How to style the Design Support library's NavigationView?

Question

So I'm using the NavigationView provided by Android Design Support Library

I can't seem to find examples on how to style it.

So far I have:

<android.support.design.widget.NavigationView
    android:id="@+id/navigation_view"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="start"
    app:headerLayout="@layout/header"
    app:menu="@menu/drawer"
    app:itemTextColor="@color/black"
    app:itemIconTint="@color/black"/>

Styling the header is easy as its under its own xml layout but the body is a menu resource file and not a layout.

• app:itemTextColor changes the text color
• app:itemIconTint changes the icon color
• app:itemBackground changes the item background color

So how to set

• selected item background
• selected item text color
• selected item icon tint

Solution 1

I have answered to a similar question Here.

Basically what you need do is , use a Color State List Resource. For that , first create a new xml (e.g drawer_item.xml) inside color directory (which should be inside res directory.) If you don't have a directory named color already , create one.

Now inside drawer_item.xml do something like this

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item android:color="checked state color" android:state_checked= "true" />
    <item android:color="your default color" />
</selector>

For itemBackground, a separate drawable needs to be placed inside drawable folder too. The name is same drawer_item. android:drawable property needs to be set instead of android:color for itemBackground:

<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item
       android:drawable="@drawable/shape_rectangle_checked"

        android:state_checked= "true" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/shape_rectangle" />

</selector>

File shape_rectangle:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:shape="rectangle">
<solid android:color="#ffffff" /> <!--white color -->
</shape>

File shape_rectangle_checked:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:shape="rectangle">
<solid android:color="#25aaf1" /> <!--blue color -->
</shape>

and then set in your navigationview like this

app:itemIconTint="@color/drawer_item" //notice here
app:itemTextColor="@color/drawer_item" //and here
app:itemBackground="@drawable/drawer_item"//and here for changing the background color of the item which is checked

Solution 2

To expand on @Sash_KP's answer, for the xml in the drawable folder, you dont need the @drawable/shape_rectangle and @drawable/shape_rectangle_check. You can just use @color/your_color.

Also for API >= 21, I've noticed that the navigation menu items by default have a preset selector. You'll notice if you touch and hold down the menu item a ripple will appear. Using a custom itemBackground will not override the default ripple. Therefore if you use a ripple drawable it will create two ripples! Also menu items with ripple drawables do not allow you to have a pressed state for some reason (the default ripple will only appear if you HOLD down).

So for API >= 21 I would not recommend using a ripple drawable. Just use a regular selector drawable with no custom ripples.

Comments

[Frozen Crayon]

I put the xml under res/color but it says Resources$NotFoundException: File res/color/drawer_menu_item.xml from drawable resource

[Sash_KP]

Please check my edit and lemme know if it worked for you.

[geecko]

Adding drawables inside strings.xml .. Probably the best way to get yourself lost in your files :)

[Sash_KP]

@geecko : Agree. However in this case the original solution which works usually didn't work for OP. So i suggested another way or even another way (in the link given).

[Frozen Crayon]

@Sash_KP I can't use drawable in app:itemIconTint="@drawable/drawer_menu_item" because it requires requires a 'android:color' attribute.

[Frozen Crayon]

@Sash_KP okay I dont know what I did wrong earlier but your first solution worked now.

[android developer]

Will this affect the ripple effect color too?

[Joop]

Setting the background color has no effect for me.

[Lubos Mudrak]

@ArjunU. how did you solved your error ? I am getting the same error but only when setting itemBackground

[Lubos Mudrak]

ah app:itemBackground should be a drawable

[binaryKarmic]

@Sash_KP Any idea on changing the list item height

[Someone Somewhere]

I used this solution: stackoverflow.com/a/51633165/550471 worked very well