Develop Reference

How to set height and with of child layout to fit within parent layout?

I am new to android and trying to make circular layouts using xml as background. Now I have a parent relative layout and it has a child relative layout. The parent relative layout has a background xml with corner radius and is displayed as a circle. Now the inner relative layout/child layout must also inherit this and be a circle right?, but it doesn't! the child layout has height and width as match_parent & match_parent. So how do i make the child layout's height and width fit in the circle of the parent?
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
android:layout_below="#+id/view10"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_width="52dp"
android:gravity="center"
android:background="#drawable/dutycirclebackground"
android:layout_height="52dp">
<RelativeLayout
android:visibility="visible"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:gravity="center"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
</RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
This is the background xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:shape="rectangle" android:padding="10dp">
<solid android:color="#cc5228"/>
<corners
android:bottomRightRadius="25dp"
android:bottomLeftRadius="25dp"
android:topLeftRadius="25dp"
android:topRightRadius="25dp"/>
</shape>
here, if i set a background color to the inner layout and check the output i get a square layout but the parent is a circle.
Thanks in advance!

Do as
android:radius="250dp"
instead all corner radius:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:shape="oval" android:padding="10dp">
<solid android:color="#cc5228"/>
<corners
android:radius="250dp" />
</shape>

First thing, If your parent layout is circle it doesn't mean that, your child is also be circular.
Second, In you case your parent is also not circular it is rectangle in shape, you drawable only hides its corners and show you the other part. That is why , when you use match parent or something it will give you square not circle.
use your drawable in child not parent.
or you can use Dileep Patel's answer for your purpose of square inside circle

you can try to this hope this can help you..
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:auto="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="52dp"
android:layout_height="52dp"
android:layout_below="#+id/view10"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
android:background="#drawable/dutycirclebackground"
android:gravity="center"
android:orientation="vertical"
tools:context=".MainActivity">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="52dp"
android:layout_height="52dp"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
android:background="#drawable/dutycirclebackground"
android:gravity="center"
android:orientation="vertical">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#android:color/darker_gray"
android:gravity="center" />
</RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

Android button background shape: circle is squished

fragment_camera.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/iv_camera"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true" >
</ImageView>
<Button
android:id="#+id/btn_take_pic"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginBottom="20dp"
android:background="#drawable/circle" >
</Button>
</RelativeLayout>
circle.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:shape="oval">
<solid
android:color="#87cefa"/>
<size
android:width="40dp"
android:height="40dp"/>
</shape>
Result:
My circle is squished *cry*.
As the button does not contain any content I'm guessing the button has a default width and height. How can I get the button to adjust itself to the drawable? Must I set the width and height the same dimensions as the drawable, or is there a dynamic way of doing this?

Stop crying. Use a compound drawable.
It would be drawableLeft for occidental people, or drawableRight for mid-oriental people (it really depends on how you want your image and text to be related - you can even use both of them).
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/controls/button.html

How to add (vertical) divider to a horizontal LinearLayout?

I'm trying to add a divider to a horizontal linear layout but am getting nowhere. The divider just doesn't show. I am a total newbie with Android.
This is my layout XML:
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".MainActivity" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/llTopBar"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:divider="#00ff00"
android:dividerPadding="22dip"
android:showDividers="middle">
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:text="asdf" />
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:text="asdf" />
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

use this for horizontal divider
<View
android:layout_width="1dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/honeycombish_blue" />
and this for vertical divider
<View
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="1dp"
android:background="#color/honeycombish_blue" />
OR if you can use the LinearLayout divider, for horizontal divider
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
<size android:height="1dp"/>
<solid android:color="#f6f6f6"/>
</shape>
and in LinearLayout
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:divider="#drawable/divider"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:showDividers="middle" >
If you want to user vertical divider then in place of android:height="1dp" in shape use android:width="1dp"
Tip: Don't forget the android:showDividers item.

Try this, create a divider in the res/drawable folder:
vertical_divider_1.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<size android:width="1dip" />
<solid android:color="#666666" />
</shape>
And use the divider attribute in LinearLayout like this:
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="48dp"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:divider="#drawable/vertical_divider_1"
android:dividerPadding="12dip"
android:showDividers="middle"
android:background="#ffffff" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
</LinearLayout>
Note: android:divider is only available in Android 3.0 (API level 11) or higher.

It is easy to add divider to layout, we don't need a separate view.
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:divider="?android:listDivider"
android:dividerPadding="2.5dp"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:showDividers="middle"
android:weightSum="2" ></LinearLayout>
Above code make vertical divider for LinearLayout

Update: pre-Honeycomb using AppCompat
If you are using the AppCompat library v7 you may want to use the LinearLayoutCompat view. Using this approach you can use drawable dividers on Android 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.
Example code:
<android.support.v7.widget.LinearLayoutCompat
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal"
app:showDividers="middle"
app:divider="#drawable/divider">
drawable/divider.xml: (divider with some padding on the top and bottom)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<inset xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:insetBottom="2dp"
android:insetTop="2dp">
<shape>
<size android:width="1dp" />
<solid android:color="#FFCCCCCC" />
</shape>
</inset>
Very important note: The LinearLayoutCompat view does not extend LinearLayout and therefor you should not use the android:showDividers or android:divider properties but the custom ones: app:showDividers and app:divider. In code you should also use the LinearLayoutCompat.LayoutParams not the LinearLayout.LayoutParams!

I just ran into the same problem today. As the previous answers indicate, the problem stems from the use of a color in the divider tag, rather than a drawable. However, instead of writing my own drawable xml, I prefer to use themed attributes as much as possible. You can use the android:attr/dividerHorizontal and android:attr/dividerVertical to get a predefined drawable instead:
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:showDividers="middle"
android:divider="?android:attr/dividerVertical"
android:orientation="horizontal">
<!-- other views -->
</LinearLayout>
The attributes are available in API 11 and above.
Also, as mentioned by bocekm in his answer, the dividerPadding property does NOT add extra padding on either side of a vertical divider, as one might assume. Instead it defines top and bottom padding and thus may truncate the divider if it's too large.

You can use the built in divider, this will work for both orientations.
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:divider="?android:attr/listDivider"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:showDividers="middle">

Frustratingly, you have to enable showing the dividers from code in your activity. For example:
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
// Set the view to your layout
setContentView(R.layout.yourlayout);
// Find the LinearLayout within and enable the divider
((LinearLayout)v.findViewById(R.id.llTopBar)).
setShowDividers(LinearLayout.SHOW_DIVIDER_MIDDLE);
}

If the answer of Kapil Vats is not working try something like this:
drawable/divider_horizontal_green_22.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<size android:width="22dip"/>
<solid android:color="#00ff00"/>
</shape>
layout/your_layout.xml
LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/llTopBar"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:divider="#drawable/divider_horizontal_green_22"
android:showDividers="middle"
>
I encountered an issue where the padding attribute wasn't working, thus I had to set the height of the divider directly in the divider.
Note:
If you want to use it in vertical LinearLayout, make a new one, like this:
drawable/divider_vertical_green_22.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<size android:height="22dip"/>
<solid android:color="#00ff00"/>
</shape>

Your divider may not be showing due to too large dividerPadding. You set 22dip, that means the divider is truncated by 22dip from top and by 22dip from bottom. If your layout height is less than or equal 44dip then no divider is visible.

In order to get drawn, divider of LinearLayout must have some height while ColorDrawable (which is essentially #00ff00 as well as any other hardcoded color) doesn't have. Simple (and correct) way to solve this, is to wrap your color into some Drawable with predefined height, such as shape drawable

You have to create the any view for separater like textview or imageview then set the background for that if you have image else use the color as the background.
Hope this helps you.

Border with title around a LinearLayout

I want to make a border with a title around a LinearLayout like on this picture.
layout http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/3461/borderwithtitel.png
I already have the border.
How can I add the title?
I created the border by making an .xml file in the drawable folder. There I made a shape and then I set the background of the linear layout as this shape.
I am using API Level 8.

According to #Radu's answer,you can see an example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:color="#000000">
<View
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/rectangle"
android:layout_margin="20dp"
/>
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:background="#000000"
android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
android:text="TITLE!"
android:textColor="#ffffff"/>
</RelativeLayout>
</FrameLayout>
And #drawable/rectangle is in a drawable rectangle.xml file like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:shape="rectangle">
<solid android:color="#android:color/transparent"/>
<stroke android:width="2dip" android:color="#ffffff"/>
</shape>

You may want to take a look at the Android Frame Layout.
A good tutorial may be found here or you may want to read the dev guides.

Repeat Image in with ImageView in RelativeLayout

I want to repeat the image with ImageView with in RelativeLayout. Can it be possible to use the Bitmap xml and use tilemode "repeat" with RelativeLayout, because what I have seen things on Internet they all dealing with LinearLayout.
Any help or tip will be warmly welcomed.

Create an XML file named background in Drawable folder
background.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<bitmap xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:src="#drawable/imagename"
android:tileMode="repeat" />
In your Relative Layout add the above XML as background
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:background="#drawable/background" />

Yes of Course, You can use it with relative layout. Use it as background of your RelativeLayout. I also used it in my project.
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:background="#drawable/top_header_bg_repeat"
android:gravity="center">
top_header_bg_repeat.xml (in drawable folder)
----------------------------------------------
<bitmap
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:src="#drawable/top_header"
android:tileMode="repeat"
android:dither="true"/>
Set Bitmap in ImageView
----------------------
<ImageView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:src="#drawable/top_header_bg_repeat"
android:scaleType="fitXY"/>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/top_header_bg_repeat"/>

Yes, its possible. Define your repeating image as Drawable (bitmap) with android:tileMode="repeat" in XML and use it as background of your RelativeLayout.

In all requests exists one small problem if you image will be great and smaller what size your layout, image will not resize, only repeat by X.
For repeat by Y you can do it only programmly.
I solve my problem like this (set gravity fill)
drawable bg for image
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<bitmap xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:src="#drawable/table_cells_bg_img"
android:tileMode="repeat" android:gravity="fill" />
and on layout
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="#dimen/table_cell_height">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/imageView1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="#dimen/table_cell_height"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/table_cells_bg"/>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txtActivityTime"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/avatarImage"
android:text="TextView"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:textSize="#dimen/font_size_middle" />
</RelativeLayout>
And table_cells_bg_img it's image with width=1px and height = 1px
and etc of layout, so now your image it's like background and it's will resized for any size of parent layout
Try, maybe help. To be cleared in my case i need tiled background image to full size of tablecell repeated by X coordinate (like i can do it on iOS). So i solve it like i describe.