[android] Android ListView Text Color

I am trying to set the ListView textColor to black, since I am using a white background.

Here is my MailActivity

public class MailActivity extends ListActivity {

    String[] listItems = { "Compose", "Inbox", "Drafts", "Sent" };

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        setContentView(R.layout.mails);

        setListAdapter(new ArrayAdapter(this,
                android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1, listItems));

    }
}

and my XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout 
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical" 
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent" 
    android:background="#FFFFFF">

    <ListView 
        android:id="@android:id/list" 
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

    <TextView 
        android:id="@android:id/empty" 
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
        android:text="Empty set" 
        android:textColor="#000000" />

</LinearLayout>

I'm getting the background as white, but am not sure where to set the foreground to black. I've tried in the xml and looks like it's not helping.

I needed to make a ListView with items of different colors. I modified Shardul's method a bit and result in this:

ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(
                this, android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1, colorString) {
            @Override
            public View getView(int position, View convertView, ViewGroup parent) {
                TextView textView = (TextView) super.getView(position, convertView, parent);
                textView.setBackgroundColor(assignBackgroundColor(position));
                textView.setTextColor(assignTextColor(position));
                return textView;
            }
        };
        colorList.setAdapter(adapter);

assignBackgroundColor() and assignTextColor() are methods that assign color you want. They can be replaced with int[] arrays.

1. Create a styles file, for example: my_styles.xml and save it in res/values.

2. Add the following code:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <resources>
   
   <style name="ListFont" parent="@android:style/Widget.ListView">
       <item name="android:textColor">#FF0000</item>
       <item name="android:typeface">sans</item>
   </style>
   
   </resources>
   

3. Add your style to your Activity definition in your AndroidManifest.xml as an android:theme attribute, and assign as value the name of the style you created. For example:

   <activity android:name="your.activityClass" android:theme="@style/ListFont">
   

NOTE: the Widget.ListView comes from here. Also check this.

You have to define the text color in the layout *simple_list_item_1* that defines the layout of each of your items.

You set the background color of the LinearLayout and not of the ListView. The background color of the child items of the LinearLayout are transparent by default (in most cases).

And you set the black text color for the TextView that is not part of your ListView. It is an own item (child item of the LinearLayout) here.

You can do this in your code:

final ListView lv = (ListView) convertView.findViewById(R.id.list_view);

for (int i = 0; i < lv.getChildCount(); i++) {
    ((TextView)lv.getChildAt(i)).setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.black));
}

I cloned the simple_list_item_1(Alt + Click) and placed the copy on my res/layout folder, renamed it to list_white_text.xml with this contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>    
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@android:id/text1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceListItemSmall"
    android:gravity="center_vertical"
    android:textColor="@color/abc_primary_text_material_dark"
    android:minHeight="?android:attr/listPreferredItemHeightSmall" />

The android:textColor="@color/abc_primary_text_material_dark" translates to white on my device.

then in the java code:

ArrayAdapter<String> adapter = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, R.layout.list_white_text, myList);

never use getApplicationContext(). Just use your Activity as the Context. See if that helps.

Please check here: CommonsWare answers

if you didnot set your activity style it shows you black background .if you want to make changes such as white background, black text of listview then it is difficult process.

ADD android:theme="@style/AppTheme" in Android Manifest.