Children views having equal height - android

I have a horizontal LinearLayout with two buttons with text inside.
The LinearLayout's and the buttons layout_height is wrap_content.
The text of one of the two buttons takes two lines unlike the other's which takes one line.
So at the end one of the buttons has a bigger height than the other which is something that I don't want.
I know how to solve this programmatically. So the reason I making this question is to know whether I can solve this through xml.
One possible solution is, for the button whose text is one line, set
layout_height="match_parent"
and it works fine.
But the problem here is that generally I don't know which button will occupy the biggest height.
In essence what I want to do is: having a LinearLayout with Views inside
I want to set the height of all the children Views to be equal to the height of the View which when has its content wrapped has the max height.
And the question is if this is possible through xml?
An example XML. Also I forgot to add that I already have 0dp in the widths.
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal">
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/some_string" />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/some_other_string" />
</LinearLayout>

I guess what you search is android:baselineAligned="false", this will avoid that the text are on the same baseline and the buttons will start at the same y position on the screen.
Here without android:baselineAligned="false":
And here with:
However if you also want that both buttons are equal sized try this layout example:
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:baselineAligned="false">
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="aaaaa"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="bbbbbbb bbbbbbbb bbbbbbbb bbbbbbbbbbbb bbbbbb"/>
</LinearLayout>
That will look like this:

Use this thing to set weigh Sum and weight layout
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:weightSum="100" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="10"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Button 1" />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Button 2" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Related

I am working on a Layout in Android Studio

I am new to Android and I am designing a layout using LinearLayout where I want all the three buttons to take equal spaces on the LinearLayout.
I did it by giving them equal width but then they do not cover the whole length. Is there a simpler approach to it?
welcome to Android Dev. I am sure this might be a duplicated question and would advise you to search through previous answers before putting a new one.
But let me tell you how you can achieve this is a simple application of weight in layout
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
android:weightSum="3">
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:text="Button 1"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:text="Button 2"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:text="Button 3"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
</LinearLayout>
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
As you can see above the weightSum tells the Linear layout the total weight of items in the layout below
android:layout_weight="1" is a weightage of each element in the layout. So there are three buttons and each have a weight of 1, which adds to 3 of the Linear Layout. So each button will be allocated the same space. You can play with weights to give different spaces to different views inside the Linear layout. You can leave the weightSum attribute and the linear layout can calculate on its own too based on the children's sum of the weights.
So you see this is a kind of relative spacing given to the Views based on the weights they carry. Hoping this was helpful to you and what you were expecting to know.
EDIT: As pointed out by Primoz,it is better to have android:layout_width = "0dp" so that your team or other persons can better understand the width controlling View.
It's hard to say anything without code sample, but most likely you are missing layout_weight attribute.
Here's an example:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal">
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Button 1" />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Button 2" />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Button 3" />
</LinearLayout>

adjusting button size to a certain proportion

Consider the following diagram:
The blue buttons are buttons and the red is a textview. I am trying to place them side by side as shown in the diagram but am having confusion because the app should be compatible with different screen sizes and densities.
Basically I want all the buttons to be of the same sizes(square typically) and TextView larger and say when the screen gets bigger(e.g. rotating) only the middle(red) textView should expand and the button size should be the same while they stay in their positions.
what I have tried
I tried using LinearLayout with layout_weight set accordingly but
for bigger screensizes the buttons(blue) would also scale in
proportion of their layout weight, and they'd not look square.
It'd be easy doing this using constraint layout but, it requires
hardcoding the button size(sizing the button in the design editor
does this), which I don't think is a good idea because if screen get bigger button would be smaller.
I could also take a certain percentage of the screen width and apply it to the button size, but how do I make sure that icon for the button renders okay with the scaled buttons and the buttons are aligned as so:
i.e. their centers are aligned but different in height, equidistant from each other.
also I'd have to do that programmatically instead of using the design editor or the xml.
So for this type of purposes what layout should I use and how should I set up my views?
If you want this design in xml, then try this
Note : Use the dimensions from dimens folder for different screen size. Here for LinearLayout of TextView Height use from dimens folder
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:gravity="center"
android:background="#color/colorPrimary"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:weightSum="0.9">
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:background="#color/colorAccent"
android:layout_weight="0.1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="2dp"/>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="0.5"
android:layout_height="100dp"
android:layout_margin="2dp">
<TextView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#ff00ff" />
</LinearLayout>
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:background="#color/colorAccent"
android:layout_weight="0.1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="2dp"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:background="#color/colorAccent"
android:layout_weight="0.1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="2dp"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:background="#color/colorAccent"
android:layout_weight="0.1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="2dp"/>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
Use linear layout and use layout_weight only to TextView and for Buttons give fix width
e.g.
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<Button
android:layout_width="#dimen/length_50"
android:background="#color/colorPrimary"
android:layout_height="#dimen/length_50"/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:background="#color/colorAccent"
android:layout_height="#dimen/length_50"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="#dimen/length_50"
android:layout_marginEnd="#dimen/_10dp"
android:background="#color/colorPrimary"
android:layout_height="#dimen/length_50"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="#dimen/length_50"
android:layout_marginEnd="#dimen/_10dp"
android:background="#color/colorPrimary"
android:layout_height="#dimen/length_50"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="#dimen/length_50"
android:background="#color/colorPrimary"
android:layout_height="#dimen/length_50"/>
</LinearLayout>
and result

How to separate layouts with weightSum in android?

I seem to be having issues understanding weightSum and LayoutWidth. My code is below:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:weightSum="3">
<LinearLayout
android:background="#cccccc"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<TextView
android:padding="20sp"
android:textSize="30sp"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:text="Cheapest Fare Option"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:background="#666666"
android:layout_weight="2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
My understanding of this is the 1st layout will take up 1/3 of the space and 2nd layout will take 2/3 of the space, but the reverse is happening, i.e. 1st layout is taking 2/3 and 2nd layout is taking 1/3
Why is this happening? Trying hard to understand this.
Taking your android:orientation="vertical", you want to get this ratio vertically therefore your android:layout_height attribute should be 0dp for both the child LinearLayout.
Set -
android:layout_height="0dp"
for both the inner LinearLayout.
Alternatively if you want to obtain the ratio horizontally then use android:orientation="horizontal" set -
android:layout_width="0dp"
for both the inner LinearLayout.
The thing is when you want to achieve ratio then you don't set that particular dimension (width or height) to match parent. Rather set it to 0dp so that Android can handle it for you automatically.
<LinearLayout
android:background="#cccccc"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp">
<TextView
android:padding="20sp"
android:textSize="30sp"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:text="Cheapest Fare Option"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:background="#666666"
android:layout_weight="2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp">
</LinearLayout>

Android button spacing layout uneven

I have an issue with my app where the button layout is not evenly spaced when used on different devices.
As shown, the first screenshot shows the layout evenally spaced out on an older, smaller screened android smartphone.
The second screenshot from a Nexus 4, shows the large white space under the bottom button that is uneven.
I thought I had set my layout to be even but it seems it isnt.
UPDATE:
How to set a scroll view with the two linear layouts in it.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="84dp"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/imgLink"
android:layout_width="78dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
android:src="#drawable/appointmentmanimenuicon" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/textView1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="75dp"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="Appointments"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
android:textSize="30sp" />
</LinearLayout>
<ScrollView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:fillViewport="true">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="200dp"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnaddAppoint"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_margin="50dp"
android:drawableLeft="#drawable/appointmentmenu"
android:src="#drawable/appointmentmenu"
android:text="Add Appointment"
android:layout_weight="1" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="200dp"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnviewAppoint"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_margin="50dp"
android:drawableLeft="#drawable/appointviewicon"
android:src="#drawable/appointviewicon"
android:text="View Appointments"
android:layout_weight="1" />
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
</LinearLayout>
Your nested linear layout with the buttons has a fixed height of 400dp. On the small device this leaves a smaller amount of space at the bottom then it does on the larger nexus4.
If you change your linear layout with the buttons to use a height value of fill_parent it should place the buttons evenly in the space remaining in the parent layout underneath the header ( contacts).
Your second LinearLayout has a fixed height of 400dp. The bottom edge of that layout will always be at 484dp (taking into account the first LinearLayout), and will leave extra space after it on any screen larger than 484dp tall.
I'm not entirely clear on what your desired layout is, but believe what you want is to center the second LinearLayout within the parent LinearLayout.
To do so, add android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" like so:
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="400dp"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" >
You should also consider removing the ScrollView, as that content should never need to scroll.

Can only LinearLayout specify a fixed-size element with an adjacent element that uses the remaining space?

I'd like to have two adjacent views, a first that is a fixed size and a second that adjacent to the first that uses the remaining space.
I could easily do this with LinearLayout and weights, but I would like to avoid the "nested weights are bad for performance" problem.
Is there another layout type that can accomplish the equivalent? Please provide an example if so.
A RelativeLayout could do what you want, for example:
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="200dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:text="Button"
android:background="#99cc00" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/button1"
android:text="Button"
android:background="#0077cc"/>
</RelativeLayout>
The first Button will be 200dp in width and the second will stretch to fill the rest of the parent's remaining width.
You could also use a RelativeLayout to split two views in equal sizes to avoid having double weights on some layouts.
I believe this could be done with a RelativeLayout. Example:
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button"
android:layout_width="100dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/button">
...
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
You can try
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="view with fixed size " />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="view with remaining space" />
</LinearLayout>
this is how weight works in LinearLayout:
At first, it will deduct the fixed dimension, then according to the weight, divide the available space, assign to the views which specify the weight attribute

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