[android] How to use data-binding with Fragment

I'm trying to follow data-binding example from official google doc https://developer.android.com/tools/data-binding/guide.html

except that I'm trying to apply data-biding to a fragment, not an activity.

the error I'm currently getting when compiling is

Error:(37, 27) No resource type specified (at 'text' with value '@{marsdata.martianSols}.

onCreate for fragment looks like this:

@Override
public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    MartianDataBinding binding = MartianDataBinding.inflate(getActivity().getLayoutInflater());
    binding.setMarsdata(this);
}

onCreateView for fragment looks like this:

@Nullable
@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, @Nullable ViewGroup container, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    return inflater.inflate(R.layout.martian_data, container, false);
}

and parts of my layout file for fragment looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<layout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <data>
        <variable
            name="marsdata"
            type="uk.co.darkruby.app.myapp.MarsDataProvider" />
    </data>
...

        <TextView
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:text="@{marsdata.martianSols}"
        />

    </RelativeLayout>
</layout>

my suspicion is that MartianDataBinding doesn't know which layout file it's supposed to be bound with - hence the error. Any suggestions?

Even the other answers may work well, but I want tell best approach.

Use Binding class's inflate as recommended in Android Documentation.

One option is to inflate by DataBindingUtil but when only you don't know have generated binding class.

--You have auto generated binding class, use that class instead of using DataBindingUtil.

In Java

@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    HomeFragmentBinding binding = HomeFragmentBinding.inflate(inflater, container, false);
    //set binding variables here
    return binding.getRoot();
}

In Kotlin

lateinit var binding: HomeFragmentBinding 
override fun onCreateView(inflater: LayoutInflater?, container: ViewGroup?, savedInstanceState: Bundle?): View? {
    binding = HomeFragmentBinding.inflate(inflater, container, false)
    return binding.root
}

In DataBindingUtil class documentation you can see.

inflate

T inflate (LayoutInflater inflater, 
                int layoutId, 
                ViewGroup parent, 
                boolean attachToParent)

Use this version only if layoutId is unknown in advance. Otherwise, use the generated Binding's inflate method to ensure type-safe inflation.

If your layout biniding class is not generated @See this answer.

working in my code.

private FragmentSampleBinding dataBiding;
private SampleListAdapter mAdapter;

@Nullable
@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, @Nullable ViewGroup container, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreateView(inflater, container, savedInstanceState);
    dataBiding = DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater, R.layout.fragment_sample, null, false);
    return mView = dataBiding.getRoot();
}

Everyone says about inflate(), but what if we want to use it in onViewCreated()?

You can use bind(view) method of concrete binding class to get ViewDataBinding instance for the view.

Usually we write BaseFragment something like this (simplified):

// BaseFragment.kt
abstract fun layoutId(): Int

override fun onCreateView(inflater, container, savedInstanceState) = 
    inflater.inflate(layoutId(), container, false)

And use it in child fragment.

// ConcreteFragment.kt
override fun layoutId() = R.layout.fragment_concrete

override fun onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState) {
    val binding = FragmentConcreteBinding.bind(view)
    // or
    val binding = DataBindingUtil.bind<FragmentConcreteBinding>(view)
}

If all Fragments uses data binding, you can even make it simpler using type parameter.

abstract class BaseFragment<B: ViewDataBinding> : Fragment() {
    abstract fun onViewCreated(binding: B, savedInstanceState: Bundle?)

    override fun onViewCreated(view: View, savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        onViewCreated(DataBindingUtil.bind<B>(view)!!, savedInstanceState)
    }
}

I don't know it's okay to assert non-null there, but.. you get the idea. If you want it to be nullable, you can do it.

You are actually encouraged to use the inflate method of your generated Binding and not the DataBindingUtil:

@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    MainFragmentBinding binding = MainFragmentBinding.inflate(inflater, container, false);
    //set variables in Binding
    return binding.getRoot();
}

Docs for DataBindingUtil.inflate():

Use this version only if layoutId is unknown in advance. Otherwise, use the generated Binding's inflate method to ensure type-safe inflation.

I have been finding Answer for my application and here is the answer for Kotlin Language.

private lateinit var binding: FragmentForgetPasswordBinding

override fun onCreateView(
        inflater: LayoutInflater, container: ViewGroup?,
        savedInstanceState: Bundle?
    ): View? {
binding=DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater,R.layout.fragment_forget_password,container,false)
        val viewModel=ViewModelProvider(this).get(ForgetPasswordViewModel::class.java)
        binding.recoveryViewModel=viewModel
        viewModel.forgetPasswordInterface=this
        return binding.root
}

A complete example in data binding Fragments

FragmentMyProgramsBinding is binding class generated for res/layout/fragment_my_programs

public class MyPrograms extends Fragment {
    FragmentMyProgramsBinding fragmentMyProgramsBinding;

    public MyPrograms() {
        // Required empty public constructor
    }


    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        // Inflate the layout for this fragment
    FragmentMyProgramsBinding    fragmentMyProgramsBinding = DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater, R
                .layout.fragment_my_programs, container, false);
        return fragmentMyProgramsBinding.getRoot();
    }

    @Override
    public void onViewCreated(@NonNull View view, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState);

    }
}

Very helpful blog about Databinding : https://link.medium.com/HQY2VizKO1

class FragmentBinding<out T : ViewDataBinding>(
    @LayoutRes private val resId: Int
) : ReadOnlyProperty<Fragment, T> {

    private var binding: T? = null

    override operator fun getValue(
        thisRef: Fragment,
        property: KProperty<*>
    ): T = binding ?: createBinding(thisRef).also { binding = it }

    private fun createBinding(
        activity: Fragment
    ): T = DataBindingUtil.inflate(LayoutInflater.from(activity.context),resId,null,true)
}

Declare binding val like this in Fragment :

private val binding by FragmentBinding<FragmentLoginBinding>(R.layout.fragment_login)

Don't forget to write this in fragment

override fun onCreateView(
    inflater: LayoutInflater,
    container: ViewGroup?,
    savedInstanceState: Bundle?
): View? {
    return binding.root
}

Just as most have said, but dont forget to set LifeCycleOwner
Sample in Java i.e

public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreateView(inflater, container, savedInstanceState);
    BindingClass binding = DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater, R.layout.fragment_layout, container, false);
    ModelClass model = ViewModelProviders.of(getActivity()).get(ViewModelClass.class);
    binding.setLifecycleOwner(getActivity());
    binding.setViewmodelclass(model);

    //Your codes here

    return binding.getRoot();
}

One can simply retrieve view object as mentioned below

public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, @Nullable ViewGroup container, @Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {

View view = DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater, R.layout.layout_file, container, false).getRoot();

return view;

}

Kotlin syntax:

lateinit var binding: MartianDataBinding
override fun onCreateView(inflater: LayoutInflater?, container: ViewGroup?, savedInstanceState: Bundle?): View? {
    binding = DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater, R.layout.martian_data, container, false)
    return binding.root
}

Another example in Kotlin:

override fun onCreateView(inflater: LayoutInflater?, container: ViewGroup?, savedInstanceState: Bundle?): View? {
    val binding = DataBindingUtil
            .inflate< MartianDataBinding >(
                    inflater,
                    R.layout.bla,
                    container,
                    false
            )

    binding.modelName = // ..

    return binding.root
}

Note that the name "MartianDataBinding" depends on the name of the layout file. If the file is named "martian_data" then the correct name would be MartianDataBinding.

Try this in Android DataBinding

FragmentMainBinding binding;

@Override
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        binding = DataBindingUtil.inflate(inflater, R.layout.fragment_main, container, false);
        View rootView = binding.getRoot();
        initInstances(savedInstanceState);
        return rootView;
}

If you are using ViewModel and LiveData This is the sufficient syntax

Kotlin Syntax:

override fun onCreateView(
    inflater: LayoutInflater,
    container: ViewGroup?,
    savedInstanceState: Bundle?
): View? {
    return MartianDataBinding.inflate(
        inflater,
        container,
        false
    ).apply {
        lifecycleOwner = viewLifecycleOwner
        vm = viewModel    // Attach your view model here
    }.root
}