Concatenate multiple strings in XML?

Question

I go through this How to concatenate multiple strings in android XML? and in the end there are comments that

For clarity, Its works:

<string name="title">@string/app_name</string>. – Andrzej Duś

I made my own example but it doesn't works. So does Andrzej wrong or I am doing something wrong in my code.

R.strings.bbb should contains "bbb aaa" but instead of "bbb aaa" it contains "bbb @strings/aaa"

<string name="aaa">aaa</string>
<string name="bbb">bbb @strings/aaa</string>

Query:

Is it possible to do some concatenation only in xml, without source code changes?

Reason why I don't want to edit in code because I use this strings in xml/preferences.xml

For Example:

<ListPreference android:key="key_bbb" android:title="@string/bbb" ....

If you know what I mean, here there is no possibility to use something like this

String title = res.getString(R.string.title, appName);

Not afaik - there's only support for a "single reference" - it does not concatenate two or more references (or text) into a single string, e.g. <string name="bbb">@strings/aaa</string> should work whereas <string name="bbb">test @strings/aaa</string> is interpreted as a raw string (as it does not start with a reference) - and <string name="bbb">@strings/aaa @strings/aaa</string> would fail because it would be parsed as a single reference. The answer for his question was however to do it in code - and that works. — Jens
– Jens, Commented May 2, 2012 at 10:19

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:30:55Z

82

No, you can't concatenate strings in XML but you can define XML resources.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE resources [
  <!ENTITY appname "MyAppName">
  <!ENTITY author "MrGreen">
]>

<resources>
    <string name="app_name">&appname;</string>
    <string name="description">The &appname; app was created by &author;</string>
</resources>

The original answer was posted here.

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:30

CommunityBot

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answered Oct 21, 2015 at 7:02

Savelii Zagurskii

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1 Comment

Bink Over a year ago

Tried this, but ran into the issue answered at stackoverflow.com/a/51330953/1434047.

Dharmendra · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-02 10:49:08Z

20

In XML only this is not possible but using the java code you can use the String.format() method.

<string name="aaa">aaa</string>
<string name="bbb">bbb %1$s</string>

In java code

String format = res.getString(R.string.bbb);
String title = String.format(format, res.getString(R.string.aaa));

So title will be a full string after concatenation of two strings.

edited May 2, 2012 at 10:49

answered May 2, 2012 at 10:42

Dharmendra

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3 Comments

Lukap Over a year ago

what do you suggest with my problem with xml preferences ?

Dharmendra Over a year ago

I know the answer is not related to XML preferences. Only xml can not handle the concat of two string it will give you compilation error as @MeAndWe had told you. I had give you the idea to concat two string using String.format()

JaydeepW Over a year ago

Wonder what is standard practice to append app names to the externalized strings in the app. This is very close though. :)

Lalit Poptani · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-02 10:32:02Z

15

No I don't think you can concatenate.

<string name="aaa">aaa</string>
<string name="bbb">bbb @string/aaa</string>

Output - bbb @string/aaa

If you do,

<string name="aaa">aaa</string>
<string name="bbb">@string/aaa bbb</string>  -> This won't work it
                                                      will give compilation error

Because here it will search for a String with reference @string/aaa bbb which does not exists.

Problem in your case was, you where using @strings/aaa which should be @string/aaa

edited May 2, 2012 at 10:32

answered May 2, 2012 at 10:26

Lalit Poptani

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1 Comment

Andrew Over a year ago

See Savelii Zagurskii's answer for a way to reuse a string multiple times in an xml file.

Boy · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-10 12:12:52Z

9

You can concatenate the resources in gradle.build:

    resValue "string", "TWITTER_CALLBACK", "twitter_callback_" + applicationId

answered Nov 10, 2016 at 12:12

Boy

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Comments

batsheva · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-13 11:16:49Z

8

Yes, you can do it if your XML files are using DataBinding as you can see in this link

Use it like this:

"@{@string/first_string+ @string/second_string}"

answered May 13, 2019 at 11:16

batsheva

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2 Comments

Onivas Over a year ago

you can also concat string resource with string like @{@string/first_string + 'aaa'}

Vitaly Over a year ago

It doesn't work!

netpork · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-02 11:35:17Z

1

Kotlin version:

strings in the xml:

<string name="school_girl">Gogo Yubari</string>
<string name="assistant">Sofie Fatale</string>
<string name="boss">O-Ren Ishii</string>
<string name="list">%s, %s, %s</string>

and then in the code:

val killBillV1 = getString(R.string.list).format(
    Locale.US,
    getString(R.string.school_girl),
    getString(R.string.assistant),
    getString(R.string.boss)
)

answered Aug 2, 2018 at 11:35

netpork

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Comments

Sandeep Pareek · Accepted Answer · 2021-08-25 10:08:07Z

1

try like this if you want add multiple string value

                        <TextView
                        ..........
                        android:text='@{String.format("%s %s","+91", userInfo.mobile)}'
                        .............. />

answered Aug 25, 2021 at 10:08

Sandeep Pareek

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Comments

César Muñoz · Accepted Answer · 2022-05-20 12:54:12Z

1

Yes, you can do so without having to add any Java/Kotlin code, just XML, by using this library: https://github.com/LikeTheSalad/android-stem which does that at buildtime.

For your case, you'd have to set up your strings like this:

<string name="aaa">Some text</string>
<string name="bbb">bbb ${aaa}</string>

And then the library will create the following at buildtime:

<!-- Auto generated during compilation -->
<string name="bbb">bbb Some text</string>

Disclaimer: I'm the author of this library.

edited May 20, 2022 at 12:54

answered Oct 25, 2019 at 12:09

César Muñoz

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Comments

Waqar Aslam · Accepted Answer · 2018-01-29 02:15:02Z

0

How about this technique

Use an array

<string name="app_link">https://myapp.com/</string>

<array name="update_dialog_msg">
    <item>Update can be downloaded manually by visiting this link:\n</item>
    <item>@string/app_link</item>
</array>

And then make a method in java class as below

public String getStringArray(int resStringArray)
{
    String str = "";

    String[] strArray = mContext.getResources().getStringArray(resStringArray);
    for (String s: strArray)
    {
        str += s;
    }

    return str;
}

Now call it from any java class as

mDialog.setMessage(getStringArray(R.array.update_dialog_msg);
// OR
textView.setText(getStringArray(R.array.update_dialog_msg);

answered Jan 29, 2018 at 2:15

Waqar Aslam

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Comments

Numan Turkeri · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-08 21:32:20Z

0

Hi concat can do like this,

   android:text="@{userInfo.firstName.concat(@string/empty_str).concat(userInfo.lastName)}"

I guess its good sample for dynamic data. But if this sample containes other variation.Like User Name : Jon Doe

  android:text="@{String.format(@string/user_def,userInfo.firstName.concat(@string/empty_str).concat(userInfo.lastName))"

Thats it

answered Apr 8, 2021 at 21:32

Numan Turkeri

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Comments

Ejrr1085 · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-06 21:20:16Z

-3

No, but is posible in xslt file with concat function:

<html>
      <body>
        <ul>
          <xsl:for-each select="stock">
            <xsl:if test="starts-with(@symbol, 'C')">
              <li>
                <xsl:value-of select="concat(@symbol,' - ', name)" />
              </li>
            </xsl:if>
          </xsl:for-each>
        </ul>
      </body>
    </html>

http://www.java2s.com/Tutorial/XML/0100__XSLT-stylesheet/concatfunction.htm

answered Oct 6, 2016 at 21:20

Ejrr1085

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