stylesxml

Styles.xml is a resource file used in Android development to define visual styles and themes for the user interface. It is written in XML and typically located under res/values, most commonly res/values/styles.xml. The file uses a resources root element that contains style declarations. Each style is declared with a style element that has a name attribute and, optionally, a parent attribute for inheritance. Inside a style, item elements specify attributes, usually names prefixed with android:, such as android:textColor or android:padding.

A style specifies a set of attributes for a view, while a theme is a style applied at the application or activity level to control the overall look. Themes are referenced in the manifest or at the view level; styles can be applied to views via the style attribute or to widgets via a style reference.

Styles.xml can be extended for different configurations by using resource qualifiers, such as values-night, allowing alternative style definitions for different conditions.

Example:

<resources>

<style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">

<item name="colorPrimary">#3F51B5</item>

<item name="colorAccent">#FF4081</item>

</style>

</resources>

In practice, multiple styles.xml files from different modules and qualifiers are merged by the Android Gradle plugin to form the final theme used at runtime. The convention and structure make it easier to maintain consistent branding and responsive theming across an app.