Android search with Fragments

android

search-engineering

fragments

action-bar

byAnton Shumikhin·Jan 29, 2025

To implement search functionality with a Fragment, use a RecyclerView Adapter and a SearchView. Add a SearchView.OnQueryTextListener to the SearchView. Utilize the Adapter's filter method to manage the search logic. Here’s a hands-on code example:

public class SearchFragment extends Fragment {
    private YourAdapter adapter;

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        View view = inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_search, container, false);

        SearchView searchView = view.findViewById(R.id.searchView);
        RecyclerView recyclerView = view.findViewById(R.id.recyclerView);

        recyclerView.setAdapter(adapter = new YourAdapter());

        searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(new SearchView.OnQueryTextListener() {
            @Override
            public boolean onQueryTextChange(String newText) {
                // "Filtering like a rockstar!", the developer shouted.
                adapter.getFilter().filter(newText);
                return true;
            }

            // Implement onQueryTextSubmit, if you feel so inclined
        });

        return view;
    }
}

In this snippet, YourAdapter needs to manage the filter logic which corresponds to search queries. This code is engineered to provide you with ready-to-implement search functionality inside a Fragment.

Detailed steps for integrating search

Let's break down how to properly implement a search interface in Fragments as the Android system typically expects an Activity to handle search.

Integrating search in a Fragment's action bar

For adding search functionality to a Fragment's action bar, override onCreateOptionsMenu:

@Override
public void onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu, MenuInflater inflater) {
    inflater.inflate(R.menu.search_menu, menu);
    MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search);
    SearchView searchView = (SearchView) searchItem.getActionView();

    searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(queryTextListener);
    super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu, inflater);
}

Don't forget to call setHasOptionsMenu(true) in onCreate(). This signals that your Fragment has menu options. For Android-wide compatibility, use AppCompat v7 classes like AppCompatSearchView.

Using Loaders for advanced search management

Implement LoaderManager and CursorLoader to efficiently handle the search data life cycle in Fragments.

@Override
public Loader<Cursor> onCreateLoader(int id, Bundle args) {
    // Initialize a loader with your query of choice
}

@Override
public void onLoadFinished(Loader<Cursor> loader, Cursor data) {
    // Cursor is ready, let the adapter know!
}

@Override
public void onLoaderReset(Loader<Cursor> loader) {
    // Cursor is being lazy, reset it!
}

To refresh your data, make sure to initialize (initLoader) and restart (restartLoader) your loaders accordingly.

Tailoring Fragments for a custom search experience

Fragments offer great flexibility. For a custom search experience, consider the following:

Own Filter Logic: Write custom filter methods in your adapter.
Navigation Within Fragment: Swap search results within your current Fragment.
QM & LiveData: Use ViewModel and LiveData for responsive search handling.

Enriching your search for advanced use-cases

For richer applications requiring unified or complex search systems, consider these tips:

Unified Interface: Create an interface all searchable Fragments can implement
Fragment Communication: Use a shared ViewModel between Fragments and containers
Backstack Management: Manage fragment transaction history to handle changing search states

Adapting to varied contexts

Keep in mind the various contexts your Fragments may inhabit:

Use the correct context within your SearchView callbacks via getContext() or requireContext().
Inherit themes properly for consistent styling. When constructing SearchViews, remember to provide a suitable ThemedContext.

explain-codes / Android / Android search with Fragments

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