Android ImageButton with disabled UI feel
I have an ImageButton which is disabled (non clickable or set as disabled). I want to give an UI feel to the user that it is disabled without using any other image.
Is there any way to do this?
Unlike a regular Button
, an ImageButton
or a Button
that has an image background is not grayed when disabled. You actually have to use another image or to process it in a way it appears grayed.
Should using another image be ok, you can do this by using a <selector>
(here associated to a regular Button
but this amongs to the same):
-
/drawable/my_selector.xml
:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"> <item android:state_enabled="false" android:drawable="@drawable/button_gray" /> ***button_gray is a Drawable image*** <item android:state_pressed="true" android:drawable="@drawable/button_gray" /> <item android:drawable="@drawable/button_red" /> ***button_red is a Drawable image*** </selector>
Please note that in a selector the logic applies a sequential way, item per item. Here, button_red
is used all the time but when the button is disabled or being pushed.
-
Your
layout.xml
:<Button android:id="@+id/myButton" android:background="@drawable/my_selector" ***this is a reference to the selector above *** android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
And should using another image be a problem, other answers (such as @Tronman's or @southerton's) give you ways to programmatically process the image in a way it appears grayed.
@Oleg Vaskevich gave a different solution to the problem here: Disable an ImageButton
His solution allows you to gray-out an ImageButton
without creating additional images or using a <selector>
.
/**
* Sets the image button to the given state and grays-out the icon.
*
* @param ctxt The context
* @param enabled The state of the button
* @param item The button item to modify
* @param iconResId The button's icon ID
*/
public static void setImageButtonEnabled(Context ctxt, boolean enabled,
ImageButton item, int iconResId) {
item.setEnabled(enabled);
Drawable originalIcon = ctxt.getResources().getDrawable(iconResId);
Drawable icon = enabled ? originalIcon : convertDrawableToGrayScale(originalIcon);
item.setImageDrawable(icon);
}
/**
* Mutates and applies a filter that converts the given drawable to a Gray
* image. This method may be used to simulate the color of disable icons in
* Honeycomb's ActionBar.
*
* @return a mutated version of the given drawable with a color filter applied.
*/
public static Drawable convertDrawableToGrayScale(Drawable drawable) {
if (drawable == null)
return null;
Drawable res = drawable.mutate();
res.setColorFilter(Color.GRAY, Mode.SRC_IN);
return res;
}
I preferred overriding the setEnabled()
method in the ImageButton to change the image's alpha property accordingly. So when the button is disabled, the image will be partially transparent and more disabled-looking.
public class CustomImageButton extends ImageButton {
//...
@Override
public void setEnabled(boolean enabled) {
if(this.isEnabled() != enabled) {
this.setImageAlpha(enabled ? 0xFF : 0x3F);
}
super.setEnabled(enabled);
}
}
Elaborating on @tronman answer you can also compose a function that will gray out dynamically loaded drawables (i.e. not from resource, - for example loaded from raw svg files and converted to BitmapDrawables on the fly).
/**
* Sets the specified image buttonto the given state, while modifying or
* "graying-out" the icon as well
*
* @param enabled The state of the menu item
* @param item The menu item to modify
* @param originalIcon The drawable
*/
public static void setImageButtonEnabled(Context ctxt, boolean enabled, ImageButton item, Drawable originalIcon) {
item.setEnabled(enabled);
Drawable res = originalIcon.mutate();
if (enabled)
res.setColorFilter(null);
else
res.setColorFilter(Color.GRAY, PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
}
If you also have a non-transparent drawable on background (set with android:background) refer to selectors Android: How to Make A Drawable Selector to also modify background.
You can set it to non clickable and also set the alpha to show that feeling that you mention.