How to access values from Android "strings.xml" in Kotlin

Question

How can I access values from the Android strings.xml using Kotlin?

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity(), View.OnClickListener {
    override fun onClick(p0: View?) {
        getToastCalled("")
        TODO("not implemented")
    }

    private fun getToastCalled(message: String) {
        TODO("not implemented")
    }

    var btn: Button? = null;

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
        var tv_name=findViewById(R.id.tv) as TextView
        btn=findViewById(R.id.button) as Button
        tv_name.setText(KtTest().name);
        (btn as Button).setOnClickListener(MainActivity@this)
    }
}

You've already referenced layouts and ids in your example. Also keep in mind that you can convert java files to kotlin using ctrl + shift + alt + k. There is also extensive documentation on methods available on kotl.in — Allan W
– Allan W, Commented Jul 3, 2017 at 1:54

Robin · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-07 14:44:14Z

136

Accessing string values in Kotlin works exactly the same as it does in Java, just with Kotlin syntax:

val string: String = getString(R.string.your_string_id)

(This assumes that your code is inside an Android Activity, or a similar class that inherits from Context. If not, you need to get a Context instance from somewhere, and change it to myContext.getString(...).)

edited Apr 7, 2020 at 14:44

answered Jul 4, 2017 at 9:15

Robin

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6 Comments

IgorGanapolsky Over a year ago

This could produce null

Robin Over a year ago

@IgorGanapolsky Well, yeah, technically it could, but that's a programming error or something's wrong with the build process if it does. This call returning null isn't something you could recover from in any meaningful way, so in Java, null is never checked here, and you luckily you don't need to in Kotlin either.

Rowan Berry Over a year ago

I tried to use this function, Android Studio couldn't even find it

Robin Over a year ago

@RowanBerry getString is defined on Context. My example code was written assuming you're inside an Android Activity, which inherits from Context, but if you need it somewhere else, you need to have a Context available somewhere. You need to change the example it to myContext.getString(...) in that case. (Disclaimer - haven't done Android development for a long time now, details might have changed)

Rowan Berry Over a year ago

@Robin yeah i figured that out after writing my comment, was trying to do it in an object class, just wasn't explicitly stated

|

Prat137 · Accepted Answer · 2021-08-04 08:08:48Z

31

if you're accessing it outside oncreate then

    Resources.getSystem().getString(R.string.btn_yes)

edited Aug 4, 2021 at 8:08

answered Jan 27, 2021 at 9:01

Prat137

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1 Comment

Bondolin Over a year ago

Only works for system resources, won't get application resources.

piet.t · Accepted Answer · 2018-04-09 11:34:10Z

11

If you need to access the entire array:

val data= resources.getStringArray(R.array.array_id)

edited Apr 9, 2018 at 11:34

piet.t

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answered Apr 9, 2018 at 10:26

Dhivysh

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Comments

Tonnie · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-22 05:09:33Z

9

If it helps this is how I did it - you need the application context and also to import the R Class

applicationContext.getString(R.string.text_string)
import com.example.yourpackagename.R

answered Apr 22, 2020 at 5:09

Tonnie

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Comments

Hadym Varan · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-26 19:16:05Z

3

To use strings.xml in my code I do the following:
textView.text = "${getString(R.string.my_text)}"

answered Feb 26, 2021 at 19:16

Hadym Varan

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Comments

Ola Ström · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-10 12:52:51Z

2

@Robin's answer almost worked for me, but if I don't add this.resources before the getString(R.string.tv) my app just keeps crashing.

So to access a string value from within the strings.xml file in Kotlin use:
this.resources.getString(R.string.tv)

Or simply:
resources.getString(R.string.tv)

answered Oct 10, 2022 at 12:52

Ola Ström

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Comments

Jirawat Akkanit · Accepted Answer · 2023-03-23 17:34:40Z

2

In my recyclerview adapter, inside the ViewHolder class, I reference to string.xml like this;

binding.myText.setText(R.string.my_text)

answered Mar 23, 2023 at 17:34

Jirawat Akkanit

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Comments

Ola Ström · Accepted Answer · 2024-09-13 07:22:46Z

2

You can access string value in Kotlin by:

val string: String = resources.getString(R.string.variable_name)

or use:

val string: String = getString(R.string.variable_name)

For more details, you can refer to the Android Developers documents

edited Sep 13, 2024 at 7:22

Ola Ström

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answered Nov 28, 2022 at 8:50

Moein Dehshiri

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Comments

zaerymoghaddam · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-25 08:26:55Z

0

Use the format - R.string.string_name

Reference it explicitly for example:

R.string.loadingText,

Given your XML file has the following as part of the resources:

<string name="loadingText">The actual text to be displayed</string>

edited Jul 25, 2019 at 8:26

zaerymoghaddam

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answered Jul 25, 2019 at 8:09

tonderaimuchada

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1 Comment

Mario Over a year ago

Doesn't this return the integer id of that XML string, rather than the string content itself?

Mufadilah Hermansyah · Accepted Answer · 2021-01-05 06:50:42Z

0

I used it for titlebar, but my app crashed.

private var title: String = getString(R.string.profile)

answered Jan 5, 2021 at 6:50

Mufadilah Hermansyah

1

1 Comment

Sundeep Sharma Over a year ago

Separate the declaration and usage like private var title: String and in onCreate method or any other method where you want to access title = "${getString(R.string.

Dharman · Accepted Answer · 2021-01-19 14:41:13Z

0

You can access string values simply through - "@string/variable_name".

For instance - if strings.xml contains entry like <string name="app_name">Tip Time</string>, then you can access it using -

"@string/app_name"

edited Jan 19, 2021 at 14:41

Dharman♦

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answered Jan 19, 2021 at 14:35

Shubham Jain

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1 Comment

caveman Over a year ago

That's in XML files. But what about in Kotlin files?

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