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How to format text (eg., adding bullet points, line breaks) in a TextView in Kotlin Android

How to format text (eg., adding bullet points, line breaks) in a TextView in Kotlin Android.

Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to format text in a TextView in Kotlin Android.

Step 1: Create a new project​

Start by creating a new project in Android Studio. Choose an appropriate name and package for your project.

Step 2: Design the user interface​

Open the layout file (activity_main.xml) and add a TextView element. You can do this by dragging and dropping a TextView from the Palette onto the design view or by manually adding the XML code.

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="16sp"
    android:textColor="@android:color/black"
    android:padding="8dp" />

Step 3: Access the TextView in Kotlin code​

In your Kotlin code (MainActivity.kt), you need to access the TextView to apply formatting. Add the following code inside the onCreate() method:

val textView = findViewById<TextView>(R.id.textView)

Step 4: Add bullet points​

To add bullet points to your text, you can use the "•" symbol. Here's an example:

val bulletPoint = "\u2022"
val textWithBullets = "$bulletPoint First point\n$bulletPoint Second point\n$bulletPoint Third point"
textView.text = textWithBullets

Step 5: Add line breaks​

To add line breaks in your text, you can use the "\n" escape sequence. Here's an example:

val textWithLineBreaks = "First line\nSecond line\nThird line"
textView.text = textWithLineBreaks

Step 6: Apply other formatting options​

You can apply various formatting options to a TextView using its properties. For example, you can change the text color, text size, or padding. Here's an example:

textView.setTextColor(Color.RED)
textView.setTextSize(TypedValue.COMPLEX_UNIT_SP, 18f)
textView.setPadding(16, 16, 16, 16)

Step 7: Run the app​

Now you can run the app on an emulator or a physical device to see the formatted text in the TextView.

Congratulations! You have successfully formatted text in a TextView in Kotlin Android.