How can I convert String to Drawable

Question

I have many icon in drawable folder and I have their name as String. How can I access to drawable folder and change background imageView (or any view) use these name in dynamically. Thanks

Answer 1

This can be done using reflection:

String name = "your_drawable";
final Field field = R.drawable.getField(name);
int id = field.getInt(null);
Drawable drawable = getResources().getDrawable(id);

Or using Resources.getIdentifier():

String name = "your_drawable";
int id = getResources().getIdentifier(name, "drawable", getPackageName());
Drawable drawable = getResources().getDrawable(id);

Then use this for setting the drawable in either case:

view.setBackground(drawable)

Answer 2

int resId = getResources().getIdentifier("your_drawable_name","drawable",YourActivity.this.getPackageName());
Drawable d = YourActivity.this.getResources().getDrawable(resId);

Answer 3

It can be done like this:

ImageView imageView = new ImageView(this);
imageView.setBackground(getResources().getDrawable(getResources().getIdentifier("name","id",getPackageName())));

Answer 4

Try this:

public Bitmap getPic (int number)
{
    return
        BitmapFactory.decodeResource
        (
            getResources(), getResourceID("myImage_" + number, "drawable", getApplicationContext())
        );
}

protected final static int getResourceID
(final String resName, final String resType, final Context ctx)
{
    final int ResourceID =
        ctx.getResources().getIdentifier(resName, resType,
            ctx.getApplicationInfo().packageName);
    if (ResourceID == 0)
    {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException
        (
            "No resource string found with name " + resName
        );
    }
    else
    {
        return ResourceID;
    }
}

Answer 5

if you have the filename as string you can use:

int id = getResources().getIdentifier("name_of_resource", "id", getPackageName());

with this id you can access it like always (assumed its a drawable):

Drawable drawable = getResources().getDrawable(id);

Answer 6

use case if not in any activity, using @FD_ examples

Note:

if you are not in any activity you have to send context param in order to use "getResources()" or "getPackageName()", and "getDrawable(id)" is deprecated, use getDrawer(int id, Theme theme) instead. (Theme can be null):

String name = "your_drawable";
int id = context.getResources().getIdentifier(name, "drawable", 
context.getPackageName());
Drawable drawable = context.getResources().getDrawable(id, null);