestFocus/>
</EditText>

aha, here's the answer i think http://stackoverflow.com/a/4551412/62068 — topwik, Nov 15 '12 at 15:01

Ruocco · Answer 1 · 2015-05-12T21:53:02.700

Coming a bit late, but today I had this same problem. This is how I solved it:

Call the keyboard when the Dialog opens just like you did:

 dialog.getWindow().setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_ALWAYS_VISIBLE);

Now, into the Dialog I'm assuming you have a EditText field that accepts only numbers. Just request focus on that field and the standard keybord will automatically transform into the numeric keyboard:

final EditText valueView = (EditText) dialogView.findViewById(R.id.editText);
valueView.requestFocus();

Now you just have to remember to dismiss the keyboard once you're done with the Dialog. Just put this in the positive/negative/neutral button click listener:

InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager)getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(valueView.getWindowToken(), 0);

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 25 '11 at 10:37

2

Just try to set the InputType by using setInputType().

EditText runs = (EditText)markRunsView.findViewById(R.id.runs_marked);
runs.setInputType(InputType.TYPE_NUMBER_FLAG_DECIMAL);

answered Sep 25 '11 at 10:37

Paresh Mayani

127,700
71
241
295

That does not work. When I tap the box, the numeric keypad is shown; the problem is that it doesn't show when the AlertDialog is displayed. – Michael Q Sep 25 '11 at 18:09

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:07

I think that you should keep on using the setSoftInputMethod hack but also provide hints to android that you want a numeric input.

Using xml layout attributes

For this, you can use several xml attributes to your EditText xml definition (see android:inputType for available options)

Examples:

<EditText android:inputType="phone" ...
<EditText android:inputType="number" ...
<EditText android:inputType="numberSigned" ...
<EditText android:inputType="numberDecimal" ...

You can also both hint android to show digital keyboard and restrict input to acceptable characters with android:numeric

Examples:

<EditText android:numeric="integer" ...
<EditText android:numeric="signed" ...
<EditText android:numeric="decimal" ...

Programatically

Use EditText.setRawInputType(int) with constants such as TYPE_CLASS_NUMBER you will find in android:inputType
or TextView.setKeyListener(new NumberKeyListener())

EDIT

AlertDialog focus by default on the positive button. It seems that it is what is causing trouble here. You may look at this similar question and its answer.

My XML layout already had android:inputType="number". I added android:numeric="integer", but that didn't fix anything. The setSoftInputMethod hack still results in the full keyboard coming up (though the box won't accept anything but numbers). The only way the numeric keypad will show up is if I actually tap the box. — Michael Q, Sep 25 '11 at 18:08

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 25 '11 at 18:34

0

Try to specify in layout xml for your edit box:

<EditText ...>
  <requestFocus/>
</EditText>

answered Sep 25 '11 at 18:34

trashkalmar

883
5
11

I already have that, and it doesn't work. It seems to work everywhere except in an AlertDialog. – Michael Q Sep 25 '11 at 18:35

Show soft keyboard (numeric) using AlertDialog.Builder

4 Answers4