SearchView in Android

The Android SearchView is a user interface widget that allows users to enter search queries and initiate search operations. SearchView provides a user-friendly way to implement search functionality within your Android app. It can be added to the app’s action bar (Toolbar) or any layout where you want to incorporate search functionality.

Here’s how to use a SearchView in Android:

1. Include the SearchView Widget: In your XML layout file, include the SearchView widget. If you want to add it to the Toolbar, ensure that your activity’s theme includes an ActionBar or Toolbar.

 <androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView
     android:id="@+id/search_view"
     android:layout_width="wrap_content"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

If you’re using the AndroidX library, you’ll use androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView. For older versions, you can use android.widget.SearchView.

2. Java Code: In your activity or fragment, you need to handle the SearchView actions, including search queries and query text changes.

   import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
   import android.os.Bundle;
   import androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView;
   import android.view.Menu;
   import android.view.MenuItem;
   import android.widget.Toast;

   public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

       @Override
       protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
           super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
           setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
       }

       @Override
       public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
           getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main_menu, menu);
           MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search);
           SearchView searchView = (SearchView) searchItem.getActionView();

           // Configure the SearchView
           searchView.setQueryHint("Search...");
           searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(new SearchView.OnQueryTextListener() {
               @Override
               public boolean onQueryTextSubmit(String query) {
                   // Handle the query submission (e.g., perform search)
                   Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, "Search query submitted: " + query, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                   return true;
               }

               @Override
               public boolean onQueryTextChange(String newText) {
                   // Handle query text change (e.g., update search suggestions)
                   return true;
               }
           });

           return true;
       }
   }

In the code above:

• In the onCreateOptionsMenu() method, we inflate the menu that includes the SearchView item.
• We retrieve the SearchView using menu.findItem() and configure it, including setting the query hint and handling query text changes and submissions.

1. Handling Search Actions: In the onQueryTextSubmit() method of the OnQueryTextListener, you can perform actions like searching for content based on the user’s query. This is where you would typically execute the search operation and display the results. You can also handle query text changes in the onQueryTextChange() method if you want to provide real-time search suggestions or filter results as the user types.

You can add a SearchView to your Android app, allowing users to search for content easily. Customize the search behavior according to your app’s requirements.