fullscreen Use Tree Navigation

Added in API level 1

public class

Preference

extends Object
implements Comparable<T>

java.lang.Object
↳	android.preference.Preference

Known Direct Subclasses

DialogPreference, PreferenceGroup, RingtonePreference, TwoStatePreference

Known Indirect Subclasses

CheckBoxPreference, EditTextPreference, ListPreference, MultiSelectListPreference, PreferenceCategory, PreferenceScreen, SwitchPreference

Class Overview

Represents the basic Preference UI building block displayed by a PreferenceActivity in the form of a ListView. This class provides the View to be displayed in the activity and associates with a SharedPreferences to store/retrieve the preference data.

When specifying a preference hierarchy in XML, each element can point to a subclass of Preference, similar to the view hierarchy and layouts.

This class contains a key that will be used as the key into the SharedPreferences. It is up to the subclass to decide how to store the value.

Developer Guides

For information about building a settings UI with Preferences, read the Settings guide.

Summary

Nested Classes
class	Preference.BaseSavedState	A base class for managing the instance state of a `Preference`.
interface	Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener	Interface definition for a callback to be invoked when the value of this `Preference` has been changed by the user and is about to be set and/or persisted.
interface	Preference.OnPreferenceClickListener	Interface definition for a callback to be invoked when a `Preference` is clicked.

XML Attributes
Attribute Name	Related Method	Description
android:defaultValue		The default value for the preference, which will be set either if persistence is off or persistence is on and the preference is not found in the persistent storage.
android:dependency		The key of another Preference that this Preference will depend on.
android:enabled		Whether the Preference is enabled.
android:fragment		When used inside of a modern PreferenceActivity, this declares a new PreferenceFragment to be shown when the user selects this item.
android:icon		The optional icon for the preference Must be a reference to another resource, in the form "`@[+][package:]type:name`" or to a theme attribute in the form "`?[package:][type:]name`".
android:key		The key to store the Preference value.
android:layout		The layout for the Preference in a PreferenceActivity screen.
android:order		The order for the Preference (lower values are to be ordered first).
android:persistent		Whether the Preference stores its value to the shared preferences.
android:selectable		Whether the Preference is selectable.
android:shouldDisableView		Whether the view of this Preference should be disabled when this Preference is disabled.
android:summary		The summary for the Preference in a PreferenceActivity screen.
android:title		The title for the Preference in a PreferenceActivity screen.
android:widgetLayout		The layout for the controllable widget portion of a Preference.

Constants
int	DEFAULT_ORDER	Specify for `setOrder(int)` if a specific order is not required.

Public Constructors
	Preference(Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr, int defStyleRes) Perform inflation from XML and apply a class-specific base style.
	Preference(Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr) Perform inflation from XML and apply a class-specific base style.
	Preference(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) Constructor that is called when inflating a Preference from XML.
	Preference(Context context) Constructor to create a Preference.

Public Methods
int	compareTo(Preference another) Compares Preference objects based on order (if set), otherwise alphabetically on the titles.
Context	getContext() Returns the `Context` of this Preference.
String	getDependency() Returns the key of the dependency on this Preference.
SharedPreferences.Editor	getEditor() Returns an `SharedPreferences.Editor` where this Preference can save its value(s).
Bundle	getExtras() Return the extras Bundle object associated with this preference, creating a new Bundle if there currently isn't one.
String	getFragment() Return the fragment class name associated with this Preference.
Drawable	getIcon() Returns the icon of this Preference.
Intent	getIntent() Return the `Intent` associated with this Preference.
String	getKey() Gets the key for this Preference, which is also the key used for storing values into SharedPreferences.
int	getLayoutResource() Gets the layout resource that will be shown as the `View` for this Preference.
Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener	getOnPreferenceChangeListener() Returns the callback to be invoked when this Preference is changed by the user (but before the internal state has been updated).
Preference.OnPreferenceClickListener	getOnPreferenceClickListener() Returns the callback to be invoked when this Preference is clicked.
int	getOrder() Gets the order of this Preference with respect to other Preference objects on the same level.
PreferenceManager	getPreferenceManager() Gets the `PreferenceManager` that manages this Preference object's tree.
SharedPreferences	getSharedPreferences() Returns the `SharedPreferences` where this Preference can read its value(s).
boolean	getShouldDisableView() Checks whether this Preference should disable its view when it's action is disabled.
CharSequence	getSummary() Returns the summary of this Preference.
CharSequence	getTitle() Returns the title of this Preference.
int	getTitleRes() Returns the title resource ID of this Preference.
View	getView(View convertView, ViewGroup parent) Gets the View that will be shown in the `PreferenceActivity`.
int	getWidgetLayoutResource() Gets the layout resource for the controllable widget portion of this Preference.
boolean	hasKey() Checks whether this Preference has a valid key.
boolean	isEnabled() Checks whether this Preference should be enabled in the list.
boolean	isPersistent() Checks whether this Preference is persistent.
boolean	isSelectable() Checks whether this Preference should be selectable in the list.
void	notifyDependencyChange(boolean disableDependents) Notifies any listening dependents of a change that affects the dependency.
void	onDependencyChanged(Preference dependency, boolean disableDependent) Called when the dependency changes.
void	onParentChanged(Preference parent, boolean disableChild) Called when the implicit parent dependency changes.
Bundle	peekExtras() Return the extras Bundle object associated with this preference, returning null if there is not currently one.
void	restoreHierarchyState(Bundle container) Restore this Preference hierarchy's previously saved state from the given container.
void	saveHierarchyState(Bundle container) Store this Preference hierarchy's frozen state into the given container.
void	setDefaultValue(Object defaultValue) Sets the default value for this Preference, which will be set either if persistence is off or persistence is on and the preference is not found in the persistent storage.
void	setDependency(String dependencyKey) Sets the key of a Preference that this Preference will depend on.
void	setEnabled(boolean enabled) Sets whether this Preference is enabled.
void	setFragment(String fragment) Sets the class name of a fragment to be shown when this Preference is clicked.
void	setIcon(Drawable icon) Sets the icon for this Preference with a Drawable.
void	setIcon(int iconResId) Sets the icon for this Preference with a resource ID.
void	setIntent(Intent intent) Sets an `Intent` to be used for `startActivity(Intent)` when this Preference is clicked.
void	setKey(String key) Sets the key for this Preference, which is used as a key to the `SharedPreferences`.
void	setLayoutResource(int layoutResId) Sets the layout resource that is inflated as the `View` to be shown for this Preference.
void	setOnPreferenceChangeListener(Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener onPreferenceChangeListener) Sets the callback to be invoked when this Preference is changed by the user (but before the internal state has been updated).
void	setOnPreferenceClickListener(Preference.OnPreferenceClickListener onPreferenceClickListener) Sets the callback to be invoked when this Preference is clicked.
void	setOrder(int order) Sets the order of this Preference with respect to other Preference objects on the same level.
void	setPersistent(boolean persistent) Sets whether this Preference is persistent.
void	setSelectable(boolean selectable) Sets whether this Preference is selectable.
void	setShouldDisableView(boolean shouldDisableView) Sets whether this Preference should disable its view when it gets disabled.
void	setSummary(int summaryResId) Sets the summary for this Preference with a resource ID.
void	setSummary(CharSequence summary) Sets the summary for this Preference with a CharSequence.
void	setTitle(int titleResId) Sets the title for this Preference with a resource ID.
void	setTitle(CharSequence title) Sets the title for this Preference with a CharSequence.
void	setWidgetLayoutResource(int widgetLayoutResId) Sets the layout for the controllable widget portion of this Preference.
boolean	shouldCommit() Returns whether the `Preference` should commit its saved value(s) in `getEditor()`.
boolean	shouldDisableDependents() Checks whether this preference's dependents should currently be disabled.
String	toString() Returns a string containing a concise, human-readable description of this object.

Protected Methods
boolean	callChangeListener(Object newValue) Call this method after the user changes the preference, but before the internal state is set.
Preference	findPreferenceInHierarchy(String key) Finds a Preference in this hierarchy (the whole thing, even above/below your `PreferenceScreen` screen break) with the given key.
boolean	getPersistedBoolean(boolean defaultReturnValue) Attempts to get a persisted boolean from the `SharedPreferences`.
float	getPersistedFloat(float defaultReturnValue) Attempts to get a persisted float from the `SharedPreferences`.
int	getPersistedInt(int defaultReturnValue) Attempts to get a persisted int from the `SharedPreferences`.
long	getPersistedLong(long defaultReturnValue) Attempts to get a persisted long from the `SharedPreferences`.
String	getPersistedString(String defaultReturnValue) Attempts to get a persisted String from the `SharedPreferences`.
void	notifyChanged() Should be called when the data of this `Preference` has changed.
void	notifyHierarchyChanged() Should be called when a Preference has been added/removed from this group, or the ordering should be re-evaluated.
void	onAttachedToActivity() Called when the Preference hierarchy has been attached to the `PreferenceActivity`.
void	onAttachedToHierarchy(PreferenceManager preferenceManager) Called when this Preference has been attached to a Preference hierarchy.
void	onBindView(View view) Binds the created View to the data for this Preference.
void	onClick() Processes a click on the preference.
View	onCreateView(ViewGroup parent) Creates the View to be shown for this Preference in the `PreferenceActivity`.
Object	onGetDefaultValue(TypedArray a, int index) Called when a Preference is being inflated and the default value attribute needs to be read.
void	onPrepareForRemoval() Called when this Preference is being removed from the hierarchy.
void	onRestoreInstanceState(Parcelable state) Hook allowing a Preference to re-apply a representation of its internal state that had previously been generated by `onSaveInstanceState()`.
Parcelable	onSaveInstanceState() Hook allowing a Preference to generate a representation of its internal state that can later be used to create a new instance with that same state.
void	onSetInitialValue(boolean restorePersistedValue, Object defaultValue) Implement this to set the initial value of the Preference.
boolean	persistBoolean(boolean value) Attempts to persist a boolean to the `SharedPreferences`.
boolean	persistFloat(float value) Attempts to persist a float to the `SharedPreferences`.
boolean	persistInt(int value) Attempts to persist an int to the `SharedPreferences`.
boolean	persistLong(long value) Attempts to persist a long to the `SharedPreferences`.
boolean	persistString(String value) Attempts to persist a String to the `SharedPreferences`.
boolean	shouldPersist() Checks whether, at the given time this method is called, this Preference should store/restore its value(s) into the `SharedPreferences`.

[Expand]

Inherited Methods

From class java.lang.Object

Object	clone() Creates and returns a copy of this `Object`.
boolean	equals(Object o) Compares this instance with the specified object and indicates if they are equal.
void	finalize() Invoked when the garbage collector has detected that this instance is no longer reachable.
final Class<?>	getClass() Returns the unique instance of `Class` that represents this object's class.
int	hashCode() Returns an integer hash code for this object.
final void	notify() Causes a thread which is waiting on this object's monitor (by means of calling one of the `wait()` methods) to be woken up.
final void	notifyAll() Causes all threads which are waiting on this object's monitor (by means of calling one of the `wait()` methods) to be woken up.
String	toString() Returns a string containing a concise, human-readable description of this object.
final void	wait() Causes the calling thread to wait until another thread calls the `notify()` or `notifyAll()` method of this object.
final void	wait(long millis, int nanos) Causes the calling thread to wait until another thread calls the `notify()` or `notifyAll()` method of this object or until the specified timeout expires.
final void	wait(long millis) Causes the calling thread to wait until another thread calls the `notify()` or `notifyAll()` method of this object or until the specified timeout expires.

From interface java.lang.Comparable

XML Attributes

android:defaultValue

The default value for the preference, which will be set either if persistence is off or persistence is on and the preference is not found in the persistent storage.

May be a reference to another resource, in the form "@[+][package:]type:name" or to a theme attribute in the form "?[package:][type:]name".

May be a string value, using '\\;' to escape characters such as '\\n' or '\\uxxxx' for a unicode character.

May be an integer value, such as "100".

May be a boolean value, either "true" or "false".

May be a floating point value, such as "1.2".

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol defaultValue.

Related Methods

android:dependency

The key of another Preference that this Preference will depend on. If the other Preference is not set or is off, this Preference will be disabled.

Must be a string value, using '\\;' to escape characters such as '\\n' or '\\uxxxx' for a unicode character.

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol dependency.

Related Methods

android:enabled

Whether the Preference is enabled.

Must be a boolean value, either "true" or "false".

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol enabled.

Related Methods

android:fragment

When used inside of a modern PreferenceActivity, this declares a new PreferenceFragment to be shown when the user selects this item.

Must be a string value, using '\\;' to escape characters such as '\\n' or '\\uxxxx' for a unicode character.

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol fragment.

Related Methods

android:icon

The optional icon for the preference

Must be a reference to another resource, in the form "@[+][package:]type:name" or to a theme attribute in the form "?[package:][type:]name".

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol icon.

Related Methods

android:key

The key to store the Preference value.

Must be a string value, using '\\;' to escape characters such as '\\n' or '\\uxxxx' for a unicode character.

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol key.

Related Methods

android:layout

The layout for the Preference in a PreferenceActivity screen. This should rarely need to be changed, look at widgetLayout instead.

Must be a reference to another resource, in the form "@[+][package:]type:name" or to a theme attribute in the form "?[package:][type:]name".

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol layout.

Related Methods

android:order

The order for the Preference (lower values are to be ordered first). If this is not specified, the default orderin will be alphabetic.

Must be an integer value, such as "100".

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol order.

Related Methods

android:persistent

Whether the Preference stores its value to the shared preferences.

Must be a boolean value, either "true" or "false".

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol persistent.

Related Methods

android:selectable

Whether the Preference is selectable.

Must be a boolean value, either "true" or "false".

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol selectable.

Related Methods

android:shouldDisableView

Whether the view of this Preference should be disabled when this Preference is disabled.

Must be a boolean value, either "true" or "false".

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol shouldDisableView.

Related Methods

android:summary

The summary for the Preference in a PreferenceActivity screen.

Must be a string value, using '\\;' to escape characters such as '\\n' or '\\uxxxx' for a unicode character.

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol summary.

Related Methods

android:title

The title for the Preference in a PreferenceActivity screen.

Must be a string value, using '\\;' to escape characters such as '\\n' or '\\uxxxx' for a unicode character.

This may also be a reference to a resource (in the form "@[package:]type:name") or theme attribute (in the form "?[package:][type:]name") containing a value of this type.

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol title.

Related Methods

android:widgetLayout

The layout for the controllable widget portion of a Preference. This is inflated into the layout for a Preference and should be used more frequently than the layout attribute. For example, a checkbox preference would specify a custom layout (consisting of just the CheckBox) here.

Must be a reference to another resource, in the form "@[+][package:]type:name" or to a theme attribute in the form "?[package:][type:]name".

This corresponds to the global attribute resource symbol widgetLayout.

Related Methods

Constants

public static final int DEFAULT_ORDER

Added in API level 1

Specify for setOrder(int) if a specific order is not required.

Constant Value: 2147483647 (0x7fffffff)

Public Constructors

public Preference (Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr, int defStyleRes)

Perform inflation from XML and apply a class-specific base style. This constructor of Preference allows subclasses to use their own base style when they are inflating. For example, a CheckBoxPreference constructor calls this version of the super class constructor and supplies android.R.attr.checkBoxPreferenceStyle for defStyleAttr. This allows the theme's checkbox preference style to modify all of the base preference attributes as well as the CheckBoxPreference class's attributes.

Parameters

context	The Context this is associated with, through which it can access the current theme, resources, `SharedPreferences`, etc.
attrs	The attributes of the XML tag that is inflating the preference.
defStyleAttr	An attribute in the current theme that contains a reference to a style resource that supplies default values for the view. Can be 0 to not look for defaults.
defStyleRes	A resource identifier of a style resource that supplies default values for the view, used only if defStyleAttr is 0 or can not be found in the theme. Can be 0 to not look for defaults.

public Preference (Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr)

Added in API level 1

Parameters

context	The Context this is associated with, through which it can access the current theme, resources, `SharedPreferences`, etc.
attrs	The attributes of the XML tag that is inflating the preference.
defStyleAttr	An attribute in the current theme that contains a reference to a style resource that supplies default values for the view. Can be 0 to not look for defaults.

public Preference (Context context, AttributeSet attrs)

Added in API level 1

Constructor that is called when inflating a Preference from XML. This is called when a Preference is being constructed from an XML file, supplying attributes that were specified in the XML file. This version uses a default style of 0, so the only attribute values applied are those in the Context's Theme and the given AttributeSet.

Parameters

context	The Context this is associated with, through which it can access the current theme, resources, `SharedPreferences`, etc.
attrs	The attributes of the XML tag that is inflating the preference.

public Preference (Context context)

Added in API level 1

Constructor to create a Preference.

Parameters

context	The Context in which to store Preference values.

Public Methods

public int compareTo (Preference another)

Added in API level 1

Compares Preference objects based on order (if set), otherwise alphabetically on the titles.

Parameters

another	The Preference to compare to this one.

Returns

0 if the same; less than 0 if this Preference sorts ahead of another; greater than 0 if this Preference sorts after another.

public Context getContext ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the Context of this Preference. Each Preference in a Preference hierarchy can be from different Context (for example, if multiple activities provide preferences into a single PreferenceActivity). This Context will be used to save the Preference values.

Returns

The Context of this Preference.

public String getDependency ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the key of the dependency on this Preference.

Returns

The key of the dependency.

public SharedPreferences.Editor getEditor ()

Added in API level 1

Returns an SharedPreferences.Editor where this Preference can save its value(s). Usually it's easier to use one of the helper save methods: persistBoolean(boolean), persistFloat(float), persistInt(int), persistLong(long), persistString(String). To read values, see getSharedPreferences(). If shouldCommit() returns true, it is this Preference's responsibility to commit.

In some cases, writes to this will not be committed right away and hence not show up in the SharedPreferences, this is intended behavior to improve performance.

Returns

A SharedPreferences.Editor where this preference saves its value(s), or null if it isn't attached to a Preference hierarchy.

public Bundle getExtras ()

Added in API level 11

Return the extras Bundle object associated with this preference, creating a new Bundle if there currently isn't one. You can use this to get and set individual extra key/value pairs.

public String getFragment ()

Added in API level 11

Return the fragment class name associated with this Preference.

Returns

The fragment class name last set via setFragment(String) or XML.

public Drawable getIcon ()

Added in API level 11

Returns the icon of this Preference.

Returns

The icon.

public Intent getIntent ()

Added in API level 1

Return the Intent associated with this Preference.

Returns

The Intent last set via setIntent(Intent) or XML.

public String getKey ()

Added in API level 1

Gets the key for this Preference, which is also the key used for storing values into SharedPreferences.

Returns

The key.

public int getLayoutResource ()

Added in API level 1

Gets the layout resource that will be shown as the View for this Preference.

Returns

The layout resource ID.

public Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener getOnPreferenceChangeListener ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the callback to be invoked when this Preference is changed by the user (but before the internal state has been updated).

Returns

The callback to be invoked.

public Preference.OnPreferenceClickListener getOnPreferenceClickListener ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the callback to be invoked when this Preference is clicked.

Returns

The callback to be invoked.

public int getOrder ()

Added in API level 1

Gets the order of this Preference with respect to other Preference objects on the same level.

Returns

The order of this Preference.

public PreferenceManager getPreferenceManager ()

Added in API level 1

Gets the PreferenceManager that manages this Preference object's tree.

Returns

The PreferenceManager.

public SharedPreferences getSharedPreferences ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the SharedPreferences where this Preference can read its value(s). Usually, it's easier to use one of the helper read methods: getPersistedBoolean(boolean), getPersistedFloat(float), getPersistedInt(int), getPersistedLong(long), getPersistedString(String). To save values, see getEditor().

In some cases, writes to the getEditor() will not be committed right away and hence not show up in the returned SharedPreferences, this is intended behavior to improve performance.

Returns

The SharedPreferences where this Preference reads its value(s), or null if it isn't attached to a Preference hierarchy.

public boolean getShouldDisableView ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether this Preference should disable its view when it's action is disabled.

Returns

True if it should disable the view.

public CharSequence getSummary ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the summary of this Preference.

Returns

The summary.

public CharSequence getTitle ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the title of this Preference.

Returns

The title.

public int getTitleRes ()

Added in API level 14

Returns the title resource ID of this Preference. If the title did not come from a resource, 0 is returned.

Returns

The title resource.

public View getView (View convertView, ViewGroup parent)

Added in API level 1

Gets the View that will be shown in the PreferenceActivity.

Parameters

convertView	The old View to reuse, if possible. Note: You should check that this View is non-null and of an appropriate type before using. If it is not possible to convert this View to display the correct data, this method can create a new View.
parent	The parent that this View will eventually be attached to.

Returns

Returns the same Preference object, for chaining multiple calls into a single statement.

public int getWidgetLayoutResource ()

Added in API level 1

Gets the layout resource for the controllable widget portion of this Preference.

Returns

The layout resource ID.

public boolean hasKey ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether this Preference has a valid key.

Returns

True if the key exists and is not a blank string, false otherwise.

public boolean isEnabled ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether this Preference should be enabled in the list.

Returns

True if this Preference is enabled, false otherwise.

public boolean isPersistent ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether this Preference is persistent. If it is, it stores its value(s) into the persistent SharedPreferences storage.

Returns

True if it is persistent.

public boolean isSelectable ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether this Preference should be selectable in the list.

Returns

True if it is selectable, false otherwise.

public void notifyDependencyChange (boolean disableDependents)

Added in API level 1

Notifies any listening dependents of a change that affects the dependency.

Parameters

disableDependents	Whether this Preference should disable its dependents.

public void onDependencyChanged (Preference dependency, boolean disableDependent)

Added in API level 1

Called when the dependency changes.

Parameters

dependency	The Preference that this Preference depends on.
disableDependent	Set true to disable this Preference.

public void onParentChanged (Preference parent, boolean disableChild)

Added in API level 19

Called when the implicit parent dependency changes.

Parameters

parent	The Preference that this Preference depends on.
disableChild	Set true to disable this Preference.

public Bundle peekExtras ()

Added in API level 11

Return the extras Bundle object associated with this preference, returning null if there is not currently one.

public void restoreHierarchyState (Bundle container)

Added in API level 1

Restore this Preference hierarchy's previously saved state from the given container.

Parameters

container	The Bundle that holds the previously saved state.

public void saveHierarchyState (Bundle container)

Added in API level 1

Store this Preference hierarchy's frozen state into the given container.

Parameters

container	The Bundle in which to save the instance of this Preference.

public void setDefaultValue (Object defaultValue)

Added in API level 1

Sets the default value for this Preference, which will be set either if persistence is off or persistence is on and the preference is not found in the persistent storage.

Parameters

defaultValue	The default value.

public void setDependency (String dependencyKey)

Added in API level 1

Sets the key of a Preference that this Preference will depend on. If that Preference is not set or is off, this Preference will be disabled.

Parameters

dependencyKey	The key of the Preference that this depends on.

public void setEnabled (boolean enabled)

Added in API level 1

Sets whether this Preference is enabled. If disabled, it will not handle clicks.

Parameters

enabled	Set true to enable it.

public void setFragment (String fragment)

Added in API level 11

Sets the class name of a fragment to be shown when this Preference is clicked.

Parameters

fragment	The class name of the fragment associated with this Preference.

public void setIcon (Drawable icon)

Added in API level 11

Sets the icon for this Preference with a Drawable. This icon will be placed into the ID icon within the View created by onCreateView(ViewGroup).

Parameters

icon	The optional icon for this Preference.

public void setIcon (int iconResId)

Added in API level 11

Sets the icon for this Preference with a resource ID.

Parameters

iconResId	The icon as a resource ID.

public void setIntent (Intent intent)

Added in API level 1

Sets an Intent to be used for startActivity(Intent) when this Preference is clicked.

Parameters

intent	The intent associated with this Preference.

public void setKey (String key)

Added in API level 1

Sets the key for this Preference, which is used as a key to the SharedPreferences. This should be unique for the package.

Parameters

key	The key for the preference.

public void setLayoutResource (int layoutResId)

Added in API level 1

Sets the layout resource that is inflated as the View to be shown for this Preference. In most cases, the default layout is sufficient for custom Preference objects and only the widget layout needs to be changed.

This layout should contain a ViewGroup with ID widget_frame to be the parent of the specific widget for this Preference. It should similarly contain title and summary.

Parameters

layoutResId	The layout resource ID to be inflated and returned as a `View`.

public void setOnPreferenceChangeListener (Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener onPreferenceChangeListener)

Added in API level 1

Sets the callback to be invoked when this Preference is changed by the user (but before the internal state has been updated).

Parameters

onPreferenceChangeListener	The callback to be invoked.

public void setOnPreferenceClickListener (Preference.OnPreferenceClickListener onPreferenceClickListener)

Added in API level 1

Sets the callback to be invoked when this Preference is clicked.

Parameters

onPreferenceClickListener	The callback to be invoked.

public void setOrder (int order)

Added in API level 1

Sets the order of this Preference with respect to other Preference objects on the same level. If this is not specified, the default behavior is to sort alphabetically. The setOrderingAsAdded(boolean) can be used to order Preference objects based on the order they appear in the XML.

Parameters

order	The order for this Preference. A lower value will be shown first. Use `DEFAULT_ORDER` to sort alphabetically or allow ordering from XML.

public void setPersistent (boolean persistent)

Added in API level 1

Sets whether this Preference is persistent. When persistent, it stores its value(s) into the persistent SharedPreferences storage.

Parameters

persistent	Set true if it should store its value(s) into the `SharedPreferences`.

public void setSelectable (boolean selectable)

Added in API level 1

Sets whether this Preference is selectable.

Parameters

selectable	Set true to make it selectable.

public void setShouldDisableView (boolean shouldDisableView)

Added in API level 1

Sets whether this Preference should disable its view when it gets disabled.

For example, set this and setEnabled(boolean) to false for preferences that are only displaying information and 1) should not be clickable 2) should not have the view set to the disabled state.

Parameters

shouldDisableView	Set true if this preference should disable its view when the preference is disabled.

public void setSummary (int summaryResId)

Added in API level 1

Sets the summary for this Preference with a resource ID.

Parameters

summaryResId	The summary as a resource.

public void setSummary (CharSequence summary)

Added in API level 1

Sets the summary for this Preference with a CharSequence.

Parameters

summary	The summary for the preference.

public void setTitle (int titleResId)

Added in API level 1

Sets the title for this Preference with a resource ID.

Parameters

titleResId	The title as a resource ID.

public void setTitle (CharSequence title)

Added in API level 1

Sets the title for this Preference with a CharSequence. This title will be placed into the ID title within the View created by onCreateView(ViewGroup).

Parameters

title	The title for this Preference.

public void setWidgetLayoutResource (int widgetLayoutResId)

Added in API level 1

Sets the layout for the controllable widget portion of this Preference. This is inflated into the main layout. For example, a CheckBoxPreference would specify a custom layout (consisting of just the CheckBox) here, instead of creating its own main layout.

Parameters

widgetLayoutResId	The layout resource ID to be inflated into the main layout.

public boolean shouldCommit ()

Added in API level 1

Returns whether the Preference should commit its saved value(s) in getEditor(). This may return false in situations where batch committing is being done (by the manager) to improve performance.

Returns

Whether the Preference should commit its saved value(s).

public boolean shouldDisableDependents ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether this preference's dependents should currently be disabled.

Returns

True if the dependents should be disabled, otherwise false.

public String toString ()

Added in API level 1

Returns a string containing a concise, human-readable description of this object. Subclasses are encouraged to override this method and provide an implementation that takes into account the object's type and data. The default implementation is equivalent to the following expression:

   getClass().getName() + '@' + Integer.toHexString(hashCode())

See Writing a useful toString method if you intend implementing your own toString method.

Returns

a printable representation of this object.

Protected Methods

protected boolean callChangeListener (Object newValue)

Added in API level 1

Call this method after the user changes the preference, but before the internal state is set. This allows the client to ignore the user value.

Parameters

newValue	The new value of this Preference.

Returns

True if the user value should be set as the preference value (and persisted).

protected Preference findPreferenceInHierarchy (String key)

Added in API level 1

Finds a Preference in this hierarchy (the whole thing, even above/below your PreferenceScreen screen break) with the given key.

This only functions after we have been attached to a hierarchy.

Parameters

key	The key of the Preference to find.

Returns

The Preference that uses the given key.

protected boolean getPersistedBoolean (boolean defaultReturnValue)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to get a persisted boolean from the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

defaultReturnValue	The default value to return if either this Preference is not persistent or this Preference is not in the SharedPreferences.

Returns

The value from the SharedPreferences or the default return value.

protected float getPersistedFloat (float defaultReturnValue)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to get a persisted float from the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

defaultReturnValue	The default value to return if either this Preference is not persistent or this Preference is not in the SharedPreferences.

Returns

The value from the SharedPreferences or the default return value.

protected int getPersistedInt (int defaultReturnValue)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to get a persisted int from the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

defaultReturnValue	The default value to return if either this Preference is not persistent or this Preference is not in the SharedPreferences.

Returns

The value from the SharedPreferences or the default return value.

protected long getPersistedLong (long defaultReturnValue)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to get a persisted long from the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

defaultReturnValue	The default value to return if either this Preference is not persistent or this Preference is not in the SharedPreferences.

Returns

The value from the SharedPreferences or the default return value.

protected String getPersistedString (String defaultReturnValue)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to get a persisted String from the SharedPreferences.

This will check if this Preference is persistent, get the SharedPreferences from the PreferenceManager, and get the value.

Parameters

defaultReturnValue	The default value to return if either the Preference is not persistent or the Preference is not in the shared preferences.

Returns

The value from the SharedPreferences or the default return value.

protected void notifyChanged ()

Added in API level 1

Should be called when the data of this Preference has changed.

protected void notifyHierarchyChanged ()

Added in API level 1

Should be called when a Preference has been added/removed from this group, or the ordering should be re-evaluated.

protected void onAttachedToActivity ()

Added in API level 1

Called when the Preference hierarchy has been attached to the PreferenceActivity. This can also be called when this Preference has been attached to a group that was already attached to the PreferenceActivity.

protected void onAttachedToHierarchy (PreferenceManager preferenceManager)

Added in API level 1

Called when this Preference has been attached to a Preference hierarchy. Make sure to call the super implementation.

Parameters

preferenceManager	The PreferenceManager of the hierarchy.

protected void onBindView (View view)

Added in API level 1

Binds the created View to the data for this Preference.

This is a good place to grab references to custom Views in the layout and set properties on them.

Make sure to call through to the superclass's implementation.

Parameters

view	The View that shows this Preference.

protected void onClick ()

Added in API level 1

Processes a click on the preference. This includes saving the value to the SharedPreferences. However, the overridden method should call callChangeListener(Object) to make sure the client wants to update the preference's state with the new value.

protected View onCreateView (ViewGroup parent)

Added in API level 1

Creates the View to be shown for this Preference in the PreferenceActivity. The default behavior is to inflate the main layout of this Preference (see setLayoutResource(int). If changing this behavior, please specify a ViewGroup with ID widget_frame.

Make sure to call through to the superclass's implementation.

Parameters

parent	The parent that this View will eventually be attached to.

Returns

The View that displays this Preference.

protected Object onGetDefaultValue (TypedArray a, int index)

Added in API level 1

Called when a Preference is being inflated and the default value attribute needs to be read. Since different Preference types have different value types, the subclass should get and return the default value which will be its value type.

For example, if the value type is String, the body of the method would proxy to getString(int).

Parameters

a	The set of attributes.
index	The index of the default value attribute.

Returns

The default value of this preference type.

protected void onPrepareForRemoval ()

Added in API level 1

Called when this Preference is being removed from the hierarchy. You should remove any references to this Preference that you know about. Make sure to call through to the superclass implementation.

protected void onRestoreInstanceState (Parcelable state)

Added in API level 1

Hook allowing a Preference to re-apply a representation of its internal state that had previously been generated by onSaveInstanceState(). This function will never be called with a null state.

Parameters

state	The saved state that had previously been returned by `onSaveInstanceState()`.

protected Parcelable onSaveInstanceState ()

Added in API level 1

Hook allowing a Preference to generate a representation of its internal state that can later be used to create a new instance with that same state. This state should only contain information that is not persistent or can be reconstructed later.

Returns

A Parcelable object containing the current dynamic state of this Preference, or null if there is nothing interesting to save. The default implementation returns null.

protected void onSetInitialValue (boolean restorePersistedValue, Object defaultValue)

Added in API level 1

Implement this to set the initial value of the Preference.

If restorePersistedValue is true, you should restore the Preference value from the SharedPreferences. If restorePersistedValue is false, you should set the Preference value to defaultValue that is given (and possibly store to SharedPreferences if shouldPersist() is true).

This may not always be called. One example is if it should not persist but there is no default value given.

Parameters

restorePersistedValue	True to restore the persisted value; false to use the given `defaultValue`.
defaultValue	The default value for this Preference. Only use this if `restorePersistedValue` is false.

protected boolean persistBoolean (boolean value)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to persist a boolean to the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

value	The value to persist.

Returns

True if this Preference is persistent. (This is not whether the value was persisted, since we may not necessarily commit if there will be a batch commit later.)

protected boolean persistFloat (float value)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to persist a float to the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

value	The value to persist.

Returns

True if this Preference is persistent. (This is not whether the value was persisted, since we may not necessarily commit if there will be a batch commit later.)

protected boolean persistInt (int value)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to persist an int to the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

value	The value to persist.

Returns

True if the Preference is persistent. (This is not whether the value was persisted, since we may not necessarily commit if there will be a batch commit later.)

protected boolean persistLong (long value)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to persist a long to the SharedPreferences.

Parameters

value	The value to persist.

Returns

True if this Preference is persistent. (This is not whether the value was persisted, since we may not necessarily commit if there will be a batch commit later.)

protected boolean persistString (String value)

Added in API level 1

Attempts to persist a String to the SharedPreferences.

This will check if this Preference is persistent, get an editor from the PreferenceManager, put in the string, and check if we should commit (and commit if so).

Parameters

value	The value to persist.

Returns

True if the Preference is persistent. (This is not whether the value was persisted, since we may not necessarily commit if there will be a batch commit later.)

protected boolean shouldPersist ()

Added in API level 1

Checks whether, at the given time this method is called, this Preference should store/restore its value(s) into the SharedPreferences. This, at minimum, checks whether this Preference is persistent and it currently has a key. Before you save/restore from the SharedPreferences, check this first.

Returns

True if it should persist the value.

Results

Interfaces

Classes

Preference

Class Overview

Developer Guides

Summary

XML Attributes

android:defaultValue

Related Methods

android:dependency

Related Methods

android:enabled

Related Methods

android:fragment

Related Methods

android:icon

Related Methods

android:key

Related Methods

android:layout

Related Methods

android:order

Related Methods

android:persistent

Related Methods

android:selectable

Related Methods

android:shouldDisableView

Related Methods

android:summary

Related Methods

android:title

Related Methods

android:widgetLayout

Related Methods

Constants

public static final int DEFAULT_ORDER

Public Constructors

public Preference (Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr, int defStyleRes)

Parameters

See Also

public Preference (Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr)

Parameters

See Also

public Preference (Context context, AttributeSet attrs)

Parameters

See Also

public Preference (Context context)

Parameters

Public Methods

public int compareTo (Preference another)

Parameters

Returns

public Context getContext ()

Returns

public String getDependency ()

Returns

See Also

public SharedPreferences.Editor getEditor ()

Returns

See Also

public Bundle getExtras ()

public String getFragment ()

Returns

public Drawable getIcon ()

Returns

See Also

public Intent getIntent ()

Returns

public String getKey ()

Returns

public int getLayoutResource ()

Returns

public Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener getOnPreferenceChangeListener ()

Returns

public Preference.OnPreferenceClickListener getOnPreferenceClickListener ()

Returns

public int getOrder ()

Returns