I'm facing some complexities when developing a medium-complex Android application. I'm searching for information about the possibility of using code-behind-like techniques for easier maintanability of Android software.
Currently (please highlight anything wrong), I have found that in order to make a multi-step wizard with extra dialogs (eg. dialogs that are not part of the main sequence) I need to code a single XML layout file with a single ViewFlipper containing each subview as child node. Today I discovered how to navigate across views more than forward/backward (viewFlipper.setDisplayedChild(i)), giving access to extra views.
Now all the Java code is contained within the main Activity class, which is beginning to look bad. As an experienced .NET developer I have learned how to use custom controls to wrap both layout and business logic inside modules.
I know that in Android I can define a view programmatically as an independent class and add it to the main layout programmatically, however I want to know if it's possible in Android to define a layout by XML (for easier WYSIWYG creation/editing) and define all the code within a dedicated class, with initialization logic, button callbacks, async tasks, etc.
I'm not sure if it's feasible or there is a good compromise that can be achieved.
I have read this question without clearing my doubts.
Thank you.
Code examples:
An extract of the layout file (I expect 4 wizard steps, a help view and an EULA view)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ViewFlipper xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@+id/view_phone"
style="@android:style/Theme.Light.NoTitleBar"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
<!-- First screen/welcome -->
<LinearLayout
android:id="@+id/view_phone_screen1"
style="@android:style/Theme.Light.NoTitleBar"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:weightSum="100" >
<TextView
android:id="@+id/view_phone_screen1_lblChooseProvider"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal"
android:text="@string/view_phone_lblChooseProvider_1ststep"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />
<ImageButton
android:id="@+id/view_phone_btnFrecciarossa"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:clickable="true"
android:contentDescription="@string/provider_FRECCIAROSSA"
android:gravity="center_vertical|clip_vertical"
android:padding="10dp"
android:src="@drawable/logo_frecciarossa"
android:tag="@+id/provider_FRECCIAROSSA" />
<ImageButton
android:id="@+id/view_phone_btnItalo"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:clickable="true"
android:contentDescription="@string/provider_ITALO"
android:gravity="center_vertical|clip_vertical"
android:padding="10dp"
android:src="@drawable/logo_italo"
android:tag="@+id/provider_ITALO" />
</LinearLayout>
<!-- Second screen - will need to do some asynchronous task -->
<RelativeLayout
android:id="@+id/view_phone_screen2"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
<TextView
android:id="@+id/view_phone_screen2_lblConnectingToWifi"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal"
android:text="@string/view_phone_lblConnectToWifi_2ndstep"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/view_phone_step2_lblConnectedToWifi"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_below="@+id/imageView1"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginTop="58dp"
android:text="@string/view_phone_step2_connectingToWifi"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/view_phone_step2_lblPhoneNumber"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/editText1"
android:layout_below="@+id/view_phone_step2_lblConnectedToWifi"
android:layout_marginTop="51dp"
android:text="@string/view_phone_step2_msgInputPhoneNumber"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/view_phone_step2_lblUnableDetectPhoneNumber"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:text="@string/view_phone_step2_msgUnableDetectPhoneNumber"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
android:visibility="invisible" />
<Button
android:id="@+id/view_phone_screen2_backward"
style="@style/buttonBackward" />
<Button
android:id="@+id/view_phone_screen2_forward"
style="@style/buttonForward_disabled"
android:enabled="false" />
<EditText
android:id="@+id/view_phone_step2_txtPhoneNumber"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignRight="@+id/view_phone_step2_lblPhoneNumber"
android:layout_below="@+id/view_phone_step2_lblPhoneNumber"
android:inputType="phone"
android:singleLine="true" >
<requestFocus />
</EditText>
</RelativeLayout>
</ViewFlipper>
Code example from Activity (expect to implement ALL the logic of 4+2 step wizard)
public class MyActivity extends Activity {
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
private final static String LOG_TAG = "LOG_TAG";
private int stepNumber;
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
this.requestWindowFeature(Window.FEATURE_NO_TITLE);
this.setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
this.stepNumber=1;
setContentView(R.layout.view_phone);
//This class wraps the click for the two buttons
ProviderSelectionListener providerSelectionListener = new ProviderSelectionListener(this);
this.findViewById(R.id.view_phone_btnFrecciarossa).setOnClickListener(providerSelectionListener);
this.findViewById(R.id.view_phone_btnItalo).setOnClickListener(providerSelectionListener);
}
@Override
protected void onPause() {
super.onPause();
try {
if (MyApplication.getPlatformManager() != null)
MyApplication.getPlatformManager().onApplicationPause();
} catch (MyCustomException e) {
// WTF (Worse Than Failure!)
Log.e(LOG_TAG, super.getString(R.string.zf_error_unknown_error_pauseactivity), e);
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
@Override
protected void onResume() {
super.onResume();
try {
if (MyApplication.getPlatformManager() != null)
MyApplication.getPlatformManager().onApplicationResume();
} catch (MyCustomException e) {
// WTF (Worse Than Failure!)
Log.e(LOG_TAG, super.getString(R.string.zf_error_unknown_error_pauseactivity), e);
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
/*
* SLIDE INIZIO
*/
protected void slideNext() {
ViewFlipper vf = (ViewFlipper) findViewById(R.id.view_phone);
vf.setOutAnimation(getApplicationContext(), R.anim.slide_out_left);
vf.setInAnimation(getApplicationContext(), R.anim.slide_in_right);
vf.showNext();
}
protected void slidePrevious() {
ViewFlipper vf = (ViewFlipper) findViewById(R.id.view_phone);
vf.setOutAnimation(getApplicationContext(), R.anim.slide_out_right);
vf.setInAnimation(getApplicationContext(), R.anim.slide_in_left);
vf.showPrevious();
}
/*
* SLIDE FINE
*/
/*
* STEP 1 INIZIO
*/
public void completeStep1(ISmsWifiProvider provider) {
if (provider == null) {
Log.e(LOG_TAG, "Provider nullo");
return;
}
MyApplication.setAuthenticationProvider(provider);
slideNext();
initializeStep2();
}
public void returnToStep1() {
MyApplication.setAuthenticationProvider(null);
slidePrevious();
}
/*
* STEP 1 FINE
*/
/*
* STEP 2 INIZIO
*/
private void initializeStep2() {
// Event handler
Button backButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.view_phone_screen2_backward), fwButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.view_phone_screen2_forward);
fwButton.setEnabled(false);
backButton.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
@Override
public void onClick(View v) {
returnToStep1();
}
});
}
/*
* STEP 2 FINE
*/
@Override
public void onBackPressed() {
// This will be called either automatically for you on 2.0
// or later, or by the code above on earlier versions of the
// platform.
return;
}
}
