Android - Spacing between CheckBox and text

Question

Is there an easy way to add padding between the checkbox in a CheckBox control, and the associated text?

I cannot just add leading spaces, because my label is multi-

Answer 1

Simple solution, add this line in the CheckBox properties, replace 10dp with your desired spacing value

android:paddingLeft="10dp"

Answer 2

If you are creating custom buttons, e.g. see change look of checkbox tutorial

Then simply increase the width of btn_check_label_background.9.png by adding one or two more columns of transparent pixels in the center of the image; leave the 9-patch markers as they are.

Answer 3

Checkbox image was overlapping when I used my own drawables from selector, I have solve this using below code :

CheckBox cb = new CheckBox(mActivity);
cb.setText("Hi");
cb.setButtonDrawable(R.drawable.check_box_selector);
cb.setChecked(true);
cb.setPadding(cb.getPaddingLeft(), padding, padding, padding);

Thanks to Alex Semeniuk

Answer 4

I just concluded on this:

Override CheckBox and add this method if you have a custom drawable:

@Override
public int getCompoundPaddingLeft() {

    // Workarround for version codes < Jelly bean 4.2
    // The system does not apply the same padding. Explantion:
    // http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4037795/android-spacing-between-checkbox-and-text/4038195#4038195

    int compoundPaddingLeft = super.getCompoundPaddingLeft();

    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1) {
        Drawable drawable = getResources().getDrawable( YOUR CUSTOM DRAWABLE );
        return compoundPaddingLeft + (drawable != null ? drawable.getIntrinsicWidth() : 0);
    } else {
        return compoundPaddingLeft;
    }

}

or this if you use the system drawable:

@Override
public int getCompoundPaddingLeft() {

    // Workarround for version codes < Jelly bean 4.2
    // The system does not apply the same padding. Explantion:
    // http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4037795/android-spacing-between-checkbox-and-text/4038195#4038195

    int compoundPaddingLeft = super.getCompoundPaddingLeft();

    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1) {
        final float scale = this.getResources().getDisplayMetrics().density;
        return compoundPaddingLeft + (drawable != null ? (int)(10.0f * scale + 0.5f) : 0);
    } else {
        return compoundPaddingLeft;
    }

}

Thanks for the answer :)

Answer 5

If you have custom image selector for checkbox or radiobutton you must set same button and background property such as this:

            <CheckBox
                android:id="@+id/filter_checkbox_text"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:button="@drawable/selector_checkbox_filter"
                android:background="@drawable/selector_checkbox_filter" />

You can control size of checkbox or radio button padding with background property.

Answer 6

What I did, is having a TextView and a CheckBox inside a (Relative)Layout. The TextView displays the text that I want the user to see, and the CheckBox doesn't have any text. That way, I can set the position / padding of the CheckBox wherever I want.