Please note that the contents of this offline web site may be out of date. To access the most recent documentation visit the online version .
Note that links that point to online resources are green in color and will open in a new window.
We would love it if you could give us feedback about this material by filling this form (You have to be online to fill it)
Android APIs
public class

SpannableStringBuilder

extends Object
implements Editable GetChars Spannable Appendable CharSequence
java.lang.Object
   ↳ android.text.SpannableStringBuilder

Class Overview

This is the class for text whose content and markup can both be changed.

Summary

[Expand]
Inherited Constants
From interface android.text.Spanned
Public Constructors
SpannableStringBuilder ()
Create a new SpannableStringBuilder with empty contents
SpannableStringBuilder ( CharSequence text)
Create a new SpannableStringBuilder containing a copy of the specified text, including its spans if any.
SpannableStringBuilder ( CharSequence text, int start, int end)
Create a new SpannableStringBuilder containing a copy of the specified slice of the specified text, including its spans if any.
Public Methods
SpannableStringBuilder append (char text)
Convenience for append(String.valueOf(text)).
SpannableStringBuilder append ( CharSequence text, int start, int end)
Convenience for replace(length(), length(), text, start, end)
SpannableStringBuilder append ( CharSequence text)
Convenience for replace(length(), length(), text, 0, text.length())
char charAt (int where)
Return the char at the specified offset within the buffer.
void clear ()
Convenience for replace(0, length(), "", 0, 0)
void clearSpans ()
Removes all spans from the Editable, as if by calling removeSpan(Object) on each of them.
SpannableStringBuilder delete (int start, int end)
Convenience for replace(st, en, "", 0, 0)
abstract void drawText ( Canvas c, int start, int end, float x, float y, Paint p)
boolean equals ( Object o)
Compares this instance with the specified object and indicates if they are equal.
void getChars (int start, int end, char[] dest, int destoff)
Copy the specified range of chars from this buffer into the specified array, beginning at the specified offset.
InputFilter[] getFilters ()
Returns the array of input filters that are currently applied to changes to this Editable.
int getSpanEnd ( Object what)
Return the buffer offset of the end of the specified markup object, or -1 if it is not attached to this buffer.
int getSpanFlags ( Object what)
Return the flags of the end of the specified markup object, or 0 if it is not attached to this buffer.
int getSpanStart ( Object what)
Return the buffer offset of the beginning of the specified markup object, or -1 if it is not attached to this buffer.
<T> T[] )">getSpans (int queryStart, int queryEnd, Class <T> kind)
Return an array of the spans of the specified type that overlap the specified range of the buffer.
int getTextRunCursor (int contextStart, int contextEnd, int flags, int offset, int cursorOpt, Paint p)
This method was deprecated in API level 12. This is an internal method, refrain from using it in your code
abstract int getTextWidths (int start, int end, float[] widths, Paint p)
int hashCode ()
Returns an integer hash code for this object.
SpannableStringBuilder insert (int where, CharSequence tb, int start, int end)
Convenience for replace(where, where, text, start, end)
SpannableStringBuilder insert (int where, CharSequence tb)
Convenience for replace(where, where, text, 0, text.length());
int length ()
Return the number of chars in the buffer.
abstract float measureText (int start, int end, Paint p)
int nextSpanTransition (int start, int limit, Class kind)
Return the next offset after start but less than or equal to limit where a span of the specified type begins or ends.
void removeSpan ( Object what)
Remove the specified markup object from the buffer.
SpannableStringBuilder replace (int start, int end, CharSequence tb)
Convenience for replace(st, en, text, 0, text.length())
SpannableStringBuilder replace (int start, int end, CharSequence tb, int tbstart, int tbend)
Replaces the specified range ( st…en ) of text in this Editable with a copy of the slice start…end from source .
void setFilters ( InputFilter[] filters)
Sets the series of filters that will be called in succession whenever the text of this Editable is changed, each of which has the opportunity to limit or transform the text that is being inserted.
void setSpan ( Object what, int start, int end, int flags)
Mark the specified range of text with the specified object.
CharSequence subSequence (int start, int end)
Return a new CharSequence containing a copy of the specified range of this buffer, including the overlapping spans.
String toString ()
Return a String containing a copy of the chars in this buffer.
static SpannableStringBuilder valueOf ( CharSequence source)
[Expand]
Inherited Methods
From class java.lang.Object
From interface android.text.Editable
From interface android.text.GetChars
From interface android.text.Spannable
From interface android.text.Spanned
From interface java.lang.Appendable
From interface java.lang.CharSequence

Public Constructors

public SpannableStringBuilder ()

Added in API level 1

Create a new SpannableStringBuilder with empty contents

public SpannableStringBuilder ( CharSequence text)

Added in API level 1

Create a new SpannableStringBuilder containing a copy of the specified text, including its spans if any.

public SpannableStringBuilder ( CharSequence text, int start, int end)

Added in API level 1

Create a new SpannableStringBuilder containing a copy of the specified slice of the specified text, including its spans if any.

Public Methods

public SpannableStringBuilder append (char text)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for append(String.valueOf(text)).

Parameters
text the character to append.
Returns
  • this Appendable .

public SpannableStringBuilder append ( CharSequence text, int start, int end)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(length(), length(), text, start, end)

Parameters
text the character sequence to append.
start the first index of the subsequence of csq that is appended.
end the last index of the subsequence of csq that is appended.
Returns
  • this Appendable .

public SpannableStringBuilder append ( CharSequence text)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(length(), length(), text, 0, text.length())

Parameters
text the character sequence to append.
Returns
  • this Appendable .

public char charAt (int where)

Added in API level 1

Return the char at the specified offset within the buffer.

public void clear ()

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(0, length(), "", 0, 0)

public void clearSpans ()

Added in API level 1

Removes all spans from the Editable, as if by calling removeSpan(Object) on each of them.

public SpannableStringBuilder delete (int start, int end)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(st, en, "", 0, 0)

public abstract void drawText ( Canvas c, int start, int end, float x, float y, Paint p)

public boolean equals ( Object o)

Added in API level 1

Compares this instance with the specified object and indicates if they are equal. In order to be equal, o must represent the same object as this instance using a class-specific comparison. The general contract is that this comparison should be reflexive, symmetric, and transitive. Also, no object reference other than null is equal to null.

The default implementation returns true only if this == o . See Writing a correct equals method if you intend implementing your own equals method.

The general contract for the equals and hashCode() methods is that if equals returns true for any two objects, then hashCode() must return the same value for these objects. This means that subclasses of Object usually override either both methods or neither of them.

Parameters
o the object to compare this instance with.
Returns
  • true if the specified object is equal to this Object ; false otherwise.

public void getChars (int start, int end, char[] dest, int destoff)

Added in API level 1

Copy the specified range of chars from this buffer into the specified array, beginning at the specified offset.

public InputFilter[] getFilters ()

Added in API level 1

Returns the array of input filters that are currently applied to changes to this Editable.

public int getSpanEnd ( Object what)

Added in API level 1

Return the buffer offset of the end of the specified markup object, or -1 if it is not attached to this buffer.

public int getSpanFlags ( Object what)

Added in API level 1

Return the flags of the end of the specified markup object, or 0 if it is not attached to this buffer.

public int getSpanStart ( Object what)

Added in API level 1

Return the buffer offset of the beginning of the specified markup object, or -1 if it is not attached to this buffer.

)">

public T[] getSpans (int queryStart, int queryEnd, Class <T> kind)

Added in API level 1

Return an array of the spans of the specified type that overlap the specified range of the buffer. The kind may be Object.class to get a list of all the spans regardless of type.

public int getTextRunCursor (int contextStart, int contextEnd, int flags, int offset, int cursorOpt, Paint p)

This method was deprecated in API level 12.
This is an internal method, refrain from using it in your code

Returns the next cursor position in the run. This avoids placing the cursor between surrogates, between characters that form conjuncts, between base characters and combining marks, or within a reordering cluster.

The context is the shaping context for cursor movement, generally the bounds of the metric span enclosing the cursor in the direction of movement. contextStart , contextEnd and offset are relative to the start of the string.

If cursorOpt is CURSOR_AT and the offset is not a valid cursor position, this returns -1. Otherwise this will never return a value before contextStart or after contextEnd.

Parameters
contextStart the start index of the context
contextEnd the (non-inclusive) end index of the context
flags either DIRECTION_RTL or DIRECTION_LTR
offset the cursor position to move from
cursorOpt how to move the cursor, one of CURSOR_AFTER, CURSOR_AT_OR_AFTER, CURSOR_BEFORE, CURSOR_AT_OR_BEFORE, or CURSOR_AT
p the Paint object that is requesting this information
Returns
  • the offset of the next position, or -1

public abstract int getTextWidths (int start, int end, float[] widths, Paint p)

public int hashCode ()

Added in API level 1

Returns an integer hash code for this object. By contract, any two objects for which equals(Object) returns true must return the same hash code value. This means that subclasses of Object usually override both methods or neither method.

Note that hash values must not change over time unless information used in equals comparisons also changes.

See Writing a correct hashCode method if you intend implementing your own hashCode method.

Returns
  • this object's hash code.

public SpannableStringBuilder insert (int where, CharSequence tb, int start, int end)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(where, where, text, start, end)

public SpannableStringBuilder insert (int where, CharSequence tb)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(where, where, text, 0, text.length());

public int length ()

Added in API level 1

Return the number of chars in the buffer.

Returns
  • the number of characters.

public abstract float measureText (int start, int end, Paint p)

public int nextSpanTransition (int start, int limit, Class kind)

Added in API level 1

Return the next offset after start but less than or equal to limit where a span of the specified type begins or ends.

public void removeSpan ( Object what)

Added in API level 1

Remove the specified markup object from the buffer.

public SpannableStringBuilder replace (int start, int end, CharSequence tb)

Added in API level 1

Convenience for replace(st, en, text, 0, text.length())

public SpannableStringBuilder replace (int start, int end, CharSequence tb, int tbstart, int tbend)

Added in API level 1

Replaces the specified range ( st…en ) of text in this Editable with a copy of the slice start…end from source . The destination slice may be empty, in which case the operation is an insertion, or the source slice may be empty, in which case the operation is a deletion.

Before the change is committed, each filter that was set with setFilters(InputFilter[]) is given the opportunity to modify the source text.

If source is Spanned, the spans from it are preserved into the Editable. Existing spans within the Editable that entirely cover the replaced range are retained, but any that were strictly within the range that was replaced are removed. As a special case, the cursor position is preserved even when the entire range where it is located is replaced.

Returns
  • a reference to this object.

public void setFilters ( InputFilter[] filters)

Added in API level 1

Sets the series of filters that will be called in succession whenever the text of this Editable is changed, each of which has the opportunity to limit or transform the text that is being inserted.

public void setSpan ( Object what, int start, int end, int flags)

Added in API level 1

Mark the specified range of text with the specified object. The flags determine how the span will behave when text is inserted at the start or end of the span's range.

public CharSequence subSequence (int start, int end)

Added in API level 1

Return a new CharSequence containing a copy of the specified range of this buffer, including the overlapping spans.

Parameters
start the start offset of the sub-sequence. It is inclusive, that is, the index of the first character that is included in the sub-sequence.
end the end offset of the sub-sequence. It is exclusive, that is, the index of the first character after those that are included in the sub-sequence
Returns
  • the requested sub-sequence.

public String toString ()

Added in API level 1

Return a String containing a copy of the chars in this buffer.

Returns
  • a printable representation of this object.

public static SpannableStringBuilder valueOf ( CharSequence source)

Added in API level 1