On Jan 21, 3:06 am, Zsolt Vasvari <zvasv...@gmail.com> wrote: > Is there a way to know whether a phone has a Search button or not? I > believe Search is optional and not all phones have it. I would like > to hide my UI elements for invoking search if I could determine the > presence of the hard button.
Search buttons are a SHOULD, not a MUST. However, many people assume that the standard HOME/BACK/MENU buttons are always a hard button outside the screen area. This is not required. http://source.android.com/compatibility/index.html 8.7. Navigation keys The Home, Menu and Back functions are essential to the Android navigation paradigm. Device implementations MUST make these functions available to the user at all times, regardless of application state. These functions SHOULD be implemented via dedicated buttons. They MAY be implemented using software, gestures, touch panel, etc., but if so they MUST be always accessible and not obscure or interfere with the available application display area. Device implementers SHOULD also provide a dedicated search key. Device implementers MAY also provide send and end keys for phone calls. One example is the Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor, which has a physical HOME button, but shows screen buttons for MENU and BACK on their notifications area when they think it's appropriate. Obviously the company wants to minimize the Android-ness and focus on the prominent "Home" book reading activity, but they are arguably still in compliance with the above standard. Some users have added third-party solutions for more permanent onscreen buttons, or rooted the keyboard config to change the volume buttons into permanent MENU/BACK buttons. I don't think you're going to find a standard way of discovering whether there is a SEARCH button, and if there is, whether it is a hard or a soft screen button. These may even be a globally recognized touch or shake gesture, and still fall within the bounds of the requirement above. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
