B4A Library StdActionBar - Another ActionBar library

StdActionBar (Standard ActionBar) library is based on the native ActionBar API, therefore it is only supported by Android 4+.

StdActionBar / StdViewPager tutorial: ActionBar / Sliding Pages tutorial

The share of Android 2.x devices is dropping and currently (January 2014) it is only 24%.

This library allows you to add tabs and dropdown list to the action bar:

The attached example demonstrates both modes. You should change the navigation mode to see the two modes.

List mode

Adding a list is very simple. You set the NavigationMode:

bar.NavigationMode = bar.NAVIGATION_MODE_LIST

Add the items:

bar.SetListItems(Array As String("Dropdown 1", "Dropdown 2", "Dropdown 3"))

And handle the event:

Sub bar_ListItemSelected (Index As Int, Value As String)
   Log("Selected value: " & Value)
End Sub

Tabs mode

Unlike TabHost, the tabs do not hold any views. You are responsible for switching the layout based on the selected tab.

The first step is to set the navigation mode:

bar.NavigationMode = bar.NAVIGATION_MODE_TABS

Then we add the tabs:

bar.AddTab("Tab 1")

bar.AddTab returns a StdTab object. We can use it to modify the tabs:

bar.AddTab("Tab 1").Tag = panel1
bar.AddTab("Tab 2").Tag = panel2
'Add icon to tab 3
Dim tb As StdTab = bar.AddTab("Tab 3")
tb.Tag = panel3
Dim bd As BitmapDrawable
bd.Initialize(LoadBitmap(File.DirAssets, "ic_small.png"))
tb.Icon = bd

In the above code we add three tabs and use the tabs tag property to store a panel in each tab. Later we will use these panels to switch the layout.

When the TabChanged event is raised we clear the current layout and show the new layout.

Sub bar_TabChanged(Index As Int, STab As StdTab)
   Activity.RemoveAllViews
   Dim pnl As Panel = STab.Tag
   Dim height As Int
   If 100%y > 100%x Then
     height = 100%y - 48dip 'fix for the additional tabs height
   Else
     height = 100%y
   End If
   Activity.AddView(pnl, 0, 0, 100%x, height)
   If pnl.NumberOfViews = 0 Then
     pnl.LoadLayout(Index)
   End If
End Sub

Note that the attached example uses the Holo.Light theme. This is done with this manifest editor line:

SetApplicationAttribute(android:theme, "@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light")

V1.52 is released. Fixes an incompatibility with Android 5.0. Note that the ButtonClicked event will not work on these devices.

You should use Activity_ActionBarHomeClick event instead.

 

[Erel]

It will be included in the next version. It is not far away.

 

[gadgetmonster]

Thanks Erel,

Sorry, I know i'm nagging but are we talking a matter of days or weeks. Just need to make a decision if I should release my update or hold back for this update

 

[Erel]

Weeks.

 

[Marco Nissen]

is there a workaround that we could use to simulate the behavior? can I position a button on the top left?

 

[Erel]

Not without removing the action bar.

Note that in the new material design there is no icon at all.

 

[Marco Nissen]

my gmail app still has as an icon, left to the inbox title

 

[gadgetmonster]

Not without removing the action bar.

Note that in the new material design there is no icon at all.

According to the Google specs there is:

http://www.google.com/design/spec/layout/structure.html#structure-app-bar

"If your app has a side nav, the control to open/close the side nav is on the left side of the app bar. The control can also morph into an up arrow for page navigation."

 

[shashkiranr]

Hi Erel,

How to get the Standard Bar height?

Regards,
SK

 

[Erel]

Hi Erel,

This is a community forum. Please don't limit your questions to a single member.

See the CalculateHeight sub: ActionBar / Sliding Pages tutorial

 

[shashkiranr]

I will follow that, Thank you

 

[Marco Nissen]

Not without removing the action bar.
Note that in the new material design there is no icon at all.

Should I remove the action bar? Is that the recommendation?

 

[corwin42]

Should I remove the action bar? Is that the recommendation?

No, just wait for the next B4A version. Or use the beta version which was released today.

 

[Marco Nissen]

No, just wait for the next B4A version. Or use the beta version which was released today.

no change in the beta version, i.e. I have a StdActionBar object with event name bar and bar_buttonclicked is not called in Lollipop

 

[ggpanta]

The Beta hasnt fixed the issue with LP, I hope it gets fixed soon.

 

[Erel]

You should use Activity_ActionBarHomeClick event instead.

 

[Marco Nissen]

You should use Activity_ActionBarHomeClick event instead.

tried that, but this event is not called

I have
* nexus7 2013
* lollipop
* stdactionbar 1.52
* b4abeta

Private bar As StdActionBar

bar.Initialize("bar")


Sub bar_ActionBarHomeClick
Log("bar button clicked")
End Sub

 

[Erel]

The new event is not related to this library.

It is an activity event:

Private Sub Activity_ActionBarHomeClick
 Log("click")
End Sub

 

[Marco Nissen]

The new event is not related to this library.

It is an activity event:

Private Sub Activity_ActionBarHomeClick
Log("click")
End Sub

Ah I see, that makes sense and works !

 

[netcobra]

First one is my code，same as sample，Second one is sample，why color is changing？

 

[Croïd]

Look manifest :

SetApplicationAttribute(android:theme, "@android:style/Theme.Holo.Light")