Actionbar notification count icon (badge) like Google has

Edit Since version 26 of the support library (or androidx) you no longer need to implement a custom OnLongClickListener to display the tooltip. Simply call this:

TooltipCompat.setTooltipText(menu_hotlist, getString(R.string.hint_show_hot_message));

---

I'll just share my code in case someone wants something like this:

• layout/menu/menu_actionbar.xml

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  
  <menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
      ...
      <item android:id="@+id/menu_hotlist"
          android:actionLayout="@layout/action_bar_notifitcation_icon"
          android:showAsAction="always"
          android:icon="@drawable/ic_bell"
          android:title="@string/hotlist" />
      ...
  </menu>
  

• layout/action_bar_notifitcation_icon.xml

  Note style and android:clickable properties. these make the layout the size of a button and make the background gray when touched.

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:layout_width="wrap_content"
      android:layout_height="fill_parent"
      android:orientation="vertical"
      android:gravity="center"
      android:layout_gravity="center"
      android:clickable="true"
      style="@android:style/Widget.ActionButton">
  
      <ImageView
          android:id="@+id/hotlist_bell"
          android:src="@drawable/ic_bell"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:gravity="center"
          android:layout_margin="0dp"
          android:contentDescription="bell"
          />
  
      <TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
          android:id="@+id/hotlist_hot"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:minWidth="17sp"
          android:textSize="12sp"
          android:textColor="#ffffffff"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:gravity="center"
          android:text="@null"
          android:layout_alignTop="@id/hotlist_bell"
          android:layout_alignRight="@id/hotlist_bell"
          android:layout_marginRight="0dp"
          android:layout_marginTop="3dp"
          android:paddingBottom="1dp"
          android:paddingRight="4dp"
          android:paddingLeft="4dp"
          android:background="@drawable/rounded_square"/>
  </RelativeLayout>
  

• drawable-xhdpi/ic_bell.png

  A 64x64 pixel image with 10 pixel wide paddings from all sides. You are supposed to have 8 pixel wide paddings, but I find most default items being slightly smaller than that. Of course, you'll want to use different sizes for different densities.

• drawable/rounded_square.xml

  Here, #ff222222 (color #222222 with alpha #ff (fully visible)) is the background color of my Action Bar.

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  
  <shape
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:shape="rectangle">
      <corners android:radius="2dp" />
      <solid android:color="#ffff0000" />
      <stroke android:color="#ff222222" android:width="2dp"/>
  </shape>
  

• com/ubergeek42/WeechatAndroid/WeechatActivity.java

  Here we make it clickable and updatable! I created an abstract listener that provides Toast creation on onLongClick, the code was taken from from the sources of ActionBarSherlock.

  private int hot_number = 0;
  private TextView ui_hot = null;
  
  @Override public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(final Menu menu) {
      MenuInflater menuInflater = getSupportMenuInflater();
      menuInflater.inflate(R.menu.menu_actionbar, menu);
      final View menu_hotlist = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_hotlist).getActionView();
      ui_hot = (TextView) menu_hotlist.findViewById(R.id.hotlist_hot);
      updateHotCount(hot_number);
      new MyMenuItemStuffListener(menu_hotlist, "Show hot message") {
          @Override
          public void onClick(View v) {
              onHotlistSelected();
          }
      };
      return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
  }
  
  // call the updating code on the main thread,
  // so we can call this asynchronously
  public void updateHotCount(final int new_hot_number) {
      hot_number = new_hot_number;
      if (ui_hot == null) return;
      runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
          @Override
          public void run() {
              if (new_hot_number == 0)
                  ui_hot.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
              else {
                  ui_hot.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                  ui_hot.setText(Integer.toString(new_hot_number));
              }
          }
      });
  }
  
  static abstract class MyMenuItemStuffListener implements View.OnClickListener, View.OnLongClickListener {
      private String hint;
      private View view;
  
      MyMenuItemStuffListener(View view, String hint) {
          this.view = view;
          this.hint = hint;
          view.setOnClickListener(this);
          view.setOnLongClickListener(this);
      }
  
      @Override abstract public void onClick(View v);
  
      @Override public boolean onLongClick(View v) {
          final int[] screenPos = new int[2];
          final Rect displayFrame = new Rect();
          view.getLocationOnScreen(screenPos);
          view.getWindowVisibleDisplayFrame(displayFrame);
          final Context context = view.getContext();
          final int width = view.getWidth();
          final int height = view.getHeight();
          final int midy = screenPos[1] + height / 2;
          final int screenWidth = context.getResources().getDisplayMetrics().widthPixels;
          Toast cheatSheet = Toast.makeText(context, hint, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
          if (midy < displayFrame.height()) {
              cheatSheet.setGravity(Gravity.TOP | Gravity.RIGHT,
                      screenWidth - screenPos[0] - width / 2, height);
          } else {
              cheatSheet.setGravity(Gravity.BOTTOM | Gravity.CENTER_HORIZONTAL, 0, height);
          }
          cheatSheet.show();
          return true;
      }
  }
  

I am not sure if this is the best solution or not, but it is what I need.

Please tell me if you know what is need to be changed for better performance or quality. In my case, I have a button.

Custom item on my menu - main.xml

<item
    android:id="@+id/badge"
    android:actionLayout="@layout/feed_update_count"
    android:icon="@drawable/shape_notification"
    android:showAsAction="always">
</item>

Custom shape drawable (background square) - shape_notification.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
   android:shape="rectangle">
    <stroke android:color="#22000000" android:width="2dp"/>
    <corners android:radius="5dp" />
    <solid android:color="#CC0001"/>
</shape>

Layout for my view - feed_update_count.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Button xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:id="@+id/notif_count"
     android:layout_width="wrap_content"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
     android:minWidth="32dp"
     android:minHeight="32dp"
     android:background="@drawable/shape_notification"
     android:text="0"
     android:textSize="16sp"
     android:textColor="@android:color/white"
     android:gravity="center"
     android:padding="2dp"
     android:singleLine="true">    
</Button>

MainActivity - setting and updating my view

static Button notifCount;
static int mNotifCount = 0;    

@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    MenuInflater inflater = getSupportMenuInflater();
    inflater.inflate(R.menu.main, menu);

    View count = menu.findItem(R.id.badge).getActionView();
    notifCount = (Button) count.findViewById(R.id.notif_count);
    notifCount.setText(String.valueOf(mNotifCount));
    return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
}

private void setNotifCount(int count){
    mNotifCount = count;
    invalidateOptionsMenu();
}

Just to add. If someone wants to implement a filled circle bubble, heres the code (name it bage_circle.xml):

<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shape="ring"
    android:useLevel="false"
    android:thickness="9dp"
    android:innerRadius="0dp"
    >

    <solid
        android:color="#F00"
        />
    <stroke
        android:width="1dip"
        android:color="#FFF" />

    <padding
        android:top="2dp"
        android:bottom="2dp"/>

</shape>

You may have to adjust the thickness according to your need.

EDIT: Here's the layout for button (name it badge_layout.xml):

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

    <com.joanzapata.iconify.widget.IconButton
        android:layout_width="44dp"
        android:layout_height="44dp"
        android:textSize="24sp"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:background="@drawable/action_bar_icon_bg"
        android:id="@+id/badge_icon_button"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/badge_textView"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignTop="@id/badge_icon_button"
        android:layout_alignRight="@id/badge_icon_button"
        android:layout_alignEnd="@id/badge_icon_button"
        android:text="10"
        android:paddingEnd="8dp"
        android:paddingRight="8dp"
        android:paddingLeft="8dp"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:textColor="#FFF"
        android:textSize="11sp"
        android:background="@drawable/badge_circle"/>
</RelativeLayout>

In Menu create item:

<item
        android:id="@+id/menu_messages"
        android:showAsAction="always"
        android:actionLayout="@layout/badge_layout"/>

In onCreateOptionsMenu get reference to the Menu item:

    itemMessages = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_messages);

    badgeLayout = (RelativeLayout) itemMessages.getActionView();
    itemMessagesBadgeTextView = (TextView) badgeLayout.findViewById(R.id.badge_textView);
    itemMessagesBadgeTextView.setVisibility(View.GONE); // initially hidden

    iconButtonMessages = (IconButton) badgeLayout.findViewById(R.id.badge_icon_button);
    iconButtonMessages.setText("{fa-envelope}");
    iconButtonMessages.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.action_bar_icon_color_disabled));

    iconButtonMessages.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view) {
            if (HJSession.getSession().getSessionId() != null) {

                Intent intent = new Intent(getThis(), HJActivityMessagesContexts.class);
                startActivityForResult(intent, HJRequestCodes.kHJRequestCodeActivityMessages.ordinal());
            } else {
                showLoginActivity();
            }
        }
    });

After receiving notification for messages, set the count:

itemMessagesBadgeTextView.setText("" + count);
itemMessagesBadgeTextView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
iconButtonMessages.setTextColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.white));

This code uses Iconify-fontawesome.

compile 'com.joanzapata.iconify:android-iconify-fontawesome:2.1.+'