Android Custom Spinner Item Example

Sometimes you need to display dropdown spinner item with complex item consists not only string text, but with icon beside it. For example a dropdown spinner like the picture below showing a country list and its flag beside it.

Custom spinner showing text and image

Just follow the steps below to make that custom spinner.

1. Make activity layout file activity_spinner.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:padding="12dp">

    <Spinner
        android:id="@+id/spinner"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_centerInParent="true">

    </Spinner>

</RelativeLayout>

2. Make item layout  file item_country.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:gravity="center_vertical"
    android:padding="12dp">

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/imgFlag"
        android:layout_width="32dp"
        android:layout_height="32dp" />
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textCountry"
        android:layout_marginLeft="4dp"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"/>

</LinearLayout>

3. Make country class Country.java

package com.example.myapplication.spinner;

/**
 * Created by SONY on 16/10/2016.
 */
public class Country {
    public String name;
    public int flag;
}

4. Make custom spinner adapter class CustomSpinnerAdapter.java

package com.example.myapplication.spinner;

import android.content.Context;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.example.myapplication.R;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Created by SONY on 16/10/2016.
 */
public class CustomSpinnerAdapter extends ArrayAdapter<Country> {
    private List<Country> data;
    public CustomSpinnerAdapter(Context context, List<Country> data) {
        super(context, 0, data);
        this.data = data;
    }
    @Override
    public View getDropDownView(int position, View convertView,ViewGroup parent) {
        return getView(position, convertView, parent);
    }
    @Override
    public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent){
        Country country = data.get(position);
        if(convertView == null) {
            convertView = LayoutInflater.from(getContext()).inflate(R.layout.item_country, parent, false);
            convertView.setTag(ViewHolder.createViewHolder(convertView));
        }
        ViewHolder holder = (ViewHolder)convertView.getTag();
        holder.textCountry.setText(country.name);
        holder.imgFlag.setImageResource(country.flag);
        return convertView;
    }
    @Override
    public int getCount( ) {
        return data.size();
    }

    private static class ViewHolder {
        public ImageView imgFlag;
        public TextView textCountry;

        public static ViewHolder createViewHolder(View view) {
            ViewHolder holder = new ViewHolder();
            holder.imgFlag = (ImageView) view.findViewById(R.id.imgFlag);
            holder.textCountry = (TextView)view.findViewById(R.id.textCountry);
            return holder;
        }
    }
}

5. Paste these png images into drawable folder

flag_china.png

flag_germany.png

flag_india.png

flag_indonesia.png

flag_usa.png

6. Make activity class SpinnerActivity.java

package com.example.myapplication.spinner;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.Spinner;

import com.example.myapplication.R;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * Created by SONY on 16/10/2016.
 */
public class SpinnerActivity extends Activity {
    private Spinner spinner;
    private CustomSpinnerAdapter spinnerAdapter;
    private List<Country> countries = new ArrayList<Country>();
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_spinner);
        spinner = (Spinner) findViewById(R.id.spinner);
        spinnerAdapter = new CustomSpinnerAdapter(this, countries );
        spinner.setAdapter(spinnerAdapter);

        spinner.setOnItemSelectedListener(new AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener() {
            @Override
            public void onItemSelected(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {
                // do something after selected item here
                Country country = countries.get(position);
            }

            @Override
            public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView<?> parent) {

            }
        });
        populateCountries();
    }
    private void populateCountries() {
        Country indonesia = new Country();
        indonesia.name = "Indonesia";
        indonesia.flag = R.drawable.flag_indonesia;
        Country usa = new Country();
        usa.name = "United States";
        usa.flag = R.drawable.flag_usa;
        Country germany = new Country();
        germany.name = "Germany";
        germany.flag = R.drawable.flag_germany;
        Country china = new Country();
        china.name = "China";
        china.flag = R.drawable.flag_china;
        Country india = new Country();
        india.name = "India";
        india.flag = R.drawable.flag_india;
        countries.add(indonesia);
        countries.add(usa);
        countries.add(germany);
        countries.add(china);
        countries.add(india);
        spinnerAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
    }
}

7. Make AndroidManifest.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.myapplication">

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <activity android:name="com.example.myapplication.spinner.SpinnerActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

</manifest>

8. Now run the app. You should see a spinner showing country list with name and flag like in the picture above.

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