To draw an Underline below the TextView in Android

Question

I want to draw the underline below my TextView. I have searched a few content but couldn't find out anything fruitful.

Can anyone please help me out here?

Answer 1

There are three ways of underling the text in TextView.

1. SpannableString

2. setPaintFlags(); of TextView

3. Html.fromHtml();

Let me explain you all approaches :

1st Approach

For underling the text in TextView you have to use SpannableString

String udata="Underlined Text";
SpannableString content = new SpannableString(udata);
content.setSpan(new UnderlineSpan(), 0, udata.length(), 0);
mTextView.setText(content);

2nd Approach

You can make use of setPaintFlags method of TextView to underline the text of TextView.

For eg.

mTextView.setPaintFlags(mTextView.getPaintFlags() | Paint.UNDERLINE_TEXT_FLAG);
mTextView.setText("This text will be underlined");

You can refer constants of Paint class if you want to strike thru the text.

3rd Approach

Make use of Html.fromHtml(htmlString);

String htmlString="<u>This text will be underlined</u>";
mTextView.setText(Html.fromHtml(htmlString));

OR

txtView.setText(Html.fromHtml("<u>underlined</u> text"));

Answer 2

just surround your text with < u > tag in your string.xml resource file

<string name="your_string"><u>Underlined text</u></string>

and in your Activity/Fragment

mTextView.setText(R.string.your_string);

Answer 3

Its works for me.

tv.setPaintFlags(Paint.UNDERLINE_TEXT_FLAG);

Answer 4

For anyone still looking at this querstion. This is for a hyperlink but you can modify it for just a plain underline:

Create a drawable (hyperlink_underline.xml):

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
  <item android:top="-10dp"
        android:left="-10dp"
        android:right="-10dp">
    <shape android:shape="rectangle">
      <solid android:color="@android:color/transparent"/>

      <stroke android:width="2dp"
              android:color="#3498db"/>
    </shape>
  </item>
</layer-list>

Create a new style:

<style name="Hyperlink">
    <item name="android:textColor">#3498db</item>
    <item name="android:background">@drawable/hyperlink_underline</item>
  </style>

Then use this style on your TextView:

<TextView
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    local:MvxBind="Text Id; Click ShowJobInfoCommand"
    style="@style/HyperLink"/>

Answer 5

A simple and sustainable solution is to create a layer-list and make it as the background of your TextView:

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <item
        android:left="-5dp"
        android:right="-5dp"
        android:top="-5dp">
        <shape>
            <stroke
                android:width="1.5dp"
                android:color="@color/colorAccent" />
        </shape>
    </item>
</layer-list>

Answer 6

If your TextView has fixed width, alternative solution can be to create a View which will look like an underline and position it right below your TextView.

<RelativeLayout
   android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent">

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/myTextView"
            android:layout_width="20dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

        <View
            android:layout_width="20dp"
            android:layout_height="1dp"
            android:layout_below="@+id/myTextView"
            android:background="#CCCCCC"/>
</RelativeLayout>