drop down menu - how to show hint/hidden text in spinner in android -

i have requirement show hints in spinner (android).

i tried different solutions have not solved issue yet, how that?

i handle using button instead of spinner. i have sample project on github.

in project, i'm displaying both spinner , button show indeed identical. except button can set initial text whatever want (e.g. hint).

here's activity looks like:

package com.stevebergamini.spinnerbutton;  import android.app.activity; import android.app.alertdialog; import android.content.dialoginterface; import android.os.bundle; import android.view.view; import android.view.view.onclicklistener; import android.widget.button; import android.widget.spinner;  public class mainactivity extends activity {      spinner spinner1;     button button1;     alertdialog ad;     string[] countries;      int selected = -1;      @override     protected void oncreate(bundle savedinstancestate) {         super.oncreate(savedinstancestate);         setcontentview(r.layout.activity_main);          spinner1 = (spinner) findviewbyid(r.id.spinner1);         button1 = (button) findviewbyid(r.id.button1);          countries = getresources().getstringarray(r.array.country_names);          //  can use adapter allert dialog if you'd         //  arrayadapter<string> adapter = new arrayadapter<string>(this, android.r.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item, countries);                  ad = new alertdialog.builder(mainactivity.this).setsinglechoiceitems(countries, selected,                   new  dialoginterface.onclicklistener() {                          @override                         public void onclick(dialoginterface dialog, int which) {                             button1.settext(countries[which]);                             selected = which;                             ad.dismiss();                          }}).settitle(r.string.select_country).create();            button1.setonclicklistener( new onclicklistener(){              @override             public void onclick(view v) {                 ad.getlistview().setselection(selected);                 ad.show();                           }});      }  }