Android: combining text & image on a Button or Ima

Question

I'm trying to have an image (as the background) on a button and add dynamically, depending on what's happening during run-time, some text above/over the image.

If I use ImageButton I don't even have the possibility to add text. If I use Button I can add text but only define an image with android:drawableBottom and similar XML attributes as defined here.

However these attributes only combine text & image in x- and y-dimensions, meaning I can draw an image around my text, but not below/under my text (with the z-axis defined as coming out of the display).

Any suggestions on how to do this? One idea would be to either extend Button or ImageButton and override the draw()-method. But with my current level of knowledge I don't really know how to do this (2D rendering). Maybe someone with more experience knows a solution or at least some pointers to start?

Answer 1

Just use a LinearLayout and pretend it's a Button - setting background and clickable is the key:

<LinearLayout
    android:id="@+id/button"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@android:drawable/btn_default"
    android:clickable="true"
    android:orientation="horizontal" >

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/img"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
        android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
        android:src="@drawable/image" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
        android:layout_margin="5dp"
        android:text="Do stuff" />
</LinearLayout>

Answer 2

For users who just want to put Background, Icon-Image and Text in one Button from different files: Set on a Button background, drawableTop/Bottom/Rigth/Left and padding attributes.

<Button
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@drawable/home_btn_test"
        android:drawableTop="@drawable/home_icon_test"
        android:textColor="#FFFFFF"
        android:id="@+id/ButtonTest"
        android:paddingTop="32sp"
        android:drawablePadding="-15sp"
        android:text="this is text"></Button>

For more sophisticated arrangement you also can use RelativeLayout and make it clickable.

Tutorial: Great tutorial that covers both cases: http://izvornikod.com/Blog/tabid/82/EntryId/8/Creating-Android-button-with-image-and-text-using-relative-layout.aspx