[DatePicker] Fix Talkback issues with the hint text by adding a TtsSpan.TYPE_VERBATIM so that the hints are read as verbatim text by screen readers.

PiperOrigin-RevId: 776123945

lib/java/com/google/android/material/datepicker/RangeDateSelector.java

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.Parcel;
 import android.os.Parcelable;
 import android.text.InputType;
+import android.text.SpannableString;
 import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.util.DisplayMetrics;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
@@ -251,8 +252,10 @@ public class RangeDateSelector implements DateSelector<Pair<Long, Long>> {
             ? format.toPattern()
             : UtcDates.getDefaultTextInputHint(root.getResources(), format);
 
-    startTextInput.setPlaceholderText(formatHint);
-    endTextInput.setPlaceholderText(formatHint);
+    SpannableString verbatimHint = UtcDates.getVerbatimTextInputHint(formatHint);
+
+    startTextInput.setPlaceholderText(verbatimHint);
+    endTextInput.setPlaceholderText(verbatimHint);
 
     startEditText.addTextChangedListener(
         new DateFormatTextWatcher(formatHint, format, startTextInput, constraints) {

lib/java/com/google/android/material/datepicker/SingleDateSelector.java

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class SingleDateSelector implements DateSelector<Long> {
             ? format.toPattern()
             : UtcDates.getDefaultTextInputHint(root.getResources(), format);
 
-    dateTextInput.setPlaceholderText(formatHint);
+    dateTextInput.setPlaceholderText(UtcDates.getVerbatimTextInputHint(formatHint));
     if (selectedItem != null) {
       dateEditText.setText(format.format(selectedItem));
       // Move the cursor to the end of the text field

lib/java/com/google/android/material/datepicker/UtcDates.java

@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ import android.annotation.TargetApi;
 import android.content.res.Resources;
 import android.icu.text.DisplayContext;
 import android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES;
+import android.text.SpannableString;
+import android.text.Spanned;
+import android.text.style.TtsSpan;
 import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
@@ -180,6 +183,20 @@ class UtcDates {
     return formatHint.replace("d", dayChar).replace("M", monthChar).replace("y", yearChar);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a SpannableString with the given format hint that has a TtsSpan.TYPE_VERBATIM span
+   * applied to it in order to ensure that the hint is read verbatim by screen readers.
+   */
+  static SpannableString getVerbatimTextInputHint(String formatHint) {
+    SpannableString spannableHint = new SpannableString(formatHint);
+    spannableHint.setSpan(
+        new TtsSpan.Builder(TtsSpan.TYPE_VERBATIM).build(),
+        0,
+        spannableHint.length(),
+        Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
+    return spannableHint;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Receives a given local date format string and returns a string that can be displayed to the
    * user and parsed by the date parser.

lib/javatests/com/google/android/material/datepicker/UtcDatesTest.java

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
+import android.text.SpannableString;
 import androidx.test.core.app.ApplicationProvider;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
@@ -87,6 +88,15 @@ public class UtcDatesTest {
     assertEquals("년.월.일.", hint);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void verbatimTextInputHintForUK() {
+    SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/mm/yyyy", Locale.UK);
+    String hint = UtcDates.getDefaultTextInputHint(context.getResources(), sdf);
+    SpannableString hintSpannable = UtcDates.getVerbatimTextInputHint(hint);
+
+    assertEquals("dd/mm/yyyy", hintSpannable.toString());
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void normalizeTextInputFormat() {
     SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("M/d/y");