onTextChanged vs afterTextChanged in Android - Live examples needed

I found an explanation to this on Android Dev Portal

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/text/TextWatcher.html

**abstract void afterTextChanged(Editable s)**
This method is called to notify you that, somewhere within s, the text has been changed.

**abstract void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after)**
This method is called to notify you that, within s, the count characters beginning at start are about to be replaced by new text with length after.

**abstract void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count)**
This method is called to notify you that, within s, the count characters beginning at start have just replaced old text that had length before.

So, the differences between the two are:

  • I can change my text using afterTextChanged while onTextChanged does not allow me to do that
  • onTextChanged gives me the offset of what changed where, while afterTextChanged does not

Just adding something to Pratik Dasa's answer and the discussion with @SimpleGuy in the comments, since I have not enough reputation to comment.

The three methods are also triggered by EditText.setText("your string here"). That would make a length of 16 (in this case), so count isn't always 1.

Please note that the parameter list is not the same for the three methods:

abstract void afterTextChanged(Editable s)
abstract void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after)
abstract void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count)

And this is where the difference is between afterTextChanged and onTextChanged: the parameters.

Please also have a look at the accepted answer in this thread: Android TextWatcher.afterTextChanged vs TextWatcher.onTextChanged