CodeMarvels

If you’ve used an Android device, Swipe Detection is not new to you. Unlocking the phone, receiving calls etc. all make use of a Swipe Detector mechanism. Technically speaking, a Swipe is known as a Motion Event in Android.

In this post I will show you how to create a Swipe Detection mechanism and use it for various purposes. Start up an activity and follow along. Here I will give you the Source Code first and then go on to explain it later.

[java]
package com.nero.myfirstapp;

import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.View;

public class SwipeDetector implements View.OnTouchListener{
public static enum Action {
LR, // Left to right
RL, // Right to left
TB, // Top to bottom
BT, // Bottom to top
None // Action not found
}

private static final int HORIZONTAL_MIN_DISTANCE = 80; // The minimum distance for horizontal swipe
private static final int VERTICAL_MIN_DISTANCE = 30; // The minimum distance for vertical swipe
private float downX, downY, upX, upY; // Coordinates
private Action mSwipeDetected = Action.None; // Last action

public boolean swipeDetected() {
return mSwipeDetected != Action.None;
}

public Action getAction() {
return mSwipeDetected;
}

/**
* Swipe detection
*/@Override
public boolean onTouch(View v, MotionEvent event) {
switch (event.getAction()) {
case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:
{
downX = event.getX();
downY = event.getY();
mSwipeDetected = Action.None;
return false; // allow other events like Click to be processed
}
case MotionEvent.ACTION_MOVE:
{
upX = event.getX();
upY = event.getY();

float deltaX = downX – upX;
float deltaY = downY – upY;

// horizontal swipe detection
if (Math.abs(deltaX) > HORIZONTAL_MIN_DISTANCE) {
// left or right
if (deltaX < 0) {

mSwipeDetected = Action.LR;
return true;
}
if (deltaX > 0) {

mSwipeDetected = Action.RL;
return true;
}
} else

// vertical swipe detection
if (Math.abs(deltaY) > VERTICAL_MIN_DISTANCE) {
// top or down
if (deltaY < 0) {

mSwipeDetected = Action.TB;
return false;
}
if (deltaY > 0) {

mSwipeDetected = Action.BT;
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
}
return false;
}

}
[/java]

Understanding the Code

• We have created an Enum names Action which contains all possible motion events possible.
• The method getAction() return a boolean value which determines if a motion event has been detected.
• ACTION_DOWN : It tells the device that a pressure gesture is in motion. Read about it here. It is a short and comprehensive description
• ACTION_MOVE : It tells the device that a pressure gesture is in motion and that a change has occurred since the beginning of the gesture. Read about it here. It is a short and comprehensive description.
• HORIZONTAL_MIN_DISTANCE is the minimum swipe length that is required to consider the gesture a horizontal swipe. We do not want to process every click or misplaced touches to be considered a swipe.
• VERTICAL_MIN_DISTANCE is the minimum swipe length that is required to consider the gesture a vertical swipe. We do not want to process every click or misplaced touches to be considered a swipe.
• Now, all we need to do is simple math, to determine if the swipe is from Left to Right, Right to Left, Top to Bottom and Bottom to Top.
• Remember that the return values depend on what type of actions you want to be detecting. In the above code I want only horizontal swipes ans hence I am returning false when a vertical swipe is detected, irrespective of whether it is Top to Bottom or Bottom to Top.

Using Swipe Detector

The Swipe Detector can be used in any module you like. Below is a code snippet that can be used with modifications as necessary.

[java]
if(swipeDetector.swipeDetected()){
if(swipeDetector.getAction() == SwipeDetector.Action.LR){
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Left to Right", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}
if(swipeDetector.getAction() == SwipeDetector.Action.RL){
Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Right to Left", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}
[/java]