Android Tutorial => Customizing the InputType

Example

Text fields can have different input types, such as number, date, password, or email address. The type determines what kind of characters are allowed inside the field, and may prompt the virtual keyboard to optimize its layout for frequently used characters.

By default, any text contents within an EditText control is displayed as plain text. By setting the inputType attribute, we can facilitate input of different types of information, like phone numbers and passwords:

<EditText
    ...
    android:inputType="phone">
</EditText>

Most common input types include:

Type	Description
textUri	Text that will be used as a URI
textEmailAddress	Text that will be used as an e-mail address
textPersonName	Text that is the name of a person
textPassword	Text that is a password that should be obscured
number	A numeric only field
phone	For entering a phone number
date	For entering a date
time	For entering a time
textMultiLine	Allow multiple lines of text in the field

The android:inputType also allows you to specify certain keyboard behaviors, such as whether to capitalize all new words or use features like auto-complete and spelling suggestions.
Here are some of the common input type values that define keyboard behaviors:

Type	Description
textCapSentences	Normal text keyboard that capitalizes the first letter for each new sentence
textCapWords	Normal text keyboard that capitalizes every word. Good for titles or person names
textAutoCorrect	Normal text keyboard that corrects commonly misspelled words

You can set multiple inputType attributes if needed (separated by '|').
Example:

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/postal_address"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:hint="@string/postal_address_hint"
    android:inputType="textPostalAddress|
                       textCapWords|
                       textNoSuggestions" />

You can see a list of all available input types here.

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Android EditText Customizing the InputType

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