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Android Design Extensions – Get more out of your projects

Many of us like using Xojo because it’s intuitive and extensible. With the introduction of support for Android in 2023r2, Xojo now offers support for apps running on not just phones and tablets but other devices that also use Android as their operating system such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Developers, myself included, love maximizing the potential of their projects and often desire extended access to features that Xojo does not initially provides in their framework, or even features that are not available at all. This can be remedied by using Declares, which are available in Android, as well as in all other project types (Desktop, Console and iOS). The usage may differ slightly from other platforms, but once you grasp its nuances, it becomes just as intuitive.

To make it easier for Xojo developers who are taking their first steps with the Android platform and would like to get more extensions and accessibility, I have created the Android (Design) Extensions modeled after the iOS Design Extensions provide by Xojo MVP Jérémie Leroy. They are extension methods for all controls and classes supported in the Android project type. At the moment the project offers 440+ extensions and that should be good for a start.

Check out this short video of the demo application to see some of the uses of Android (Design) Extensions:

For example, you can add currently missing functionalities for Android MobileHTMLViewer such as GoBack or GoForward, just to name a few.

The project has been customized to support both light and dark modes, offering you an optimized solution for Android projects right from the start, until Xojo implements automatic light/dark mode support for Android.

Feel free to take a look at the developer repository, create feature requests, and provide feedback on extending this extension library.

I’m happy to receive any voluntary financial support for the work I’ve done so far, which you are welcome to share here. You can download the project with many examples here.

Happy Coding.

Martin T. is a Xojo MVP and has been very involved in testing Android support.