Android Tutorial - Android XML Resource Files

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In Android we can use arbitrary XML files as resources.

You can access the xml file from its generated resource IDs, by which you can localize these resource XML files.
Therefore you can compile and store these XML files on the device efficiently.

XML files need to be stored under the /res/xml subdirectory.

Example

The following code shows an example XML file called /res/xml/test.xml.

<root>
   <sub>
      Hello World from an xml sub element
   </sub>
</root>

The AAPT compiles this XML file before placing it in the application package.

The following code shows how to use XmlPullParser to parse these files.

Resources res = activity.getResources();
XmlResourceParser xpp = res.getXml(R.xml.test);
/*from   w  w  w. j a v  a2s.c o  m*/
private String getEventsFromAnXMLFile(Activity activity) throws XmlPullParserException, IOException
{
   StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
   Resources res = activity.getResources();
   XmlResourceParser xpp = res.getXml(R.xml.test);

   xpp.next();
   int eventType = xpp.getEventType();
    while (eventType != XmlPullParser.END_DOCUMENT)
    {
        if(eventType == XmlPullParser.START_DOCUMENT)
        {
           System.out.println("Start document");
        }
        else if(eventType == XmlPullParser.START_TAG)
        {
           System.out.println("Start tag "+xpp.getName());
        }
        else if(eventType == XmlPullParser.END_TAG)
        {
           System.out.println("End tag "+xpp.getName());
        }
        else if(eventType == XmlPullParser.TEXT)
        {
           System.out.println("Text "+xpp.getText());
        }
        eventType = xpp.next();
    }
    return sb.toString();
}

Parse xml resource

The following code shows how to Parse xml resource.

Main activity xml layout

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  android:orientation="vertical"
  android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
  android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
  <TextView
    android:id="@+id/selection"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
  />
  <ListView
    android:id="@android:id/list"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:drawSelectorOnTop="false"
  />
</LinearLayout>

res/xml/words.cml

<words>
  <word value="lorem" />
  <word value="ipsum" />
  <word value="dolor" />
  <word value="sit" />
  <word value="amet" />
  <word value="consectetuer" />
  <word value="adipiscing" />
  <word value="elit" />
  <word value="morbi" />
  <word value="vel" />
  <word value="ligula" />
  <word value="vitae" />
  <word value="arcu" />
  <word value="aliquet" />
  <word value="mollis" />
  <word value="etiam" />
  <word value="vel" />
  <word value="erat" />
  <word value="placerat" />
  <word value="ante" />
  <word value="porttitor" />
  <word value="sodales" />
  <word value="pellentesque" />
  <word value="augue" />
  <word value="purus" />
</words>

Java code

/***//from  ww  w .  j av a  2  s . c  o m
  Copyright (c) 2008-2009 CommonsWare, LLC
  
  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
  not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
  a copy of the License at
    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  limitations under the License.
*/


import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.ListView;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.Toast;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlPullParser;
import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlPullParserException;

public class MainActivity extends ListActivity {
  TextView selection;
  ArrayList<String> items=new ArrayList<String>();
  
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
    super.onCreate(icicle);
    setContentView(R.layout.main);
    selection=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.selection);
    
    try {
      XmlPullParser xpp=getResources().getXml(R.xml.words);
      
      while (xpp.getEventType()!=XmlPullParser.END_DOCUMENT) {
        if (xpp.getEventType()==XmlPullParser.START_TAG) {
          if (xpp.getName().equals("word")) {
            items.add(xpp.getAttributeValue(0));
          }
        }
        
        xpp.next();
      }
    }
    catch (Throwable t) {
      Toast
        .makeText(this, "Request failed: "+t.toString(), 4000)
        .show();
    }
    
    setListAdapter(new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,
                            android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,
                            items));
  }
  
  public void onListItemClick(ListView parent, View v, int position,
                  long id) {
    selection.setText(items.get(position).toString());
  }
}

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