Android WebView Tutorial with Examples

What is Android WebView?
Android WebView example
Appendix: Interface design

1. What is Android WebView?

TODO: More Info

2. Android WebView example

No ADS

Next, we will practice a simple example. In this example the WebView will display a static content, and a content from a URL.

Create a project named AndroidWebView:

File > New > New Project > Empty Activity
- Name: AndroidWebView
- Package name: org.o7planning.androidwebview
- Language: Java

Your application will connect to the internet, so you need to configure to allow this in AndroidManifest.xml, add config:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

Full content of AndroidManifest.xml:

AndroidManifest.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="org.o7planning.androidwebview">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">
        <activity android:name=".MainActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

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

</manifest>

The application interface:

If you are interested in the steps to design the interface of this application, please see the appendix at the end of the article.

activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/editText_addressBar"
        android:layout_width="375dp"
        android:layout_height="48dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="25dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:ems="10"
        android:inputType="textPersonName"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/linearLayout"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/editText_addressBar">

        <Space
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/button_static"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:text="Static Content" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/button_go"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:text="Go" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <WebView
        android:id="@+id/webView"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="16dp"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/linearLayout" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

MyWebViewClient.java

package org.o7planning.androidwebview;

import android.graphics.Bitmap;
import android.util.Log;
import android.webkit.WebView;
import android.webkit.WebViewClient;
import android.widget.EditText;


public class MyWebViewClient extends WebViewClient {

    private EditText addressBar;

    public MyWebViewClient(EditText addressBar) {
        this.addressBar= addressBar;
    }

    // When you click on any interlink on webview.
    @Override
    public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, String url) {
        Log.i("MyLog","Click on any interlink on webview that time you got url :-" + url);
        addressBar.setText(url);
        return super.shouldOverrideUrlLoading(view, url);
    }

    // When page loading
    @Override
    public void onPageStarted(WebView view, String url, Bitmap favicon) {
        super.onPageStarted(view, url, favicon);
        Log.i("MyLog", "Your current url when webpage loading.." + url);
    }

    // When page load finish.
    @Override
    public void onPageFinished(WebView view, String url) {
        Log.i("MyLog", "Your current url when webpage loading.. finish" + url);
        super.onPageFinished(view, url);
    }

    @Override
    public void onLoadResource(WebView view, String url) {
        super.onLoadResource(view, url);
    }

}

MainActivity.java

package org.o7planning.androidwebview;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;

import android.view.View;

import android.webkit.WebView;

import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class MainActivity extends Activity  {


   private  EditText addressBar;

   private WebView webView;
   private Button buttonGo;
   private Button buttonStatic;

   @Override
   protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
       super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
       setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

       buttonGo =(Button)findViewById(R.id.button_go);
       buttonStatic =(Button)findViewById(R.id.button_static);

       addressBar =(EditText)findViewById(R.id.editText_addressBar);
       webView =(WebView)findViewById(R.id.webView);

 
       // Tùy biến WebViewClient để điều khiển các sự kiện trên WebView
       webView.setWebViewClient(new MyWebViewClient(addressBar));

       buttonGo.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {
           @Override
           public void onClick(View view) {
               goUrl();
           }
       });

       buttonStatic.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener() {
           @Override
           public void onClick(View view) {
               showStaticContent();
           }
       });
   }

   private void goUrl()  {
       String url = addressBar.getText().toString().trim();
       if(url.isEmpty())  {
           Toast.makeText(this,"Please enter url",Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
           return;
       }
       webView.getSettings().setLoadsImagesAutomatically(true);
       webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
       webView.setScrollBarStyle(View.SCROLLBARS_INSIDE_OVERLAY);
       webView.loadUrl(url);
   }


   private void showStaticContent()  {
       String staticContent="<h2>Select web page</h2>"
               + "<ul><li><a href='http://eclipse.org'>Eclipse</a></li>"
               +"<li><a href='http://google.com'>Google</a></li></ul>";
       webView.loadData(staticContent, "text/html", "UTF-8");
   }

}