Develop Reference

How to display TextView in front of more Buttons?

I have 4 Buttons and 1 TextView with dimensions 240x200 and i want this textview to display over all 4 buttons. I tried placing in xml code Text View after buttons and i tried with FrameLayout but it doesn't work in both cases still buttons are over TextView.
xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context="com.example.user.probalayout.MainActivity">
<Button
android:id="#+id/button9"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="23dp"
android:text="Button"
android:layout_alignTop="#+id/textView"
android:layout_alignLeft="#+id/textView"
android:layout_alignStart="#+id/textView" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button10"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignEnd="#+id/textView"
android:layout_alignRight="#+id/textView"
android:layout_alignTop="#+id/button9"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button11"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button"
android:layout_alignBottom="#+id/textView"
android:layout_alignLeft="#+id/textView"
android:layout_alignStart="#+id/textView"
android:layout_marginBottom="37dp" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button12"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignLeft="#+id/button10"
android:layout_alignStart="#+id/button10"
android:layout_alignTop="#+id/button11"
android:text="Button" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/textView"
android:layout_width="220dp"
android:layout_height="200dp"
android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_marginEnd="70dp"
android:layout_marginRight="70dp"
android:layout_marginTop="129dp"
android:background="#906090"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="TextView"
android:textSize="24sp" />
</RelativeLayout>

Try to use Linear Layout and specify the layout direction with the android:orientation attribute.

How to fix the two button center and right side? im expecting the best answer without using "dp".please guide me

I'm creating a login form and i would like to set the back Button as center and reg Button at the right side.
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/back"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:onClick="onBackClick"
android:background="#color/l_green"/>
<View
android:layout_width="#dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:layout_height="match_parent"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/reg"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:minWidth="130dp"
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:onClick="onSigninClick"
android:background="#color/l_blue"/>

This is how I usually do:
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
>
<View
android:id="#+id/dummy"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Back"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:onClick="onBackClick"
android:layout_toLeftOf="#id/dummy"
android:background="#android:color/darker_gray"
/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/button4"
android:text="login"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:minWidth="130dp"
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_toLeftOf="#id/dummy"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:onClick="onSigninClick"
android:background="#android:color/holo_green_light"
/>
</RelativeLayout>
In practice:
I set a dummy View to the center of the screen
I set a Button to the left of it
I set the other one to the right of it

you could use weight, it would evenly distribute, regardless of screen size
would be like:
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:weightSum=3
android:layout_width=fill_parent>
<View // filler
android:weight=1>
</View>
<Button // back button
android:weight=1>
</Button>
<Button // cancel button
android:weight=1>
</Button>
</LinearLayout>

Hope it will work
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/linearButtons"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal">
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/back"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:onClick="onBackClick"
android:weight="1"
android:background="#color/l_green"/>
<View
android:layout_width="#dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:layout_height="match_parent"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/reg"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:minWidth="130dp"
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:weight="1"
android:onClick="onSigninClick"
android:background="#color/l_blue"/>
</LinearLayout>

//Try this according to your question
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" >
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Back"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:onClick="onBackClick"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
android:background="#android:color/darker_gray"/>
<View
android:layout_width="#dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:layout_height="match_parent"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/button4"
android:text="login"
android:textColor="#color/white"
android:minWidth="130dp"
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:onClick="onSigninClick"
android:background="#android:color/holo_green_light"/>
</RelativeLayout>

Android layout - How to make the controls appear to the left/right without padding?

I have defined 3 controls on my screen, placed in the following order:
button
- textView
- button
I want to place the first button on the left side and place the textView in the middle. The second button should be on the right side.
However, I cannot find a way to force the buttons to stick to the left/right side and for the textView too stick to the middle.
This is the code:
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<"
android:id="#+id/button2" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/TodayDataTextView"
android:text="Today Data"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textColor="#0000ff"
android:background="#00000000"
android:layout_margin="5dp"
android:textSize="20dp"
android:textStyle="bold|italic" />
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=">>"
android:id="#+id/button" />
</LinearLayout>
And this is the screenshot:
And this is what I want to have (without the padding):

Try this code :
<RelativeLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<"
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/TodayDataTextView"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:text="Today Data"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textColor="#0000ff"
android:background="#00000000"
android:textSize="20dp"
android:textStyle="bold|italic"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=">>"
android:id="#+id/button"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignParentEnd="true" />
Output :

set layoutgravity and gravity as left, center and right respectively for all the three widgets

You can try a RelativeLayout. Like this:
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:id="#+id/button2" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/TodayDataTextView"
android:text="Today Data"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:textColor="#0000ff"
android:background="#00000000"
android:layout_margin="5dp"
android:textSize="20dp"
android:textStyle="bold|italic" />
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=">>"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:id="#+id/button" />
</RelativeLayout>

Please use a Relative Layout instead of a LinearLayout.
Add to Button
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
Add to TextView
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
Add to the Right Button
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"

You could use layout weights to get exactly what you are looking for:
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Today Data"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:textStyle="bold|italic"
/>
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<"
android:id="#+id/button"
/>
Remember that Android makes two passes when determining the size and position of the components in a layout. The first pass uses the layout_width and layout_height settings. In this case it is wrap_content for most of the widgets which will make them their "natural" size to fit their content. The second pass uses the layout_weight attribute to allocate any remaining pixels. Given that this is a horizontal linear layout, those pixels will be allocate to the horizontal size of the widgets. Only the TextView specifies a weight attribute, so it will get 100% of the remaining pixels.

<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="0.20"
android:gravity="left">
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_weight="0.60"
android:gravity="center">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="data"
android:textSize="18sp" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="0.20"
android:gravity="right">
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="<<" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

This is also working
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:weightSum="5">
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="0sp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:text="<<"
android:id="#+id/button2" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="0sp"
android:layout_weight="3"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/TodayDataTextView"
android:text="Today Data"
android:textAlignment="center"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:gravity="center"
android:textColor="#0000ff"
android:background="#00000000"
android:layout_margin="5dp"
android:textSize="20dp"
android:textStyle="bold|italic" />
<Button
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="0sp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginRight="15dp"
android:text=">>"
android:id="#+id/button" />
</LinearLayout>

Working with relative layout in android XML

I am trying to create a layout in XML something along of the lines of http://i.stack.imgur.com/aPoeU.png but I am little confused as to how to position the buttons in that format. I have created the buttons and tried different things like alignParentBottom, alignParentRight etc but I can't seem to get it the way I want it to be. Can someone please help me out?
<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" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button1"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button2"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button3"
android:text="Button" />

We can manage it in all screen and in all resolution by weight_sum
Paste below code in your xml
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:background="#000"
android:weightSum="1" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:layout_weight="0.30"
android:text="Button1" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="2dp"
android:layout_weight="0.20"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button2" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="2dp"
android:layout_weight="0.20"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button3" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="2dp"
android:layout_weight="0.30"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button4" />
</LinearLayout>

Paste it in your XML
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#2258A2"
android:gravity="center"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#000"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:weightSum="1" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="0.40"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button1" />
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="1dp"
android:layout_weight="0.20"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:weightSum="1" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_marginRight="1dp"
android:layout_weight="0.50"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button2" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="0.50"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button3" />
</LinearLayout>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="1dp"
android:layout_weight="0.40"
android:background="#bebebe"
android:text="Button4" />
</LinearLayout>

Your code seems correct, but if you want to replicate the size of the buttons then you can't set the height as wrap_content. This will make it as tall as the text, change that to some given value:
android:layout_height="50dp"

Well, in RelativeLayout, as the name suggests, the elements are positioned relative to something else, like the parent view, or another widget in the layout. So you can align the widget in many many ways, like apending it to the right of a view, to the left, above, below, and so on.
Please refer to this link and this other link for more information.
So, if you want to make your buttons look exactly like your example image, try this:
<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" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:text="Button 1" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button1"
android:text="Button 2" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button2"
android:text="Button 3" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button3"
android:text="Button 4" />
You can simply make the button width to fill_parent instead of align left and right. And the height, you can define the measures you'd like to use.
Btw, I used alignParentLeft and alignParentStart because I don't know which API level you're using, so I've used both parameters, old and new. But the effect is the same, your buttons will always start to the left of the parent view.
EDIT: As the user hasternet suggested, you could also use LinearLayout and get similar results.
EDIT 2: And if you like to change the look of your buttons, try to change the style (Take a look here to know what I mean).

Since you need to set the height of the buttons differently and also it depends on different screen size, you cannot achieve this with Relative Layout.
So go for LinearLayout and weightsum attribute. This way screen big or small, you can achieve your expected UI. Mentioned code below modified.
<LinearLayout 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"
android:Orientation="vertical"
android:weightsum="8" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:text="Button"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button1"
android:text="Button"
android:layout_weight="3"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button2"
android:text="Button"
android:layout_weight="3"/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/button3"
android:text="Button"
android:layout_weight="1"/>
</LinearLayout>

How could i divide my layout in two parts in Android

I want to dive my layout in two parts that have common design.Layout orientation is horizontal and i want to have 2 layout of that layout how could i do that .Here is my XML please suggest me how could i do that.

Copy and paste below code in your xml file, and made changes as you like,
You can ask for any help if you want
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_weight="1" >
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<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" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button3"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="461dp"
android:layout_weight="1.00"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button4"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button5"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button6"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
</LinearLayout>

Take the references of layout objects at runtime using their id and depending upon requirement write condition in your code to show hide layouts.

For instance I have just replicated the same views everywhere, don't mind it...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/button1"
style="?android:attr/buttonStyleSmall"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Button" />
</LinearLayout>

Make the root layout which is a <RelativeLayout> currently as <LinearLayout>.
Set the orientation of that linear layout to horizontal.
set android:weight of all the child layouts to '1'.
use yourChildLayout.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE) to show the two layouts which are needed and yourChildLayout.setVisibility(View.GONE) to hide the rest.