Develop Reference

Working with the UI design of a ListView custom row (Android)

I made a custom row layout xml file for a ListView so I could design each row to look how I want, but I'm having trouble actually designing the UI in this xml file. I'm trying to make the the activity ultimately look like this:
As you can see there is a listView with rows, each consisting of a game with a textView as a title, two buttons, and an imageView as the background. I've been doing a lot of research through Google's UI documentation but I can't figure out how to get the elements to appear on top of each other like this while have the row scale perfectly to different screen sizes. The furthest I've gotten is using a FrameLayout to place the different views on top of each other, but from here I cannot place the views in the correct position relative to each other. Any advice on how to do this or where I can find out how to do this?
XML so far (terrible I know):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="top|center_horizontal">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/gameImageID"
android:layout_width="340dp"
android:layout_height="160dp"
android:scaleType="centerCrop"
app:srcCompat="#drawable/overwatch" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/gameNameID"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
android:text="TextView" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnJoinLobby"
android:layout_width="88dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="myClickHandlerJoin"
android:text="Join Lobby"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnCreateLobby"
android:layout_width="102dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="myClickHandlerCreate"
android:text="Create Lobby"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
android:layout_toEndOf="#+id/gameNameID" />
</RelativeLayout>

Sure that is no problem. Just use weight to handle spacing and you don't need the frame layout just use relative as a root.
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="top|center_horizontal">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/gameImageID"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="160dp"
android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
android:scaleType="centerCrop"
app:srcCompat="#drawable/overwatch" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/gameNameID"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
android:text="TextView" />
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="bottom"
android:weightSum="2">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnJoinLobby"
android:layout_width="102dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="myClickHandlerJoin"
android:text="Join Lobby"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp" />
</RelativeLayout>
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnCreateLobby"
android:layout_width="102dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="myClickHandlerCreate"
android:text="Create Lobby"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp" />
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
You could also just use two nested Relative Layouts with gravity bottom left and bottom right and hold your buttons in there and align buttons to right with margins from side. Also don't use the "endOF" aligning as that will force a left alignment and make larger gaps on the right side of the screen even if you make it look good for one phone it will look bad on another. Aesthetics matter.
Or you could just float your buttons to the bottom left and bottom right with margins from side and make both set to match_parent so they fill the space but use padding to shrink the button look inside the space, but this can get messy. So I prefer the implementation above although some people won't like the extra layouts. It's just a matter of opinion though as the performance diff of using extra nested layouts is so tiny that no one can actually argue performance with a straight face haha.

<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="340dp"
android:layout_height="160dp"
android:scaleType="centerCrop"
android:background="#drawable/overwatch" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/gameNameID"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
android:text="TextView" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnJoinLobby"
android:layout_width="88dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="myClickHandlerJoin"
android:text="Join Lobby"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginBottom="15dp" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btnCreateLobby"
android:layout_width="102dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="myClickHandlerCreate"
android:text="Create Lobby"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginBottom="15dp"
android:layout_toEndOf="#+id/btnJoinLobby" />
</RelativeLayout>
Try this. And let me know if that helps.

Overlap views in horizontal LinearLayout

I need to design a layout with five ImageViews in horizontal orientation.
I can reach my idea with a basic LinearLayout, but I want a design pattern like the following image:
Note: All ImageViews are in oval design.
Any ideas?

you can overlap items in a LinearLayout using negative margins, but they won't stack in that order.
you could use a RelativeLayout instead. you'd lay out the items from outside to inside to achieve the desired stacking order.
here's an example with a fixed width:
<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="150dp" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" android:layout_centerVertical="true" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true" android:layout_centerVertical="true" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:layout_marginLeft="25dp" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true" android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:layout_marginRight="25dp" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" android:layout_centerVertical="true" />
</RelativeLayout>
if you don't have a fixed-width container, you'll have to calculate the margins in code with this approach.
of course, if you don't have a fixed width, you'll need code of some sort anyway as there's nothing built into android that's really meant for this sort of thing.

You can use a RelativeLayout for this task. Here's an example:
<?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/img1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginRight="-18dp" />
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/img2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/img1"
android:layout_marginRight="-18dp" />
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/img5"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/img4"
android:layout_marginRight="-18dp"/>
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/img4"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/img3"
android:layout_marginRight="-18dp" />
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/img3"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/img2"
android:layout_marginRight="-18dp" />
</RelativeLayout>
Note that here, the last ImageView is the one that will be on top of all others.

You are looking for developing a Carousel kind of widgets. You can refer any Carousel implementation in android. Many are available, you can refer one here
https://code.google.com/p/carousel-layout-android/

How to make frames to ImageButtons?

I'm developing an android app that contains two image buttons, these image buttons seem to be frameless or don't have bounds around them , look at the following figures:
instead, i want to make the buttons look like if they have bounds on their edges, like the following figure:
and that's my XML code:
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageButton
android:contentDescription="#string/minus"
android:id="#+id/mines"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:padding="10dp"
android:background="#21417D"
android:scaleType="centerInside"
android:src="#drawable/ac_button_minus" />
<ImageButton
android:contentDescription="#string/plus"
android:id="#+id/plus"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:layout_marginRight="15dp"
android:padding="10dp"
android:background="#21417D"
android:scaleType="centerInside"
android:src="#drawable/ac_button_plus" />
</LinearLayout>

If you just want the spacing between the buttons use the attribute android:layout_margin in your xml, you can specify individual sides too so e.g.
<ImageButton
...
android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
...
android:scaleType="centerInside"
android:src="#drawable/ac_button_minus" />

Adjusting the size of an ImageButton in Android

Is there any way to do this? I have tried padding the image and setting the width/height of the view, but neither seems to work. Here is an example:
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/search"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:src="#drawable/search_small"
android:paddingTop="4sp"
android:paddingBottom="4sp"
android:paddingLeft="6sp"
android:paddingRight="6sp"
android:layout_marginRight="10sp"
android:layout_marginTop="6sp"
android:layout_marginBottom="6sp"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
/>
I want the button to be wider than it is tall, but it is coming out the other way round.

Just had a play to try and understand your problem.
Seems ImageButton is a composite view which has a few pre-set values. Such as some sort of margin which you cannot override with the XML. If you cannot change your image to match what you want to happen then you are better to create your own composite view.
Here is my example of a composite view you can make yourself:
<FrameLayout android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button android:id="#+id/saveSearchButton"
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="50dp" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="45dp"
android:layout_height="45dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_save"
android:layout_gravity="center"/>
</FrameLayout>
<FrameLayout android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<Button android:id="#+id/clearSearchButton"
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="50dp" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="45dp"
android:layout_height="45dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_close_clear_cancel"
android:layout_gravity="center"/>
</FrameLayout>
And the original buttons:
<ImageButton android:id="#+id/imageButton1"
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_save"
android:layout_height="45dp" android:layout_width="45dp"/>
<ImageButton android:id="#+id/imageButton2"
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_close_clear_cancel"
android:layout_height="45dp"
android:layout_width="45dp"/>
Here we can see custom image/button composite followed by the build in ImageButton as part of the SDK:

Set android:background instead of android:src to set the image on the button. This will adjust the image to your button's size. Then adjust the padding after.

You shouldn't use sp as a size dimension - dp should be used as it will help your view scale directly with different screen density and resolutions. See Here for dimensions.
padding will push other elements away from your view boundary. margin will push the contents of your view inward from the your boundary (ie would squash the available space for your picture) . The boundary is specified by height and width. Without more information I would guess you are being confused by your margins - delete them and experiment.
Also useful to you: android:scaleType="fitXY" makes the image stretch to match both the X and Y dimensions that are available to it. It helps you to see the canvas available to your image. Once you feel the area is large enough for a correctly scaled image change the scale type to centerInside. See Here for all scale types.

I use minWidth and minHeight attributes, combined with a fitXY scale type and wrapping its content to modulate the shape of my button.
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/fooButton"
android:background="#drawable/play_button"
android:backgroundTint="#00000000"
android:minWidth="200"
android:minHeight="100"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="playStuff"
/>

Can you explain your question more widely so that we can more understood.
As per my understanding You want to set your ImageButton Height/Width. But it doesn't work is it? I want to ask you that, if you write any specific height/width then also it doesn't work?
I copied your code in my files and I changed the height/width manually then it will work.
Please explain your question.
Thanks.

I finished the layout following Graeme's answer. Four "imageButton" fix the bottom, same width, changeable image size. thanks!
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:background="#color/#000"
android:weightSum="100" >
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/flBottom1"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="25"
>
<Button
android:id="#+id/ibBottom1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/detail_tab_bg_selector"/>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="32dp"
android:layout_height="32dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/icon_home_48_48"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
/>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/tvBottom1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="35dp"
android:text="#string/bailty_text_home"
style="#style/bailtyTextBottom"
/>
</FrameLayout>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/flBottom2"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="25"
>
<Button
android:id="#+id/ibBottom2"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/detail_tab_bg_selector"/>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="32dp"
android:layout_height="32dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/icon_compose_48_48"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
/>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/tvBottom2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="35dp"
android:text="#string/bailty_text_comment"
style="#style/bailtyTextBottom"
/>
</FrameLayout>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/flBottom3"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="25"
>
<Button
android:id="#+id/ibBottom3"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/detail_tab_bg_selector"/>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="32dp"
android:layout_height="32dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/icon_search_48_48"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
/>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/tvBottom3"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="35dp"
android:text="#string/bailty_text_search"
style="#style/bailtyTextBottom"
/>
</FrameLayout>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/flBottom4"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="25"
>
<Button
android:id="#+id/ibBottom4"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/detail_tab_bg_selector"/>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="32dp"
android:layout_height="32dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:src="#drawable/icon_barcode_48_48"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
/>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/tvBottom4"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginTop="35dp"
android:text="#string/bailty_text_scan_again"
style="#style/bailtyTextBottom"
/>
</FrameLayout>
</LinearLayout>

android can android:gravity do this?

Searched all day and came up with a poor solution i think.
i want three ImageButton placed on the right sida of the screen.
Not centered but just above center position..
With the code below i get the result i want but,
If the user have a bigger screen they will not have this position right?
I have tried the android:gravityall day and all i can do with it is
to center the three buttons very nicely.
What should i use to make the three buttons always stay at the positions that
they are on the image belove.
i have the button image in 3 different sizes in hdpi,mdpi,xhdpi folder.
<RelativeLayout
android:id="#+id/rightRelativeLayout"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_A"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="100dp"
android:text="A"
android:src="#drawable/drawer_1"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
/>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_B"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
android:text="B"
android:src="#drawable/drawer_1"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/btn_A"
/>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_C"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
android:text="C"
android:src="#drawable/drawer_1"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/btn_B"
/>
</RelativeLayout>
Picture of the three buttons placed on the right side, and my daughter of course.

One option would be to put all three buttons within a LinearLayout (for simplicity's sake) and then set the layout of this container programmatically.
You can see the size of the screen using getResources().getDisplayMetrics().heightPizels and then set the top margin accordingly.

You could add a LinearLayout inside the RelativeLayout, and then use the following properties on the LinearLayout:
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
EDIT: Ok, I've done some testing and found a way of doing what you want without the use of styling it programatically, here's the xml:
<RelativeLayout
android:id="#+id/rightRelativeLayout"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_marginBottom="80dip"
>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true">
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_A"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="A"
android:src="#drawable/icon"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
/>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_B"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="B"
android:src="#drawable/icon"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
/>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_C"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="C"
android:src="#drawable/icon"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
/>
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>