Auto Scale TextView Text to Fit within Bounds

Question

I\'m looking for an optimal way to resize wrapping text in a TextView so that it will fit within its getHeight and getWidth bounds. I\'m not simply looking for

Answer 1

I started with Chase's AutoResizeTextView class, and made a minor change so it would fit both vertically and horizontally.

I also discovered a bug which causes a Null Pointer Exception in the Layout Editor (in Eclipse) under some rather obscure conditions.

Change 1: Fit the text both vertically and horizontally

Chase's original version reduces the text size until it fits vertically, but allows the text to be wider than the target. In my case, I needed the text to fit a specified width.

This change makes it resize until the text fits both vertically and horizontally.

In resizeText(int,int) change from:

// Get the required text height
int textHeight = getTextHeight(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);

// Until we either fit within our text view or we had reached our min text size, incrementally try smaller sizes
while(textHeight > height && targetTextSize > mMinTextSize) {
    targetTextSize = Math.max(targetTextSize - 2, mMinTextSize);
    textHeight = getTextHeight(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
    }

to:

// Get the required text height
int textHeight = getTextHeight(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
int textWidth  = getTextWidth(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);

// Until we either fit within our text view or we had reached our min text size, incrementally try smaller sizes
while(((textHeight >= height) || (textWidth >= width) ) && targetTextSize > mMinTextSize) {
    targetTextSize = Math.max(targetTextSize - 2, mMinTextSize);
    textHeight = getTextHeight(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
    textWidth  = getTextWidth(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
    }

Then, at the end of the file, append the getTextWidth() routine; it's just a slightly modified getTextHeight(). It probably would be more efficient to combine them to one routine which returns both height and width.

// Set the text size of the text paint object and use a static layout to render text off screen before measuring
private int getTextWidth(CharSequence source, TextPaint paint, int width, float textSize) {
    // Update the text paint object
    paint.setTextSize(textSize);
    // Draw using a static layout
    StaticLayout layout = new StaticLayout(source, paint, width, Alignment.ALIGN_NORMAL, mSpacingMult, mSpacingAdd, true);
    layout.draw(sTextResizeCanvas);
    return layout.getWidth();
}  

Change 2: Fix a EmptyStackException in the Eclipse Android Layout Editor

Under rather obscure and very precise conditions, the Layout Editor will fail to display the graphical display of the layout; it will throw an "EmptyStackException: null" exception in com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.

The conditions required are:
- create an AutoResizeTextView widget
- create a style for that widget
- specify the text item in the style; not in the widget definition

as in:

res/layout/main.xml:

res/values/myStyles.xml:

With these files, selecting the Graphical Layout tab when editing main.xml will display:

error!
EmptyStackException: null
Exception details are logged in Window > Show View > Error Log

instead of the graphical view of the layout.

To keep an already too-long story shorter, I tracked this down to the following lines (again in resizeText):

// If there is a max text size set, use the lesser of that and the default text size
float targetTextSize = mMaxTextSize > 0 ? Math.min(mTextSize, mMaxTextSize) : mTextSize;

The problem is that under the specific conditions, mTextSize is never initialized; it has the value 0.

With the above, targetTextSize is set to zero (as a result of Math.min).

That zero is passed to getTextHeight() (and getTextWidth()) as the textSize argument. When it gets to
layout.draw(sTextResizeCanvas);
we get the exception.

It's more efficient to test if (mTextSize == 0) at the beginning of resizeText() rather than testing in getTextHeight() and getTextWidth(); testing earlier saves all the intervening work.

With these updates, the file (as in my crash-demo test app) is now:

//
// from:  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5033012/auto-scale-textview-text-to-fit-within-bounds
//
//

package com.ajw.DemoCrashInADT;

import android.content.Context;
import android.graphics.Canvas;
import android.text.Layout.Alignment;
import android.text.StaticLayout;
import android.text.TextPaint;
import android.util.AttributeSet;
import android.util.TypedValue;
import android.widget.TextView;

/**
 * Text view that auto adjusts text size to fit within the view. If the text
 * size equals the minimum text size and still does not fit, append with an
 * ellipsis.
 *
 * 2011-10-29 changes by Alan Jay Weiner
 *              * change to fit both vertically and horizontally  
 *              * test mTextSize for 0 in resizeText() to fix exception in Layout Editor
 *
 * @author Chase Colburn
 * @since Apr 4, 2011
 */
public class AutoResizeTextView extends TextView {

    // Minimum text size for this text view
    public static final float MIN_TEXT_SIZE = 20;

    // Interface for resize notifications
    public interface OnTextResizeListener {
        public void onTextResize(TextView textView, float oldSize, float newSize);
    }

    // Off screen canvas for text size rendering
    private static final Canvas sTextResizeCanvas = new Canvas();

    // Our ellipse string
    private static final String mEllipsis = "...";

    // Registered resize listener
    private OnTextResizeListener mTextResizeListener;

    // Flag for text and/or size changes to force a resize
    private boolean mNeedsResize = false;

    // Text size that is set from code. This acts as a starting point for
    // resizing
    private float mTextSize;

    // Temporary upper bounds on the starting text size
    private float mMaxTextSize = 0;

    // Lower bounds for text size
    private float mMinTextSize = MIN_TEXT_SIZE;

    // Text view line spacing multiplier
    private float mSpacingMult = 1.0f;

    // Text view additional line spacing
    private float mSpacingAdd = 0.0f;

    // Add ellipsis to text that overflows at the smallest text size
    private boolean mAddEllipsis = true;


    // Default constructor override
    public AutoResizeTextView(Context context) {
        this(context, null);
    }


    // Default constructor when inflating from XML file
    public AutoResizeTextView(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
        this(context, attrs, 0);
    }


    // Default constructor override
    public AutoResizeTextView(Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyle) {
        super(context, attrs, defStyle);
        mTextSize = getTextSize();
    }


    /**
     * When text changes, set the force resize flag to true and reset the text
     * size.
     */
    @Override
    protected void onTextChanged(final CharSequence text, final int start,
            final int before, final int after) {
        mNeedsResize = true;
        // Since this view may be reused, it is good to reset the text size
        resetTextSize();
    }


    /**
     * If the text view size changed, set the force resize flag to true
     */
    @Override
    protected void onSizeChanged(int w, int h, int oldw, int oldh) {
        if (w != oldw || h != oldh) {
            mNeedsResize = true;
        }
    }


    /**
     * Register listener to receive resize notifications
     *
     * @param listener
     */
    public void setOnResizeListener(OnTextResizeListener listener) {
        mTextResizeListener = listener;
    }


    /**
     * Override the set text size to update our internal reference values
     */
    @Override
    public void setTextSize(float size) {
        super.setTextSize(size);
        mTextSize = getTextSize();
    }


    /**
     * Override the set text size to update our internal reference values
     */
    @Override
    public void setTextSize(int unit, float size) {
        super.setTextSize(unit, size);
        mTextSize = getTextSize();
    }


    /**
     * Override the set line spacing to update our internal reference values
     */
    @Override
    public void setLineSpacing(float add, float mult) {
        super.setLineSpacing(add, mult);
        mSpacingMult = mult;
        mSpacingAdd = add;
    }


    /**
     * Set the upper text size limit and invalidate the view
     *
     * @param maxTextSize
     */
    public void setMaxTextSize(float maxTextSize) {
        mMaxTextSize = maxTextSize;
        requestLayout();
        invalidate();
    }


    /**
     * Return upper text size limit
     *
     * @return
     */
    public float getMaxTextSize() {
        return mMaxTextSize;
    }


    /**
     * Set the lower text size limit and invalidate the view
     *
     * @param minTextSize
     */
    public void setMinTextSize(float minTextSize) {
        mMinTextSize = minTextSize;
        requestLayout();
        invalidate();
    }


    /**
     * Return lower text size limit
     *
     * @return
     */
    public float getMinTextSize() {
        return mMinTextSize;
    }


    /**
     * Set flag to add ellipsis to text that overflows at the smallest text size
     *
     * @param addEllipsis
     */
    public void setAddEllipsis(boolean addEllipsis) {
        mAddEllipsis = addEllipsis;
    }


    /**
     * Return flag to add ellipsis to text that overflows at the smallest text
     * size
     *
     * @return
     */
    public boolean getAddEllipsis() {
        return mAddEllipsis;
    }


    /**
     * Reset the text to the original size
     */
    public void resetTextSize() {
        super.setTextSize(TypedValue.COMPLEX_UNIT_PX, mTextSize);
        mMaxTextSize = mTextSize;
    }


    /**
     * Resize text after measuring
     */
    @Override
    protected void onLayout(boolean changed, int left, int top, int right, int bottom) {
        if (changed || mNeedsResize) {
            int widthLimit = (right - left) - getCompoundPaddingLeft()
                    - getCompoundPaddingRight();
            int heightLimit = (bottom - top) - getCompoundPaddingBottom()
                    - getCompoundPaddingTop();
            resizeText(widthLimit, heightLimit);
        }
        super.onLayout(changed, left, top, right, bottom);
    }


    /**
     * Resize the text size with default width and height
     */
    public void resizeText() {
        int heightLimit = getHeight() - getPaddingBottom() - getPaddingTop();
        int widthLimit = getWidth() - getPaddingLeft() - getPaddingRight();
        resizeText(widthLimit, heightLimit);
    }


    /**
     * Resize the text size with specified width and height
     *
     * @param width
     * @param height
     */
    public void resizeText(int width, int height) {
        CharSequence text = getText();
        // Do not resize if the view does not have dimensions or there is no
        // text
        // or if mTextSize has not been initialized
        if (text == null || text.length() == 0 || height <= 0 || width <= 0
                || mTextSize == 0) {
            return;
        }

        // Get the text view's paint object
        TextPaint textPaint = getPaint();

        // Store the current text size
        float oldTextSize = textPaint.getTextSize();

        // If there is a max text size set, use the lesser of that and the
        // default text size
        float targetTextSize = mMaxTextSize > 0 ? Math.min(mTextSize, mMaxTextSize)
                : mTextSize;

        // Get the required text height
        int textHeight = getTextHeight(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
        int textWidth = getTextWidth(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);

        // Until we either fit within our text view or we had reached our min
        // text size, incrementally try smaller sizes
        while (((textHeight > height) || (textWidth > width))
                && targetTextSize > mMinTextSize) {
            targetTextSize = Math.max(targetTextSize - 2, mMinTextSize);
            textHeight = getTextHeight(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
            textWidth = getTextWidth(text, textPaint, width, targetTextSize);
        }

        // If we had reached our minimum text size and still don't fit, append
        // an ellipsis
        if (mAddEllipsis && targetTextSize == mMinTextSize && textHeight > height) {
            // Draw using a static layout
            StaticLayout layout = new StaticLayout(text, textPaint, width,
                    Alignment.ALIGN_NORMAL, mSpacingMult, mSpacingAdd, false);
            layout.draw(sTextResizeCanvas);
            int lastLine = layout.getLineForVertical(height) - 1;
            int start = layout.getLineStart(lastLine);
            int end = layout.getLineEnd(lastLine);
            float lineWidth = layout.getLineWidth(lastLine);
            float ellipseWidth = textPaint.measureText(mEllipsis);

            // Trim characters off until we have enough room to draw the
            // ellipsis
            while (width < lineWidth + ellipseWidth) {
                lineWidth = textPaint.measureText(text.subSequence(start, --end + 1)
                        .toString());
            }
            setText(text.subSequence(0, end) + mEllipsis);

        }

        // Some devices try to auto adjust line spacing, so force default line
        // spacing
        // and invalidate the layout as a side effect
        textPaint.setTextSize(targetTextSize);
        setLineSpacing(mSpacingAdd, mSpacingMult);

        // Notify the listener if registered
        if (mTextResizeListener != null) {
            mTextResizeListener.onTextResize(this, oldTextSize, targetTextSize);
        }

        // Reset force resize flag
        mNeedsResize = false;
    }


    // Set the text size of the text paint object and use a static layout to
    // render text off screen before measuring
    private int getTextHeight(CharSequence source, TextPaint paint, int width,
            float textSize) {
        // Update the text paint object
        paint.setTextSize(textSize);
        // Draw using a static layout
        StaticLayout layout = new StaticLayout(source, paint, width,
                Alignment.ALIGN_NORMAL, mSpacingMult, mSpacingAdd, true);
        layout.draw(sTextResizeCanvas);
        return layout.getHeight();
    }


    // Set the text size of the text paint object and use a static layout to
    // render text off screen before measuring
    private int getTextWidth(CharSequence source, TextPaint paint, int width,
            float textSize) {
        // Update the text paint object
        paint.setTextSize(textSize);
        // Draw using a static layout
        StaticLayout layout = new StaticLayout(source, paint, width,
                Alignment.ALIGN_NORMAL, mSpacingMult, mSpacingAdd, true);
        layout.draw(sTextResizeCanvas);
        return layout.getWidth();
    }

}

A big thank you to Chase for posting the initial code. I enjoyed reading through it to see how it worked, and I'm pleased to be able to add to it.