Android Studio Tutorial (2021 Edition) - Part 3

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Accessing Elements from XML Layout in Android Studio (2021 Edition)

1. Update Build Features in Gradle Script:

   • Open your project in Android Studio and navigate to the build.gradle file for your module.
   • Inside the android block, add the following line: viewBinding true.
   • Sync your Gradle files to apply the changes.

2. Accessing Elements in Main Activity:

   • In your MainActivity.java file, ensure that you have the necessary imports and declarations.
   • Locate the ID of the element you want to access in your XML layout file (e.g., a button with an ID of button).
   • Enable View Binding by adding private lateinit var binding: ActivityMainBinding at the top of your MainActivity class.

3. Inflate the View Binding Class:

   • After declaring the binding variable, initialize it by inflating the layout using the generated ActivityMainBinding class.
   • Add the following line to inflate the layout: binding = ActivityMainBinding.inflate(layoutInflater).
   • Comment out the existing setContentView line and replace it with binding.root.

4. Accessing Elements and Handling Actions:

   • Use the binding variable to access elements from your XML layout by referencing their IDs (e.g., binding.button for a button element).
   • Update the actions or behavior for elements by interacting with them through the binding variable (e.g., changing text on a button click).

5. Testing and Running the Application:

   • Save your changes and run the application to test the functionality.
   • Verify that you can interact with elements in your XML layout using View Binding in Android Studio.

6. Additional Tips:

   • Remember to replace ActivityMainBinding with the appropriate binding class generated for your layout.
   • Utilize auto-complete features in Android Studio (e.g., Ctrl + Space) to easily access and manipulate elements through View Binding.
   • Experiment with different actions and interactions based on your application requirements.

By following these steps, you can effectively access and control elements from your XML layout using View Binding in Android Studio for Android app development in 2021.