How to Get Image Size on Android Programmatically

When working with images on Android, it is often necessary to know the size of an image programmatically. This information can be useful for various purposes, such as resizing the image, calculating memory requirements, or optimizing the user interface. In this blog post, we will explore different methods to get the image size on Android programmatically, and provide step-by-step instructions for each method.

Video Tutorial:

Why You Need to Get Image Size on Android Programmatically

There are several reasons why you might need to get the image size on Android programmatically:
1. Image Resizing: If you want to resize an image to fit a specific container or display it with certain dimensions, knowing the image size is crucial.
2. Memory Optimization: Understanding the image size helps you calculate the memory requirements, allowing you to optimize memory usage in your Android app.
3. User Interface Optimization: By knowing the image size, you can optimize the user interface by adjusting the layout or loading the appropriate resources.

Method 1: Using BitmapFactory.Options

To get the image size on Android programmatically, you can use the BitmapFactory.Options class provided by the Android framework. This method allows you to retrieve the image size without actually loading the entire image into memory, thus optimizing performance.

Here are the steps to get the image size using BitmapFactory.Options:
1. Create an instance of BitmapFactory.Options.
2. Set the inJustDecodeBounds property of the options object to true.
3. Determine the path or resource ID of the image you want to get the size of.
4. Use the BitmapFactory.decode*() method to load the image with the options object.
5. Retrieve the image size from the options object using the outWidth and outHeight properties.

Here is the code snippet that demonstrates this method:

“`
BitmapFactory.Options options = new BitmapFactory.Options();
options.inJustDecodeBounds = true;
BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.my_image, options);
int imageWidth = options.outWidth;
int imageHeight = options.outHeight;
“`

Pros:

Pros Cons
1. Efficient way to get image size without loading the entire image into memory. 1. Requires additional code and understanding of BitmapFactory.Options.
2. Suitable for getting image size of local resources or files. 2. Limited to retrieving size information only, does not provide other image metadata.
3. Does not require any external libraries or dependencies. 3. May not work for all image formats or remote images.

Method 2: Using ExifInterface

If you need more metadata information along with the image size, you can use the ExifInterface class provided by the Android framework. This class allows you to extract various metadata from image files, including the image size.

Here are the steps to get the image size using ExifInterface:
1. Determine the path or URI of the image you want to get the size of.
2. Create an instance of ExifInterface and pass the image path or URI to its constructor.
3. Retrieve the image size from the ExifInterface object using the getAttributeInt() method with the TAG_IMAGE_WIDTH and TAG_IMAGE_LENGTH tags.

Here is the code snippet that demonstrates this method:

“`
ExifInterface exifInterface = new ExifInterface(imagePath);
int imageWidth = exifInterface.getAttributeInt(ExifInterface.TAG_IMAGE_WIDTH, -1);
int imageHeight = exifInterface.getAttributeInt(ExifInterface.TAG_IMAGE_LENGTH, -1);
“`

Pros:

Pros Cons
1. Allows retrieval of various metadata along with the image size. 1. Limited to retrieving metadata from image files only.
2. Suitable for both local and remote images. 2. Requires the Android platform API level 5 or higher.
3. Provides additional information like orientation, geo-location, etc. 3. May not work for all image formats or non-standard metadata.

Method 3: Using Glide Library

If you are already using the Glide library for image loading and caching in your Android app, you can leverage its image size retrieval capabilities as well. Glide provides a convenient way to get the image size without having to write custom code.

Here are the steps to get the image size using Glide:
1. Determine the path, URI, or resource ID of the image you want to get the size of.
2. Load the image with Glide using the Glide.with() method and pass the context.
3. Retrieve the image size from the loaded image using the override() method with a target size of 1×1 and the getSize() method.

Here is the code snippet that demonstrates this method:

“`
Glide.with(context)
.load(imagePath)
.override(1, 1)
.getSize(new SizeReadyCallback() {
@Override
public void onSizeReady(int width, int height) {
int imageWidth = width;
int imageHeight = height;
}
});
“`

Pros:

Pros Cons
1. Convenient and easy-to-use method to get image size using Glide library. 1. Requires adding the Glide library as a dependency to your project.
2. Suitable for getting image size of local, remote, or even dynamically generated images. 2. Depends on the network availability for remote images.
3. Provides additional features like image caching, transformations, and more. 3. Requires some familiarity with the Glide library and its configuration.

Method 4: Using ImageDecoder

If you are targeting Android API level 28 or higher, you can use the ImageDecoder class introduced in the Android framework. ImageDecoder provides a simple and efficient way to decode and retrieve bitmap properties, including the image size.

Here are the steps to get the image size using ImageDecoder:
1. Determine the path, URI, or resource ID of the image you want to get the size of.
2. Create an instance of ImageDecoder.Source by passing the image path or URI to its createSource() method.
3. Create an instance of ImageDecoder and pass the source object to its createSource() method.
4. Retrieve the image size from the ImageDecoder object using its getSampledSize() method.

Here is the code snippet that demonstrates this method:

“`
ImageDecoder.Source source = ImageDecoder.createSource(context.getContentResolver(), Uri.parse(imageUri));
ImageDecoder decoder = ImageDecoder.createSource(source);
Size size = decoder.getSampledSize();
int imageWidth = size.getWidth();
int imageHeight = size.getHeight();
“`

Pros:

Pros Cons
1. Simple and efficient way to get image size using ImageDecoder. 1. Limited to Android API level 28 or higher.
2. Suitable for getting image size of local or remote images. 2. Requires additional handling for loading images from different sources.
3. Provides support for various image formats and additional properties. 3. May not work for all image formats or unsupported image sources.

What to Do If You Can’t Get Image Size

In some cases, you may encounter difficulties in getting the image size programmatically. Here are some possible fixes you can try:
1. Verify the Image Source: Ensure that the image source (path, URI, or resource ID) is correct and accessible.
2. Check Permissions: If you are trying to access a local or remote image, make sure that you have the necessary permissions.
3. Handle Exception Cases: Wrap the image size retrieval code in appropriate exception handling to catch and handle any errors or exceptions that may occur.
4. Use Default Size: If all else fails, you can use a default size for cases where the image size cannot be retrieved.

Bonus Tips

Here are three bonus tips related to getting image size on Android programmatically:
1. Consider Asynchronous Loading: If you are loading images from remote sources, it is often beneficial to perform the image size retrieval asynchronously to avoid blocking the main UI thread.
2. Cache Image Size: Once you have retrieved the image size, consider caching it in memory or persistent storage to avoid repetitive calculations.
3. Verify Image Metadata: When retrieving image size using methods that provide additional metadata, such as ExifInterface or Glide, make sure to validate and handle any unexpected or missing metadata.

5 FAQs

Q1: Can these methods retrieve image sizes from different file formats?

A: Yes, these methods can retrieve image sizes from various file formats, including popular formats like JPEG, PNG, BMP, and GIF.

Q2: Do these methods work for remote images hosted on a server?

A: Some of these methods, like using Glide or ImageDecoder, can work with remote images as long as you have the necessary permissions and network connectivity.

Q3: What is the performance impact of retrieving the image size?

A: The performance impact of retrieving the image size depends on the method used and the size of the image. Methods like BitmapFactory.Options and Glide provide optimized ways to retrieve the size without fully loading the image into memory, minimizing performance impact.

Q4: Can I get image sizes of dynamically generated images?

A: Yes, methods like Glide or ImageDecoder can handle dynamically generated images as long as you provide the appropriate image source or path.

Q5: Are there any limitations or considerations when retrieving image sizes?

A: Some limitations or considerations to keep in mind when retrieving image sizes include supported image formats, available metadata, image source accessibility, and the Android platform version being targeted.

Final Thoughts

Getting the image size on Android programmatically can be essential for various purposes, including image resizing, memory optimization, and user interface optimization. In this blog post, we have explored four methods to retrieve the image size, along with detailed steps and pros and cons for each method. Additionally, we have provided some fixes for cases where image size retrieval may not be possible and shared bonus tips and FAQs to enhance your understanding of this topic.

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