Looking for a universal TabHost style that will work on Android, HTC Sense, Samsung, etc. skins

Question

The default style for the Android TabHost works fine for straight Android systems. However, on HTC Sense, they use dark text on a dark background, which is unreadable.

Answer 1

I'll give you the advise to get completely independent from the TabWidget and create your own Navigation, which you can customize however you want and don't bother with the stiff TabWidget. I don't mean to throw away the awesome TabHost, because it's easy to use the TabHost with a custom navigation:

First set your TabWidget as gone:

And then create you own navigation in place of it. You could also create a menu (with the hardware menu button) or something like this:

    
        
        
        
        
        
            
            
            
                
                    
                        
                        
                            .....etc....your tabs......
                    
                
            
        
    

What you have to do in code now:

@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.main_tab_layout);

    setTabs();

    RadioGroup tabs = (RadioGroup) findViewById(R.id.custom_tabs);

    tabs.setOnCheckedChangeListener(new OnCheckedChangeListener() {
        @Override
        public void onCheckedChanged(RadioGroup group, int checkedId) {
            switch (checkedId) {
            case R.id.tab_overview:
                getTabHost().setCurrentTab(0);
                break;
            case R.id.tab_news:
                getTabHost().setCurrentTab(1);
                break;
            ....etc.....
            }
        }
    });
}

/**
 * Delegate tab creation and adding.
 */
private void setTabs() {
    // add the necessary tabs
    addTab(R.string.tab_overv_tag, OverviewActivityGroup.class);
    addTab(R.string.tab_news_tag, NewsActivityGroup.class);
            .....etc.....
}

/**
 * Create a tab with an Activity and add it to the TabHost
 *  
 * @param tagId
 *            resource id of the string representing the tag for finding the tab    
 * @param activity
 *            the activity to be added
 */
private void addTab(int tagId, Class activity) {
    // create an Intent to launch an Activity for the tab (to be reused)
    Intent intent = new Intent().setClass(this, activity);
    // initialize a TabSpec for each tab and add it to the TabHost
    TabHost.TabSpec spec = usedTabHost.newTabSpec(getString(tagId));
    // use layout inflater to get a view of the tab to be added
    View tabIndicator = getLayoutInflater().inflate(R.layout.tab_indicator, getTabWidget(), false);
    spec.setIndicator(tabIndicator);
    spec.setContent(intent);
    usedTabHost.addTab(spec);
}

The whole indicator stuff is not needed btw.^^ In your ActivityGroups you have to set the appropriate Activities, etc. You know the stuff.

You can use anything for your navigation and can still use the advantages of a TabHost. Just don't bother with that TabWidget anymore. ;)