Create an App Widget in Android with Text-to-Speech (TTS)

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8. The Widget Configuration activity

We can (optionally) specify a configuration screen to be displayed to the user when the widget is added to the Home screen. We had opted for a configuration screen in the wizard so ADT has generated a default activity and layout.

	public class VocabWidgetConfigureActivity extends Activity {

		int mAppWidgetId = AppWidgetManager.INVALID_APPWIDGET_ID;
		Spinner mRefreshIntervalSpn;
		
		public VocabWidgetConfigureActivity() {
			super();
		}

		@Override
		public void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
			super.onCreate(icicle);

			// Set the result to CANCELED. This will cause the widget host to cancel
			// out of the widget placement if the user presses the back button.
			setResult(RESULT_CANCELED);

			setContentView(R.layout.vocab_widget_configure);
			mRefreshIntervalSpn = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.refresh_interval_spinner);
			findViewById(R.id.add_button).setOnClickListener(mOnClickListener);

			// Find the widget id from the intent.
			Intent intent = getIntent();
			Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
			if (extras != null) {
				mAppWidgetId = extras.getInt(AppWidgetManager.EXTRA_APPWIDGET_ID, AppWidgetManager.INVALID_APPWIDGET_ID);
			}

			// If this activity was started with an intent without an app widget ID,
			// finish with an error.
			if (mAppWidgetId == AppWidgetManager.INVALID_APPWIDGET_ID) {
				finish();
				return;
			}

			mRefreshIntervalSpn.setSelection(getSelectedPosition(loadIntervalPref(this, mAppWidgetId)));
		}
		
		private int getSelectedPosition(String interval) {
			String[] values = getResources().getStringArray(R.array.refresh_interval_values);
			for (int i=0; i<values.length; i++) {
				if (values[i].equals(interval)) return i;
			}
			return 0;
		}

		View.OnClickListener mOnClickListener = new View.OnClickListener() {
			public void onClick(View v) {
				final Context context = VocabWidgetConfigureActivity.this;

				// When the button is clicked, store the string locally
				String[] values = getResources().getStringArray(R.array.refresh_interval_values);
				String widgetText = values[mRefreshIntervalSpn.getSelectedItemPosition()];
				saveIntervalPref(context, mAppWidgetId, widgetText);
				
				// Make sure we pass back the original appWidgetId
				Intent resultValue = new Intent();
				resultValue.putExtra(AppWidgetManager.EXTRA_APPWIDGET_ID, mAppWidgetId);
				setResult(RESULT_OK, resultValue);
				finish();
			}
		};

		// Write the prefix to the SharedPreferences object for this widget
		static void saveIntervalPref(Context context, int appWidgetId, String text) {
			SharedPreferences.Editor prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit();
			prefs.putString(SettingsActivity.INTERVAL_PREF, text);
			prefs.commit();
		}

		// Read the prefix from the SharedPreferences object for this widget.
		// If there is no preference saved, get the default from a resource
		static String loadIntervalPref(Context context, int appWidgetId) {
			SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
			String interval = prefs.getString(SettingsActivity.INTERVAL_PREF, SettingsActivity.DEFAULT_INTERVAL);
			return interval;
		}
			
	}
					

The configuration activity is launched by the App Widget host so we need to pass back RESULT_OK with appWidgetId so that the widget gets added.

---

The code is straight-forward and due to simplicity of the screen we have set a Dialog theme for the activity in the manifest.

        <activity android:name=".VocabWidgetConfigureActivity"
            android:theme="@style/AppTheme.Dialog" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_CONFIGURE" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
						

Here is the styles for AppTheme.Dialog theme. Add the following snippet to res/values/styles.xml

	<style name="AppTheme.Dialog" parent="android:Theme.Light">
	    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
	    <item name="android:windowFrame">@null</item>
	    <item name="android:windowIsFloating">true</item>
	    <item name="android:windowContentOverlay">@null</item>
	    <item name="android:windowBackground">@android:color/white</item>
	    <item name="android:maxWidth">600dp</item>
	    <item name="android:windowAnimationStyle">@android:style/Animation.Dialog</item>
	</style>
						

And the following snippet to res/values-v11/styles.xml

	<style name="AppTheme.Dialog" parent="android:Theme.Holo.Light.Dialog">
	    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
	    <item name="android:windowCloseOnTouchOutside">true</item>
	</style>
						

9. The Widget Configuration layout

Modify vocab_widget.xml in res/layout as follows.

	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
	<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
		android:layout_width="match_parent"
		android:layout_height="wrap_content"
		android:orientation="vertical"
		android:padding="16dp"
		android:gravity="center_horizontal" >

		<TextView
			android:layout_width="wrap_content"
			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
			android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
			android:textStyle="bold"
			android:text="@string/configure" />

		<Spinner
			android:id="@+id/refresh_interval_spinner"
			android:layout_width="wrap_content"
			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
			android:entries="@array/refresh_interval_titles"
			android:entryValues="@array/refresh_interval_values" />

		<Button
			android:id="@+id/add_button"
			android:layout_width="wrap_content"
			android:layout_height="wrap_content"
			android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
			android:text="@string/add_widget" />

	</LinearLayout>
						

The entries and values for refresh interval spinner is defined as string arrays in res/values/strings.xml resource file.

    <string-array name="refresh_interval_titles">
        <item>15 minutes</item>
        <item>30 minutes</item>
        <item>1 hour</item>
        <item>3 hours</item>
        <item>6 hours</item>
    </string-array>
    
    <string-array name="refresh_interval_values">
        <item>15</item>
        <item>30</item>
        <item>60</item>
        <item>180</item>
        <item>360</item>
    </string-array>
						

Next, we'll see how to add Text-to-speech (TTS) functionality in an Android app.

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