How to Create Multiple Clickable Strings in an Android TextView

Question

How can I create multiple clickable strings within a TextView in an Android application?

TextView myTextView = findViewById(R.id.my_text_view);
SpannableString spannable = new SpannableString("Click here for more info and here for help.");

ClickableSpan clickableSpan1 = new ClickableSpan() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View widget) {
        // Handle first click
        Toast.makeText(context, "Info clicked!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
};

ClickableSpan clickableSpan2 = new ClickableSpan() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View widget) {
        // Handle second click
        Toast.makeText(context, "Help clicked!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
};

spannable.setSpan(clickableSpan1, 6, 10, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
spannable.setSpan(clickableSpan2, 24, 28, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);

myTextView.setText(spannable);
myTextView.setMovementMethod(LinkMovementMethod.getInstance());

Answer

In Android, to create a TextView with multiple portions of text that are clickable, you can use the `SpannableString` class along with `ClickableSpan`. This allows you to define separate actions for different parts of the text.

TextView myTextView = findViewById(R.id.my_text_view);
SpannableString spannable = new SpannableString("Click here for more info and here for help.");

ClickableSpan clickableSpan1 = new ClickableSpan() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View widget) {
        // Handle first click
        Toast.makeText(context, "Info clicked!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
};

ClickableSpan clickableSpan2 = new ClickableSpan() {
    @Override
    public void onClick(View widget) {
        // Handle second click
        Toast.makeText(context, "Help clicked!", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
};

spannable.setSpan(clickableSpan1, 6, 10, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
spannable.setSpan(clickableSpan2, 24, 28, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);

myTextView.setText(spannable);
myTextView.setMovementMethod(LinkMovementMethod.getInstance());

Causes

Lack of understanding of how to use `SpannableString` and `ClickableSpan` to handle multiple clickable sections.
Not setting the movement method for user interaction.

Solutions

Use `SpannableString` to create a text that has spans for clickable parts.
Apply `ClickableSpan` to specified ranges of your text for handling clicks on each string.
Ensure to use `setMovementMethod(LinkMovementMethod.getInstance())` on your TextView to enable the clicks.

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Not using `setMovementMethod()` which results in no clicks being registered.

Solution: Always use `myTextView.setMovementMethod(LinkMovementMethod.getInstance());`.

Mistake: Incorrectly managing the indices of `setSpan()`, which leads to unresponsive text.

Solution: Verify the start and end indices of your spans match the intended text sections.

Helpers

Android TextView clickable strings
multiple clickable strings Android
SpannableString Android example
ClickableSpan in Android
Android create clickable text