Storing hex color values in strings.xml

Question

I'm trying to store the hex color value of my text in strings.xml so all the layout files will refer to that (to be able to quickly change all layout text for the project easily) however I'm having trouble referring to it.

Using android:textColor="#FFFFFF" in my xml layout works fine. However using android:textColor="@strings/textColor" gives me an error both when I include a # and not include.

When I don't include the # it asks for the #. When I do add the # DDMS reports:

07-13 04:35:22.870: ERROR/AndroidRuntime(331): Caused by: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: File #FF0000 from drawable resource ID #0x7f040003: .xml extension required

Does anyone know how I can combine statements in the layout file? eg textColor="#"+"@strings/textColor and then just set the string to "FFFFFF" for example.

Answer 1

You can declare explicit color resources. By convention these are placed in res/values/colors.xml:

<resources>
    <color name="my_color">#FFFFFFFF</color>
</resources>

Then in layouts or elsewhere you can write android:textColor="@color/my_color"

Answer 2

For that you can do one thing: Define colors.xml inside the values folder and then add your color value with # as given below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <color name="myColor">#000000</color>
</resources>

Then how do you refer this color value inside the application:

static:

android:textColor="@color/myColor"

Coding:

TextView1.setTextColor(R.color.myColor);

Answer 3

Use these Colors

<color name="Maroon">#800000</color>
<color name="Aquamarine">#7FFFD4</color>
<color name="Chartreuse">#7FFF00</color>
<color name="LawnGreen">#7CFC00</color>
<color name="MediumSlateBlue">#7B68EE</color>
<color name="LightSlateGray">#778899</color>
<color name="SlateGray">#708090</color>
<color name="OliveDrab">#6B8E23</color>
<color name="SlateBlue">#6A5ACD</color>
<color name="DimGray">#696969</color>
<color name="MediumAquamarine">#66CDAA</color>
<color name="CornflowerBlue">#6495ED</color>
<color name="CadetBlue">#5F9EA0</color>
<color name="DarkOliveGreen">#556B2F</color>
<color name="Indigo">#4B0082</color>
<color name="MediumTurquoise">#48D1CC</color>
<color name="DarkSlateBlue">#483D8B</color>
<color name="SteelBlue">#4682B4</color>
<color name="RoyalBlue">#4169E1</color>
<color name="Turquoise">#40E0D0</color>
<color name="MediumSeaGreen">#3CB371</color>
<color name="LimeGreen">#32CD32</color>
<color name="DarkSlateGray">#2F4F4F</color>
<color name="SeaGreen">#2E8B57</color>
<color name="ForestGreen">#228B22</color>
<color name="LightSeaGreen">#20B2AA</color>
<color name="DodgerBlue">#1E90FF</color>
<color name="MidnightBlue">#191970</color>
<color name="Aqua">#00FFFF</color>
<color name="Cyan">#00FFFF</color>
<color name="SpringGreen">#00FF7F</color>
<color name="Lime">#00FF00</color>
<color name="MediumSpringGreen">#00FA9A</color>
<color name="DarkTurquoise">#00CED1</color>
<color name="DeepSkyBlue">#00BFFF</color>
<color name="DarkCyan">#008B8B</color>
<color name="Teal">#008080</color>
<color name="Green">#008000</color>
<color name="DarkGreen">#006400</color>
<color name="Blue">#0000FF</color>
<color name="MediumBlue">#0000CD</color>
<color name="DarkBlue">#00008B</color>
<color name="Navy">#000080</color>
<color name="Black">#000000</color>
<color name="Transparent">#00000000</color>


<drawable name="screen_background_light">#ffffffff</drawable>
<drawable name="screen_background_dark">#ff000000</drawable>
<drawable name="status_bar_closed_default_background">#ff000000</drawable>
<drawable name="status_bar_opened_default_background">#ff000000</drawable>
<drawable name="notification_item_background_color">#ff111111</drawable>
<drawable name="notification_item_background_color_pressed">#ff454545</drawable>
<drawable name="search_bar_default_color">#ff000000</drawable>
<drawable name="safe_mode_background">#60000000</drawable>

<drawable name="screen_background_dark_transparent">#80000000</drawable>

<drawable name="screen_background_light_transparent">#80ffffff</drawable>

<color name="safe_mode_text">#80ffffff</color>
<color name="white">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="black">#ff000000</color>
<color name="transparent">#00000000</color>
<color name="background_dark">#ff000000</color>
<color name="background_light">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="bright_foreground_dark">@android:color/background_light</color>
<color name="bright_foreground_light">@android:color/background_dark</color>
<color name="bright_foreground_dark_disabled">#80ffffff</color>
<color name="bright_foreground_light_disabled">#80000000</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_dark">#bebebe</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_dark_disabled">#80bebebe</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_dark_inverse">#323232</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_dark_inverse_disabled">#80323232</color>
<color name="hint_foreground_dark">#808080</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_light">#323232</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_light_disabled">#80323232</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_light_inverse">#bebebe</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_light_inverse_disabled">#80bebebe</color>
<color name="hint_foreground_light">#808080</color>
<color name="highlighted_text_dark">#9983CC39</color>
<color name="highlighted_text_light">#9983CC39</color>
<color name="link_text_dark">#5c5cff</color>
<color name="link_text_light">#0000ee</color>
<color name="suggestion_highlight_text">#177bbd</color>


<color name="input_method_navigation_guard">#ff000000</color>

<!-- For date picker widget -->
<drawable name="selected_day_background">#ff0092f4</drawable>

<!-- For settings framework -->
<color name="lighter_gray">#ffffd</color>
<color name="darker_gray">#aaa</color>

<!-- For security permissions -->
<color name="perms_dangerous_grp_color">#33b5e5</color>
<color name="perms_dangerous_perm_color">#33b5e5</color>
<color name="shadow">#cc222222</color>
<color name="perms_costs_money">#ffffbb33</color>

<!-- For search-related UIs -->
<color name="search_url_text_normal">#7fa87f</color>
<color name="search_url_text_selected">@android:color/black</color>
<color name="search_url_text_pressed">@android:color/black</color>

<!-- SlidingTab -->
<color name="sliding_tab_text_color_active">@android:color/black</color>
<color name="sliding_tab_text_color_shadow">@android:color/black</color>

<!-- keyguard tab -->
<color name="keyguard_text_color_normal">#ffffff</color>
<color name="keyguard_text_color_unlock">#a7d84c</color>
<color name="keyguard_text_color_soundoff">#ffffff</color>
<color name="keyguard_text_color_soundon">#e69310</color>
<color name="keyguard_text_color_decline">#fe0a5a</color>

<!-- keyguard clock -->
<color name="lockscreen_clock_background">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="lockscreen_clock_foreground">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="lockscreen_clock_am_pm">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="lockscreen_owner_info">#ff9a9a9a</color>

<!-- keyguard overscroll widget pager -->
<color name="kg_multi_user_text_active">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="kg_multi_user_text_inactive">#ff808080</color>
<color name="kg_widget_pager_gradient">#ffffffff</color>

<!-- FaceLock -->
<color name="facelock_spotlight_mask">#CC000000</color>

<!-- For holo theme -->
<drawable name="screen_background_holo_light">#fff3f3f3</drawable>
<drawable name="screen_background_holo_dark">#ff000000</drawable>

<color name="background_holo_dark">#ff000000</color>
<color name="background_holo_light">#fff3f3f3</color>
<color name="bright_foreground_disabled_holo_dark">#ff4c4c4c</color>
<color name="bright_foreground_disabled_holo_light">#ffb2b2b2</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_holo_dark">#bebebe</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_disabled_holo_dark">#80bebebe</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_inverse_holo_dark">#323232</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_inverse_disabled_holo_dark">#80323232</color>
<color name="hint_foreground_holo_dark">#808080</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_holo_light">#323232</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_disabled_holo_light">#80323232</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_inverse_holo_light">#bebebe</color>
<color name="dim_foreground_inverse_disabled_holo_light">#80bebebe</color>
<color name="hint_foreground_holo_light">#808080</color>
<color name="highlighted_text_holo_dark">#6633b5e5</color>
<color name="highlighted_text_holo_light">#6633b5e5</color>
<color name="link_text_holo_dark">#5c5cff</color>
<color name="link_text_holo_light">#0000ee</color>

<!-- Group buttons -->
<eat-comment/>

<color name="group_button_dialog_pressed_holo_dark">#46c5c1ff</color>
<color name="group_button_dialog_focused_holo_dark">#2699cc00</color>
<color name="group_button_dialog_pressed_holo_light">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="group_button_dialog_focused_holo_light">#4699cc00</color>

<!-- Highlight colors for the legacy themes -->
<eat-comment/>

<color name="legacy_pressed_highlight">#fffeaa0c</color>
<color name="legacy_selected_highlight">#fff17a0a</color>
<color name="legacy_long_pressed_highlight">#ffffffff</color>

<!-- General purpose colors for Holo-themed elements -->
<eat-comment/>

<!-- A light Holo shade of blue -->
<color name="holo_blue_light">#ff33b5e5</color>
<!-- A light Holo shade of gray -->
<color name="holo_gray_light">#33999999</color>
<!-- A light Holo shade of green -->
<color name="holo_green_light">#ff99cc00</color>
<!-- A light Holo shade of red -->
<color name="holo_red_light">#ffff4444</color>
<!-- A dark Holo shade of blue -->
<color name="holo_blue_dark">#ff0099cc</color>
<!-- A dark Holo shade of green -->
<color name="holo_green_dark">#ff669900</color>
<!-- A dark Holo shade of red -->
<color name="holo_red_dark">#ffcc0000</color>
<!-- A Holo shade of purple -->
<color name="holo_purple">#ffaa66cc</color>
<!-- A light Holo shade of orange -->
<color name="holo_orange_light">#ffffbb33</color>
<!-- A dark Holo shade of orange -->
<color name="holo_orange_dark">#ffff8800</color>
<!-- A really bright Holo shade of blue -->
<color name="holo_blue_bright">#ff00ddff</color>
<!-- A really bright Holo shade of gray -->
<color name="holo_gray_bright">#33CCCCCC</color>

<drawable name="notification_template_icon_bg">#3333B5E5</drawable>
<drawable name="notification_template_icon_low_bg">#0cffffff</drawable>

<!-- Keyguard colors -->
<color name="keyguard_avatar_frame_color">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="keyguard_avatar_frame_shadow_color">#80000000</color>
<color name="keyguard_avatar_nick_color">#ffffffff</color>
<color name="keyguard_avatar_frame_pressed_color">#ff35b5e5</color>
<color name="accessibility_focus_highlight">#80ffff00</color>


<color name="header_color">#016435</color>
<color name="back_ground_color">#008000</color>

<color name="new_header_color">#3bb39d</color>

<color name="dialog_title_color">#fcbc30</color>

Answer 4

### your code is in string.xml file ###

  < color name="textColor">#FFFFFF< /color>

In your code you are declare color name is "textColor" , I want to confirm you that the name given by text color is in-built method,but you can't override in-built method .

solution of your problem is , your code should like that :

< color name="text_color">#FFFFFF< /color>

in this case name of color is not inbuilt method and you have not facing any run time error.

thanks.

Answer 5

You need to create a set of styles in your xml (regularly in res/values/styles.xml)

<color name="gray">#eaeaea</color>
<color name="titlebackgroundcolor">#00abd7</color>
<color name="titlecolor">#666666</color>

In the layout files you can call to the colors or styles:

android:textColor="@color/titlecolor"

Checkout some examples:

http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/themes.html