Set TextView text from html-formatted string resource in XML

Dealing with HTML special characters

It's not always sunshine and rainbows with HTML:

• Some characters like ' (apostrophe), " (double-quote), & (ampersand) got the 'special' tag and need to be escaped.
• Ampersand appears as & just to make things tad bit harder.

Android version compatibility

Handling HTML in different Android versions:

• Prior to Android N (API 24), Html.fromHtml() was enough.
• Post-Nougat, switch to Markdown or use flags with Html.fromHtml() for consistently good looks.
• Remember to check the room before dancing! Build.VERSION.SDK_INT helps check the Android API level.

Custom Classes and Attributes

Introduce subclassed TextViews for the VIP treatment:

public class HtmlTextView extends TextView {
    public HtmlTextView(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
        super(context, attrs);
        TypedArray a = context.obtainStyledAttributes(attrs, R.styleable.HtmlTextView);
        String htmlText = a.getString(R.styleable.HtmlTextView_htmlText);
        if (htmlText != null) {
            // The Html class — making your bland text fancy since 1995 😎
            setText(Html.fromHtml(htmlText, Html.FROM_HTML_MODE_COMPACT));
        }
        a.recycle();
    }
}
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Better than using an Activity for a TextView, right?

Say No to Deprecated Methods

Android updates: The bane of a developer's existence.

• Move to HtmlCompat.fromHtml() from the AndroidX library.
• Make sure your strings.xml is in step with Android's updated recommendations.

Unearthing Undocumented Methods

Off-the-beaten-path methods and techniques can be found in community forums or bug trackers. They're like hidden Easter eggs in a game!

Third-party Libraries to the Rescue

Sometimes, the built-in tools just don't cut it:

• Markwon: For displaying Markdown in TextView, the new black in formatting text.
• RichTextView libraries: They make it easy to parse and display HTML and Markdown.

Fancy Text Styling

The butler of TextView — HTML tags in strings.xml:

• Style your text using bold, italics, underlined and more.
• Use getText() instead of getString(). Why? So your stylish text doesn't lose its charm.

Custom TextView for the Win

Unlock a powerful ally with a custom TextView. It lets you control how HTML is handled, reducing code repetition.