Android - Display HTML Formatted String

Question

I need an example of how to display the strings that I have marked up with simple html into a TextView. I have found "Spanned fromHtml(String source)", but I don't know how to plug it into my java code.

Here is my Java:

package com.SorenWinslow.TriumphHistory;

import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;

public class TriumphHistory extends ListActivity {
    String[] HistoryList;

    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        ArrayAdapter<String> adapter;
        HistoryList = getResources().getStringArray(R.array.history);
        adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String> (this,R.layout.historylistlayout,HistoryList);
        setListAdapter(adapter);

    }
}

Here is a sample of history:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
<string-array name="history">
<item><b>1883</b><br/>Some stuff happened</item>
<item><b>1884</b><br/>Some more stuff happened <i>before</i> the other stuff
</item>
<resources>

Here is my historylistlayout.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@android:id/text1"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
    android:gravity="center_vertical"
    android:textColor="#ffffff"
    android:background="#000050"
    android:layout_marginTop="5px"
    android:minHeight="?android:attr/listPreferredItemHeight"
    android:padding="3px" 
    android:textSize="8pt" android:layout_gravity="top|left"/>

And here is my main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>


<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:textColor="#ffffff"
    android:background="#000080" 
    android:isScrollContainer="true" 
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:scrollbarStyle="insideOverlay">

  <ListView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@android:id/list"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:clickable="true" 
    android:dividerHeight="1px"/>

</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

Use the function you mentioned to return a spanned and then set the text of your textview using the toString of the returned Spanned object like so to achieve formatted text:

Spanned marked_up = Html.fromHtml(yourTextWithHTML);
((TextView) findViewById(R.id.text1)).setText(marked_up.toString());

This will work where yourTextWithHTML is any of the Strings within the item tags you posted. eg "<b>1883</b><br/>Some stuff happened"

Answer 2

Hi this is simple...If we want to use a html file instead of simple text of string type(AS yourTextWithHTML) in the above saple...how to do??

Regards,

vani

Answer 3

    Spanned spannedContent = Html.fromHtml(htmlString);
    textView.setText(spannedContent, BufferType.SPANNABLE);