Best way to create a bottom toolbar in android.

Question

Looking for a good approach to achieve a similar toolbar. Should I use image buttons ??

Answer 1

I know this question is super old, but I figure it's never too late to answer for other peoples sake who are searching for the same thing. I just found this tutorial and these official docs on the subject now that bottom navs are officially supported by Android and are a part of the material design guidelines if your app has 3 to 5 top level navigation locations. I hope this helps someone else, because I spent a good bit of time looking around for this.

Answer 2

I shared my solution on GitHub. It is for Xamarin but the layouts are the same.

http://behsaadramez.com/2015/11/26/androidbottomtoolbar/

Answer 3

Well, last time I tried to do this I've used Buttons at the bottom of the layout wrapped by a LinearLayout, something like this:

<LinearLayout>
// The other stuff on the view
(...)
</LinearLayout>
// (This is the part you can try to use as a toolbar)
<LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

    <Button
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom"
        style="?android:attr/borderlessButtonStyle"
        android:textStyle="bold"
        android:background="@drawable/button_tab"
        android:textColor="#ffffffff"
        android:text="@string/bt_orders"
        android:id="@+id/bt_orders"
        android:layout_weight="1" />

    <Button
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom"
        style="?android:attr/borderlessButtonStyle"
        android:textStyle="bold"
        android:background="@drawable/button_tab"
        android:textColor="#ffffffff"
        android:text="@string/bt_credit"
        android:id="@+id/bt_credit"
        android:layout_weight="1" />
</LinearLayout>

And if you're curious about the style and background I've used, here it is:

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

<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:state_pressed="true">
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <stroke
                android:width="1dp"
                android:color="@color/button_pressed" />
            <solid android:color="@color/button_pressed" />
        </shape>
    </item>
    <item android:state_focused="true" >
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <stroke
                android:width="1dp"
                android:color="@color/button_focus" />
            <solid android:color="@color/button_focus" />
        </shape>
    </item>
    <item>
        <shape android:shape="rectangle">
            <stroke
                android:width="1dp"
                android:color="@color/button_normal" />
            <solid android:color="@color/button_normal" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</selector>

Answer 4

I came to this question sometime back. I was unable to add text below the buttons. I have written an article how I solved the problem with code snippet and screenshot here, create goolge plus like toolbar in android

Answer 5

<android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar  xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:id="@+id/actionbarT"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="@drawable/thebackgroundimageyouwant"
android:minHeight="?attr/actionBarSize"
app:theme="@style/Base.Theme.AppCompat.CompactMenu" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/toolbarmenucontainer"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:weightSum="3"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="horizontal" >

        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:background="@drawable/preferedbackground"
            android:clickable="true"
            android:scaleType="fitXY"
            android:layout_weight = "1"
            android:src="@drawable/preferredimage" />

         <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:background="@drawable/preferedbackground"
            android:clickable="true"
            android:scaleType="fitXY"
            android:layout_weight = "1"
            android:src="@drawable/preferredimage" />

        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:background="@drawable/preferedbackground"
            android:clickable="true"
            android:scaleType="fitXY"
            android:layout_weight = "1"
            android:src="@drawable/preferredimage" />

    </LinearLayout>

</android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar>

the idea is they will lay out horizontally like the one you want, also then do not do ToolBar.setTitle() or setnagivation on the ToolBar also you don't have to add optionsMenu to it. so it will be bare like the one you want.

try it and see if it fits your requirement, remember to add the background and image src to the ImageButtons