SpannableString


public class SpannableString
extends Object implements CharSequence, GetChars, Spannable

java.lang.Object
   ↳ android.text.SpannableString


This is the class for text whose content is immutable but to which markup objects can be attached and detached. For mutable text, see SpannableStringBuilder.

Summary

Inherited constants

int SPAN_COMPOSING

This flag is set on spans that are being used to apply temporary styling information on the composing text of an input method, so that they can be found and removed when the composing text is being replaced.

int SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE

Spans of type SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE do not expand to include text inserted at either their starting or ending point.

int SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE

Non-0-length spans of type SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE expand to include text inserted at their ending point but not at their starting point.

int SPAN_INCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE

Non-0-length spans of type SPAN_INCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE expand to include text inserted at their starting point but not at their ending point.

int SPAN_INCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE

Spans of type SPAN_INCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE expand to include text inserted at either their starting or ending point.

int SPAN_INTERMEDIATE

This flag will be set for intermediate span changes, meaning there is guaranteed to be another change following it.

int SPAN_MARK_MARK

0-length spans with type SPAN_MARK_MARK behave like text marks: they remain at their original offset when text is inserted at that offset.

int SPAN_MARK_POINT

SPAN_MARK_POINT is a synonym for SPAN_INCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE.

int SPAN_PARAGRAPH

SPAN_PARAGRAPH behaves like SPAN_INCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE (SPAN_MARK_MARK), except that if either end of the span is at the end of the buffer, that end behaves like _POINT instead (so SPAN_INCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE if it starts in the middle and ends at the end, or SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_INCLUSIVE if it both starts and ends at the end).

int SPAN_POINT_MARK

SPAN_POINT_MARK is a synonym for SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE.

int SPAN_POINT_MARK_MASK

Bitmask of bits that are relevent for controlling point/mark behavior of spans.

int SPAN_POINT_POINT

0-length spans with type SPAN_POINT_POINT behave like cursors: they are pushed forward by the length of the insertion when text is inserted at their offset.

int SPAN_PRIORITY

The bits specified by the SPAN_PRIORITY bitmap determine the order of change notifications -- higher numbers go first.

int SPAN_PRIORITY_SHIFT

The bits numbered just above SPAN_PRIORITY_SHIFT determine the order of change notifications -- higher numbers go first.

int SPAN_USER

The bits specified by the SPAN_USER bitfield are available for callers to use to store scalar data associated with their span object.

int SPAN_USER_SHIFT

The bits numbered SPAN_USER_SHIFT and above are available for callers to use to store scalar data associated with their span object.

Public constructors

SpannableString(CharSequence source)

For the backward compatibility reasons, this constructor copies all spans including NoCopySpan.

Public methods

final char charAt(int i)

Returns the char value at the specified index.

boolean equals(Object o)

Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.

final void getChars(int start, int end, char[] dest, int off)

Exactly like String.getChars(): copy chars start through end - 1 from this CharSequence into dest beginning at offset destoff.

int getSpanEnd(Object what)

Return the end of the range of text to which the specified markup object is attached, or -1 if the object is not attached.

int getSpanFlags(Object what)

Return the flags that were specified when Spannable.setSpan was used to attach the specified markup object, or 0 if the specified object has not been attached.

int getSpanStart(Object what)

Return the beginning of the range of text to which the specified markup object is attached, or -1 if the object is not attached.

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

Return an array of the markup objects attached to the specified slice of this CharSequence and whose type is the specified type or a subclass of it.

int hashCode()

Returns a hash code value for the object.

final int length()

Returns the length of this character sequence.

int nextSpanTransition(int start, int limit, Class<T> kind)

Return the first offset greater than start where a markup object of class type begins or ends, or limit if there are no starts or ends greater than start but less than limit.

void removeSpan(Object what)

Remove the specified object from the range of text to which it was attached, if any.

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

Attach the specified markup object to the range start…end of the text, or move the object to that range if it was already attached elsewhere.

final CharSequence subSequence(int start, int end)

Returns a CharSequence that is a subsequence of this sequence.

final String toString()

Returns a string representation of the object.

static SpannableString valueOf(CharSequence source)

Inherited methods

Object clone()

Creates and returns a copy of this object.

boolean equals(Object obj)

Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.

void finalize()

Called by the garbage collector on an object when garbage collection determines that there are no more references to the object.

final Class<?> getClass()

Returns the runtime class of this Object.

int hashCode()

Returns a hash code value for the object.

final void notify()

Wakes up a single thread that is waiting on this object's monitor.

final void notifyAll()

Wakes up all threads that are waiting on this object's monitor.

String toString()

Returns a string representation of the object.

final void wait(long timeoutMillis, int nanos)

Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted, or until a certain amount of real time has elapsed.

final void wait(long timeoutMillis)

Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted, or until a certain amount of real time has elapsed.

final void wait()

Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted.

abstract char charAt(int index)

Returns the char value at the specified index.

default IntStream chars()

Returns a stream of int zero-extending the char values from this sequence.

default IntStream codePoints()

Returns a stream of code point values from this sequence.

static int compare(CharSequence cs1, CharSequence cs2)

Compares two CharSequence instances lexicographically.

default boolean isEmpty()

Returns true if this character sequence is empty.

abstract int length()

Returns the length of this character sequence.

abstract CharSequence subSequence(int start, int end)

Returns a CharSequence that is a subsequence of this sequence.

abstract String toString()

Returns a string containing the characters in this sequence in the same order as this sequence.

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

Exactly like String.getChars(): copy chars start through end - 1 from this CharSequence into dest beginning at offset destoff.

abstract void removeSpan(Object what)

Remove the specified object from the range of text to which it was attached, if any.

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

Attach the specified markup object to the range start…end of the text, or move the object to that range if it was already attached elsewhere.

abstract int getSpanEnd(Object tag)

Return the end of the range of text to which the specified markup object is attached, or -1 if the object is not attached.

abstract int getSpanFlags(Object tag)

Return the flags that were specified when Spannable.setSpan was used to attach the specified markup object, or 0 if the specified object has not been attached.

abstract int getSpanStart(Object tag)

Return the beginning of the range of text to which the specified markup object is attached, or -1 if the object is not attached.

abstract <T> T[] getSpans(int start, int end, Class<T> type)

Return an array of the markup objects attached to the specified slice of this CharSequence and whose type is the specified type or a subclass of it.

abstract int nextSpanTransition(int start, int limit, Class<T> type)

Return the first offset greater than start where a markup object of class type begins or ends, or limit if there are no starts or ends greater than start but less than limit.

Public constructors

SpannableString

Added in API level 1
public SpannableString (CharSequence source)

For the backward compatibility reasons, this constructor copies all spans including NoCopySpan.

Parameters
source CharSequence: source text

Public methods

charAt

Added in API level 1
public final char charAt (int i)

Returns the char value at the specified index. An index ranges from zero to length() - 1. The first char value of the sequence is at index zero, the next at index one, and so on, as for array indexing.

If the char value specified by the index is a surrogate, the surrogate value is returned.

Parameters
i int: the index of the char value to be returned

Returns
char the specified char value

equals

Added in API level 1
public boolean equals (Object o)

Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.

The equals method implements an equivalence relation on non-null object references:

  • It is reflexive: for any non-null reference value x, x.equals(x) should return true.
  • It is symmetric: for any non-null reference values x and y, x.equals(y) should return true if and only if y.equals(x) returns true.
  • It is transitive: for any non-null reference values x, y, and z, if x.equals(y) returns true and y.equals(z) returns true, then x.equals(z) should return true.
  • It is consistent: for any non-null reference values x and y, multiple invocations of x.equals(y) consistently return true or consistently return false, provided no information used in equals comparisons on the objects is modified.
  • For any non-null reference value x, x.equals(null) should return false.

An equivalence relation partitions the elements it operates on into equivalence classes; all the members of an equivalence class are equal to each other. Members of an equivalence class are substitutable for each other, at least for some purposes.

Parameters
o Object: This value may be null.

Returns
boolean true if this object is the same as the obj argument; false otherwise.

getChars

Added in API level 1
public final void getChars (int start, 
                int end, 
                char[] dest, 
                int off)

Exactly like String.getChars(): copy chars start through end - 1 from this CharSequence into dest beginning at offset destoff.

Parameters
start int

end int

dest char

off int

getSpanEnd

Added in API level 1
public int getSpanEnd (Object what)

Return the end of the range of text to which the specified markup object is attached, or -1 if the object is not attached.

Parameters
what Object

Returns
int

getSpanFlags

Added in API level 1
public int getSpanFlags (Object what)

Return the flags that were specified when Spannable.setSpan was used to attach the specified markup object, or 0 if the specified object has not been attached.

Parameters
what Object

Returns
int

getSpanStart

Added in API level 1
public int getSpanStart (Object what)

Return the beginning of the range of text to which the specified markup object is attached, or -1 if the object is not attached.

Parameters
what Object

Returns
int

getSpans

Added in API level 1
public T[] getSpans (int queryStart, 
                int queryEnd, 
                Class<T> kind)

Return an array of the markup objects attached to the specified slice of this CharSequence and whose type is the specified type or a subclass of it. Specify Object.class for the type if you want all the objects regardless of type.

Parameters
queryStart int

queryEnd int

kind Class

Returns
T[]

hashCode

Added in API level 1
public int hashCode ()

Returns a hash code value for the object. This method is supported for the benefit of hash tables such as those provided by HashMap.

The general contract of hashCode is:

  • Whenever it is invoked on the same object more than once during an execution of a Java application, the hashCode method must consistently return the same integer, provided no information used in equals comparisons on the object is modified. This integer need not remain consistent from one execution of an application to another execution of the same application.
  • If two objects are equal according to the equals method, then calling the hashCode method on each of the two objects must produce the same integer result.
  • It is not required that if two objects are unequal according to the equals method, then calling the hashCode method on each of the two objects must produce distinct integer results. However, the programmer should be aware that producing distinct integer results for unequal objects may improve the performance of hash tables.

Returns
int a hash code value for this object.

length

Added in API level 1
public final int length ()

Returns the length of this character sequence. The length is the number of 16-bit chars in the sequence.

Returns
int the number of chars in this sequence

nextSpanTransition

Added in API level 1
public int nextSpanTransition (int start, 
                int limit, 
                Class<T> kind)

Return the first offset greater than start where a markup object of class type begins or ends, or limit if there are no starts or ends greater than start but less than limit. Specify null or Object.class for the type if you want every transition regardless of type.

Parameters
start int

limit int

kind Class

Returns
int

removeSpan

Added in API level 1
public void removeSpan (Object what)

Remove the specified object from the range of text to which it was attached, if any. It is OK to remove an object that was never attached in the first place.

Parameters
what Object

setSpan

Added in API level 1
public void setSpan (Object what, 
                int start, 
                int end, 
                int flags)

Attach the specified markup object to the range start…end of the text, or move the object to that range if it was already attached elsewhere. See Spanned for an explanation of what the flags mean. The object can be one that has meaning only within your application, or it can be one that the text system will use to affect text display or behavior. Some noteworthy ones are the subclasses of CharacterStyle and ParagraphStyle, and TextWatcher and SpanWatcher.

Parameters
what Object

start int

end int

flags int

subSequence

Added in API level 1
public final CharSequence subSequence (int start, 
                int end)

Returns a CharSequence that is a subsequence of this sequence. The subsequence starts with the char value at the specified index and ends with the char value at index end - 1. The length (in chars) of the returned sequence is end - start, so if start == end then an empty sequence is returned.

Parameters
start int: the start index, inclusive

end int: the end index, exclusive

Returns
CharSequence the specified subsequence

toString

Added in API level 1
public final String toString ()

Returns a string representation of the object.

Returns
String a string representation of the object.

valueOf

Added in API level 1
public static SpannableString valueOf (CharSequence source)

Parameters
source CharSequence

Returns
SpannableString