Efficiently Setting fillColor in Android SVG Icons from Colors.xml

Описание: Discover how to dynamically set the `fillColor` for SVG icons in your Android app using colors from multiple flavors without duplicating resources.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/70334587/ asked by the user 'Kratos' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/11011605/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/70335922/ provided by the user 'Maksim Novikov' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/5759716/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Efficiently Setting fillColor in Android SVG Icons from Colors.xml

When developing Android applications with multiple flavors, you may run into challenges managing resources across these variations. One common issue arises when trying to set the fillColor property for SVG icons. If you're working with different colors.xml files for each flavor and targeting API levels lower than 24, the default method of assigning colors to SVG icons can become problematic. This guide will explore how to effectively handle this situation without excessive duplication of resources.

The Challenge: Working with SVG Icons and Colors

The crux of the problem is that Android does not allow you to directly use colors defined in colors.xml files within SVG icons for API levels below 24. Understanding this limitation is crucial for Android developers, especially when managing applications with various flavors. Your initial approach may have been to create separate SVG resources with hardcoded colors for each flavor, leading to redundancy and unwieldy code.

Exploring the Solution: Using Tint Colors

Fortunately, there is a more effective approach. Instead of modifying the color directly within the SVG resource, you can utilize the tint color of the view that displays the SVG icon. This method not only simplifies resource management but also allows you to apply colors dynamically depending on the flavor being built.

Steps to Implement Tint Colors

Method 1: Setting Tint Programmatically

You can set the tint color of your ImageView or any other view that holds the SVG icon programmatically. Here's how you can do it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This snippet retrieves the correct color for the current flavor from colors.xml and applies it to the SVG icon.

Method 2: Setting Tint in XML Layout

If you prefer to set the tint color directly in your XML layout, you can do that as well. Here's an example of how to accomplish this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Advantages of Using Tint Colors

Centralized Color Management: All your color settings remain in the colors.xml files for each flavor. This reduces redundancy and makes maintenance easier.

Dynamic Updates: You can dynamically change the color based on the flavor, ensuring the icons match the overall theme of your app without making multiple icon resources.

Cleaner Codebase: By avoiding the creation of multiple SVG files, your project remains neat and manageable.

Conclusion

By leveraging the tint functionality in your image views, you can elegantly manage the fillColor properties of your SVG icons across multiple flavors in Android. This approach not only streamlines your resources but also enhances the flexibility of your app's design. Say goodbye to boilerplate code and embrace these cleaner, more efficient practices!

Implementing these strategies will organize your project more effectively while ensuring that your app displays the right colors based on the currently active flavor.