Develop Reference

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.

How do i place a background on an image inside a relativelayout?

NOTE: I have ended up reporting this as a bug to the android project here: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=39159 Please also have a look at the accepted bounty answer, the solution is, unfortunately, to use an absolute (ie specifiying 'dp's rather than 'wrap_content' etc) layout to fix the issue.
I'm getting some VERY strange behaviour when placing a background on an image. I have simplified this down quite heavily to demonstrate the issue to you. What im doing is placing an image in a relativelayout, and also using a background. It seems that giving the relativelayout a padding is causing the background of the image to be missdrawn. Wrap_content seems to be messing up.
Firstly, here is the code that demonstrates the problem. Note that the same behaviour is seen without using a linearlayout and just giving the imageview a background, but this really demonstrates the problem better.
<?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" >
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:padding="5dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/black_bg" >
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:src="#drawable/red_rectangle" />
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</FrameLayout>
Here is the black_bg xml file:
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<solid android:color="#FF000000"/>
</shape>
Here is red_rectangle:
NOTE that this is a reference image, to demonstrate the problem. my actual image has detail, and so cannot be a .9.png
And here is a screenshot of the problem:
You can see that the image width is less than the linearlayout, despite the linearlayout having a width set to "wrap_content". If I set the relativelayout padding to 0dp, this problem dissapears.
This is hopefully a fairly well contained set of resource I'm providing here, so people can try it out themselves if they wish.
For reference, I am using this to provide a border around the image, so I could set the linearlayout (or the image itself) to have a padding, the problem still persists in that case.
EDIT: It appears I probably need a little more context around this, as answers are focussing round how to provide this border. Here is a screenshot of a more contextual layout. I didnt want to include this in the first place as it adds more confusion to the problem:
The FIRST 5dp padding you see is for the content of this entire item (the relativelayout). Then, as i said originally, the idea is that "I could set the linearlayout (or the image itself) to have a padding" in addition to the first padding you see in the relativelayout. Currently, this layout should have NO border shown.

the problem seems to be with the different stretching properties of image(in image view) and the one set as a background(in linear layout). The image set as a backgroung doesnt necessarily maintains the aspect ratio while the image in the image tends to maintain it.
When you give the height of the layout to 60 dp, the image shrinks maintaining the aspect ratio leaving the black strips on the sides.
This works for me:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:padding="5dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/black_bg" >
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:src="#drawable/asd"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
/>
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</FrameLayout>

I believe this is a good candidate of a bug!
Anyway, I understand what you intend to achieve with this layout. The problem is setting the height of your RelativeLayout. I will not ask you to wrap content! Simply, since the height is set to 60dp and padding to 5dp, take a further step and set the height of the LinearLayout to 50dp which is 60-2*5 :)
Finally, to get the border, add a padding of, say, 5dp to your LinearLayout and set the Height of the ImageView to 50dp - 2*5 = 40dp.
This will work perfectly
<?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" >
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:padding="5dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:padding="5dp"
android:background="#drawable/black_bg" >
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="40dp"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:src="#drawable/red_rectangle" />
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</FrameLayout>

I dont know why its showing the extra black patch there. Have you tried running the app? The UI editor has some defects, especially when it comes to ImageView..
Now for the border around image, set the background and padding to the ImageView itself. Do not need the LinearLayout. Add the scale type attribute with "centerInside" value.
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:padding="5dp"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:src="#drawable/red_rectangle"
android:background="#000"
android:scaleType="centerInside"/>

"For reference, I am using this to provide a border around the image"
Add a drawable "border.xml"
<shape xmlns:android:"http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:shape:"rectangle">
<stroke android:width="5dp" android:color="#FF000000" />
<padding android:left="5dp" android:top="5dp" android:right="5dp" android:bottom="5dp" />
</shape>
set your ImageView background to this drawable.
And lets simplify your layout and center the ImageView:
<?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="fill_parent" >
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:src="#drawable/red_rectangle"
android:background="#drawable/border" />
</RelativeLayout>

Try this ...........
<?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" >
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:padding="5dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/black_bg"
**android:padding="5dp"**
>
<ImageView
**android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"**
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:src="#drawable/red_rectangle" />
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</FrameLayout>
make your image view like this ..
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/imageViewMyicon"
android:layout_width="30dp"
android:background="#drawable/myiconbackground"
android:layout_height="30dp"
android:src="#drawable/myicon"
android:contentDescription="#string/my_icon"
/>
Inside your drawable myiconbackground.xml
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:shape="rectangle"
android:padding="10dp">
<solid android:color="#0D95BD"/>
<corners android:radius="5dp"/>
<padding android:left="2dp" android:right="2dp" android:top="2dp" android:bottom="2dp"/>
</shape>
i checked this one is working for me , should do for you as well

RelativeLayout behaves different as list view item

Good afternoon droids!
I am facing an annoying layout problem to which i have no explanation after hours and hours of investigation... :/. I created a reduced test case which i present here.
I have a simple list item layout.
list item http://www.freeimagehosting.net/4075a.jpg
lis item image link
XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/relativeLayout1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:minHeight="96dp">
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="TextView"
android:id="#+id/textView1" android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"
android:layout_centerVertical="true" android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="TextView"
android:id="#+id/textView2" android:layout_alignParentTop="true" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="10dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/imageView1"
android:src="#drawable/errorindicator"
android:layout_below="#id/textView2" />
</RelativeLayout>
the errorindicator is a red rectangle, which you can see on the image on the left side. The xml looks like that:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape shape="rectangle" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<solid android:color="#color/ControllingConflictColor" />
<padding android:left="0dp" android:top="0dp"
android:right="0dp" android:bottom="0dp" />
</shape>
The described list item layout works as expected.
Now i try to fill a list view with list items as described above. The result looks like that:
list view with list items http://www.freeimagehosting.net/4cc4b.jpg
list view image link
The corresponding xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ListView android:id="#+id/listView1" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<!-- Preview: listitem=#layout/test -->
</ListView>
As you can see on the image, the red rectangle does not match it's parent in the height anymore as it should. The images are made from the designer, but the same effect is also on the emulator and device. I am developing for API Level 8.
**I'd love if somebody could explain me, why the described layout does not work as expected in a list view. Why does the shape drawable behave different? **
Thank you for your time :)
edit: i have problems embedding the image, i used a link instead, sorry ;(
edit: added xml-drawable tag.
edit: My example can be even made much more easier. I included two text views because it has some similarity to my real layout. You can remove the two text views from the example and there still exists the problem, that the shape drawable in the image view does not match the parents height as defined, if the layout is used in a list view.

Im also finding it hard to get it done using a RelativeLayout. Well try this layout for your row xml. It uses LinearLayout.
<?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">
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="TextView"
android:id="#+id/textView2"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true" />
<LinearLayout android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<LinearLayout android:layout_width="10dip"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/errorindicator"/>
<TextView android:layout_width="0dip"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="TextView" android:layout_weight="1.0"
android:id="#+id/textView1"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"
android:gravity="center"/>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Because i guess my desired behaviour is not possible with the give layout manager, i went another way which fits my personal situation.
I have overriden the onDraw method of the RelativeLayout and paint this red rectangle myself (after the layout process finished and the heights are set)...

If you made the asset as a png, you could then 9-patch it and add it as the background of the RelativeLayout

Gradient styles

In my Android application I've hidden the default title bar, introduced a TabView and added my own titlebar under that TabView's tabs. At the moment, I'm using the ?android:attr/windowTitleStyle style which makes my new titlebar look gray and gradient. It looks pretty good, but my screens are looking pretty grayscale. I'd like to spice things up a bit by making this titlebar a different color gradient.
What am I looking at here? Creating my own image and using it? The ?android:attr/windowTitleStyle style seems to expand depending on the height of your custom titlebar; so I'm not sure it's actually a single image.
I've attempted to throw a LinearLayout over it with a bit of translucency (ex: making the color #800000FF), but the gradient style I have behind this LinearLayout disappears.
Thanks for your help
Update:
Per my answer down below, I've figured out that I can create an XML file that defines a gradient and use that. It works fine inside a LinearLayout (titlebar_gradient) I have on my layout. However, it is not working on the outer-most LinearLayout (background_gradient). Could someone tell me why? As I understand it, the ListView should be transparent...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/background_gradient"
>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="47dip"
android:background="#drawable/titlebar_gradient"
android:gravity="center">
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="Item"
style="?android:attr/windowTitleStyle"
android:paddingLeft="5dip"
android:maxLines="1"
android:ellipsize="end" />
</LinearLayout>
<ListView
android:id="#+id/android:list"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingTop="10dip"
android:clickable="false"
/>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/android:empty"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
/>
</LinearLayout>

I understand my problem now.
I've created an XML file in my drawables folder that looks like this
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:shape="rectangle">
<gradient
android:startColor="#00CC66"
android:endColor="#009966"
android:angle="270"/>
/shape>
In my toolbar, I set the background to this drawable.