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Android ListView with Checkbox using ArrayAdapter

  1. Example
  2. Appendix: Interface design

1. Example

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Android pre-builds a simple Layout which ListItem is made by a CheckedTextView. In this example, I will show you how to use ArrayAdapter and android.R.layout.simple_list_item_checked. (Or android.R.layout.simple_list_item_multiple_choice)
Create a new Android project:
  • ListViewSimpleListItemChecked
  • Name: ListViewSimpleListItemChecked
  • Package name: org.o7planning.listviewsimplelistitemchecked
Interface design:
If you are interested in the steps to design this application interface, 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">

    <ListView
        android:id="@+id/listView"
        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_toTopOf="@+id/button"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="46dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="16dp"
        android:text="Print Selected Items"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
UserAccount.java
package org.o7planning.listviewsimplelistitemchecked;

import java.io.Serializable;

public class UserAccount implements Serializable {

    private String userName;
    private String userType;

    private boolean active;

    public UserAccount(String userName, String userType)  {
        this.userName= userName;
        this.userType = userType;
        this.active= true;
    }

    public UserAccount(String userName, String userType, boolean active)  {
        this.userName= userName;
        this.userType = userType;
        this.active= active;
    }

    public String getUserType() {
        return userType;
    }

    public void setUserType(String userType) {
        this.userType = userType;
    }

    public String getUserName() {
        return userName;
    }

    public void setUserName(String userName) {
        this.userName = userName;
    }

    public boolean isActive() {
        return active;
    }

    public void setActive(boolean active) {
        this.active = active;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return this.userName +" ("+ this.userType+")";
    }

}
MainActivity.java
package org.o7planning.listviewsimplelistitemchecked;

import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.util.SparseBooleanArray;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.CheckedTextView;
import android.widget.ListView;
import android.widget.Toast;
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    public static final String TAG = "ListViewExample";

    private ListView listView;
    private Button button;

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

        this.listView = (ListView)findViewById(R.id.listView);
        this.button = (Button)findViewById(R.id.button);

        // CHOICE_MODE_NONE: (Default)
        // (listView.setItemChecked(..) doest not work with CHOICE_MODE_NONE).
        // CHOICE_MODE_SINGLE:
        // CHOICE_MODE_MULTIPLE:
        // CHOICE_MODE_MULTIPLE_MODAL:
        this.listView.setChoiceMode(ListView.CHOICE_MODE_MULTIPLE);

        this.listView.setOnItemClickListener(new AdapterView.OnItemClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {
                Log.i(TAG, "onItemClick: " +position);
                CheckedTextView v = (CheckedTextView) view;
                boolean currentCheck = v.isChecked();
                UserAccount user = (UserAccount) listView.getItemAtPosition(position);
                user.setActive(!currentCheck);
            }
        });
        //

        this.button.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                printSelectedItems();
            }
        });

         this.initListViewData();
    }

    private void initListViewData()  {
        UserAccount tom = new UserAccount("Tom","admin");
        UserAccount jerry = new UserAccount("Jerry","user");
        UserAccount donald = new UserAccount("Donald","guest", false);

        UserAccount[] users = new UserAccount[]{tom,jerry, donald};

        // android.R.layout.simple_list_item_checked:
        // ListItem is very simple (Only one CheckedTextView).
        ArrayAdapter<UserAccount> arrayAdapter
                = new ArrayAdapter<UserAccount>(this, android.R.layout.simple_list_item_checked , users);

        this.listView.setAdapter(arrayAdapter);

        for(int i=0;i< users.length; i++ )  {
            this.listView.setItemChecked(i,users[i].isActive());
        }
    }

    // When user click "Print Selected Items".
    public void printSelectedItems()  {

        SparseBooleanArray sp = listView.getCheckedItemPositions();

        StringBuilder sb= new StringBuilder();

        for(int i=0;i<sp.size();i++){
            if(sp.valueAt(i)==true){
                UserAccount user= (UserAccount) listView.getItemAtPosition(i);
                // Or:
                // String s = ((CheckedTextView) listView.getChildAt(i)).getText().toString();
                //
                String s= user.getUserName();
                sb = sb.append(" "+s);
            }
        }
        Toast.makeText(this, "Selected items are: "+sb.toString(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }

}
Run this example:
Android also provides you with a Layout similar tosimple_list_item_checked which is simple_list_item_multiple_choice.

The absolute single difference between the two is the visual style of the selected indicator that shows up on an item when it is marked as selected. The one in android.R.layout.simple_list_item_multiple_choice is supposedly more suited for a multi-choice selection, while the one in android.R.layout.simple_list_item_checked is more suited for touch-and-go scenarios. That being said, everything is relative to each and every person's taste, and moreover you could pass your own layout there to match your desired design.

2. Appendix: Interface design

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Drag and drop components into the interface:
Setting constraints for components on the interface:
Set ID, Text for components on the interface.
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