Question

I’m setting a TextView with the id @android:id/empty to display a message when there are no items in the ListView. However, this TextView gets displayed even if there are items in the ListView, right before the items show up.

How can I make it such that it only gets displayed when there are no elements in the ListView?

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

<ListView
    android:id="@android:id/list"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:dividerHeight="1dp" >
</ListView>

<TextView 
    android:id="@android:id/empty"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="@string/empty_list" />

</LinearLayout>

PS: I’m using a Loader and a SimpleCursorAdapter with a ListFragment.

Answer 1

I’m guessing you are using a regular Fragment or Activity with a ListView inside of it. If you are, you must add the empty layout to the ListView manually.

E.g.

ListView lv = (ListView)findViewById(android.R.id.list);
TextView emptyText = (TextView)findViewById(android.R.id.empty);
lv.setEmptyView(emptyText);

Then your ListView will automatically use this view when its adapter is empty

If you are using a ListActivity you do not need to call setEmptyView() on the ListView since the ListActivity automatically manages that for you.