'TUIKit' has already rendered basic messages internally. You can easily adjust the message presentation style by setting attributes, or you can re-customize the message style.

Basic Message Types

For the basic message types of TUIKit, see MessageInfo.java.

Message Type	Renderings
Text message
Image message
Voice message
Video message
File message

Customizing Messages

• If the basic message types do not meet your requirements, you can customize messages as needed.
• This document uses sending a custom hypertext message that can redirect to the browser as an example to help you quickly understand the implementation process. This document uses version '5.4.666' as an example, which is different from previous versions.

Process of implementing message customization

Message customization process

As shown in the figure above, TUIChatControllerListener and TUIConversationControllerListener must be implemented for custom messages. TUIChatControllerListener is used to parse messages and generate the custom MessageInfo and create and populate the custom ViewHolder to be displayed on the chat page. TUIConversationControllerListener is used to generate the message abstract to be displayed on the conversation list.

• TUIKit uses RecyclerView to display messages. To display custom messages, you need to create a custom message ViewHolder to store the view for displaying the content of custom messages.
• You need to register your own TUIChatControllerListener and TUIConversationControllerListener with TUIKitListenerManager as soon as possible.

Creating a custom welcome message

Customize MessageInfo and implement the custom message parsing method.

public class HelloChatController implements TUIChatControllerListener {
   // Define that `HelloMessageInfo` is inherited from `MessageInfo`
   static class HelloMessageInfo extends MessageInfo {
       // Specify the message type ID, which cannot be repeated, including not repeated with the ID of a built-in message type. A number greater than 100002 is recommended.
       public static final int MSG_TYPE_HELLO = 100002;
   }
    // Implement the `createCommonInfoFromTimMessage` method of TUIChatControllerListener to parse messages and generate `MessageInfo`
   // If the message is customized by yourself, the custom `MessageInfo` is generated and returned. Otherwise, `null` is returned, indicating that processing cannot be performed.
   @Override
   public IBaseInfo createCommonInfoFromTimMessage(V2TIMMessage timMessage) {
       if (timMessage.getElemType() == V2TIMMessage.V2TIM_ELEM_TYPE_CUSTOM) {
           V2TIMCustomElem customElem = timMessage.getCustomElem();
           if (customElem == null || customElem.getData() == null) {
               return null;
           }
           CustomHelloMessage helloMessage = null;
           try {
               helloMessage = new Gson().fromJson(new String(customElem.getData()), CustomHelloMessage.class);
           } catch (Exception e) {
               DemoLog.w(TAG, "invalid json: " + new String(customElem.getData()) + " " + e.getMessage());
           }
           if (helloMessage != null && TextUtils.equals(helloMessage.businessID, TUIKitConstants.BUSINESS_ID_CUSTOM_HELLO)) {
               MessageInfo messageInfo = new HelloMessageInfo();
               // Set the message type ID, which is required
               messageInfo.setMsgType(HelloMessageInfo.MSG_TYPE_HELLO);
               // Settings
               MessageInfoUtil.setMessageInfoCommonAttributes(messageInfo, timMessage);
               Context context = TUIKit.getAppContext();
               if (context != null) {
                   messageInfo.setExtra(context.getString(R.string.custom_msg));
               }
               return messageInfo;
           }
       }
       return null;
   }
    ......
}

Register TUIChatControllerListener with TUIKitListenerManager as soon as possible.

TUIKitListenerManager.getInstance().addChatListener(new HelloChatController());

You can create a custom message via a JSON string.

Gson gson = new Gson();
CustomHelloMessage customHelloMessage = new CustomHelloMessage();
customHelloMessage.version = TUIKitConstants.version;
customHelloMessage.text = DemoApplication.instance().getString(R.string.welcome_tip);
customHelloMessage.link = "https://intl.cloud.tencent.com/document/product/269/3794?from_cn_redirect=1";
String data = gson.toJson(customHelloMessage); // data = {"businessID":"text_link","link":"https://intl.cloud.tencent.com/document/product/269/3794?from_cn_redirect=1","text":"Welcome to IM","version":4}
// Creating a custom message based on a JSON string will call the rewritten `createCommonInfoFromTimMessage` method to parse messages and generate `MessageInfo`.
MessageInfo info = MessageInfoUtil.buildCustomMessage(data);

Sending a custom message

You can use the ChatLayout instance to send a custom message:

MessageInfo info = MessageInfoUtil.buildCustomMessage(data);
chatLayout.sendMessage(info)

You can also use MessageSender to send the message.

MessageInfo info = MessageInfoUtil.buildCustomMessage(data);
IBaseMessageSender messageSender = TUIKitListenerManager.getInstance().getMessageSender();
if (messageSender != null) {
   // Send the message
   messageSender.sendMessage(info, null, chatInfoId,
           chatType == V2TIMConversation.V2TIM_GROUP, false, new IUIKitCallBack() {
               @Override
               public void onSuccess(Object data) {
                   Log.i("CustomChatController", "send success");
               }
                @Override
               public void onError(String module, int errCode, String errMsg) {
                   Log.i("CustomChatController", "send failed");
               }
           });
}

Displaying a custom message in the chat box

Creating ViewHolder

TUIKit uses RecyclerView to display messages. To display custom messages, you need to create a custom message ViewHolder to store the view for displaying the content of custom messages.

// Define that `HelloViewHolder` is inherited from `MessageCustomHolder`
class HelloViewHolder extends MessageCustomHolder{
    public HelloViewHolder(View itemView) {
       super(itemView);
   }
}
// Implement the `createCommonViewHolder` method of `TUIChatControllerListener` to create a ViewHolder
// Create a custom ViewHolder based on `viewType`. For a non-custom message, `null` is returned
@Override
public IBaseViewHolder createCommonViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
   if (viewType != HelloMessageInfo.MSG_TYPE_HELLO) {
       return null;
   }
   if (parent == null) {
       return null;
   }
   LayoutInflater inflater = LayoutInflater.from(TUIKit.getAppContext());
   View contentView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.message_adapter_item_content, parent, false);
   return new HelloViewHolder(contentView);
}

Setting the display content for a custom message

When displaying a message, TUIKit calls the bindCommonViewHolder method to set the custom message content.

// Implement the `bindCommonViewHolder` method of `TUIChatControllerListener` to populate the ViewHolder
// If the ViewHolder is a custom one, set the display content and return `true`, indicating that processing is completed. Otherwise, `false` is returned.
@Override
public boolean bindCommonViewHolder(IBaseViewHolder baseViewHolder, IBaseInfo baseInfo, int position) {
   if (baseViewHolder instanceof ICustomMessageViewGroup && baseInfo instanceof HelloMessageInfo) {
       ICustomMessageViewGroup customHolder = (ICustomMessageViewGroup) baseViewHolder;
       MessageInfo msg = (MessageInfo) baseInfo;
       new CustomMessageDraw().onDraw(customHolder, msg, position);
       return true;
   }
   return false;
}

Displaying the custom message abstract in the conversion list

// Define that `HelloConversationController` implements the `TUIConversationControllerListener` API
public static class HelloConversationController implements TUIConversationControllerListener {
   // Obtain the abstract string to be displayed in the conversion list. If the message is not the current user's custom message, `null` is returned, indicating no processing.
   @Override
   public CharSequence getConversationDisplayString(IBaseInfo baseInfo) {
       if (baseInfo instanceof HelloChatController.HelloMessageInfo) {
           return DemoApplication.instance().getString(R.string.welcome_tip);
       }
       return null;
   }
}
// Register `TUIConversationControllerListener` with `TUIKitListenerManager` as soon as possible so that the custom message abstract can be properly displayed in the conversion list.
TUIKitListenerManager.getInstance().addConversationListener(new HelloChatController.HelloConversationController());