Question

I can’t figure this out. Some apps have an EditText (textbox) with the help of which, when you touch it and it brings up the on-screen keyboard, the keyboard has a "Search" button instead of an enter key.

I want to implement this. How can I implement that Search button and detect the press of the Search button?

Edit: found how to implement the Search button; in XML, android:imeOptions="actionSearch" or in Java, EditTextSample.setImeOptions(EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_SEARCH);. But how do I handle the user pressing that Search button? Does it have something to do with android:imeActionId?

Answer 1

In the layout set your input method options to search.

<EditText
    android:imeOptions="actionSearch" 
    android:inputType="text" />

In the java add the editor action listener.

editText.setOnEditorActionListener(new TextView.OnEditorActionListener() {
    @Override
    public boolean onEditorAction(TextView v, int actionId, KeyEvent event) {
        if (actionId == EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_SEARCH) {
            performSearch();
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
});

In kotlin use below:

 editText.setOnEditorActionListener { _, actionId, _ ->
        if (actionId == EditorInfo.IME_ACTION_SEARCH) {
          performSearch()
        }
        true
      }