Develop Reference

how to set a button at the bottom of a screen when the parent is a scroll view?

I have a scrollView (this is a solution to support landscape computability)
and in it one child- linearLayout.
I want to pose a button at the bottom of a screen.
layout_height = match_parent is problematic as the scroll can be infinite.
How can I do this, to be compatible to all screen resolution?
this is my xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.m"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/blue_bg" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/rootLayout"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<com.m.view.text.mTextView
android:id="#+id/verifyHeaderText"
style="#style/textOnBg"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginBottom="30dp"
android:layout_marginTop="50dp"
android:text="ENTER VERIFICATION CODE"
android:textAllCaps="true"
android:textColor="#android:color/white"
app:font_type="varela" />
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#android:color/white"
android:paddingBottom="5dp"
android:paddingLeft="25dp"
android:paddingRight="25dp"
android:paddingTop="5dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/inputBox"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:gravity="center"
android:background="#drawable/input_box_idle"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<EditText
android:id="#+id/verificationCodeEditText"
style="#style/textOnBg"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
android:hint="- - - - -"
android:inputType="number"
android:maxLength="5"
android:textColor="#00bcfe"
android:textSize="25dp"
android:textStyle="italic" >
</EditText>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<Button
android:id="#+id/continueButton"
style="#style/textOnBg"
android:layout_width="250dp"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
android:background="#drawable/btn_selector"
android:text="Continue"
android:textColor="#00bcfe"
android:textSize="16dp"
android:textStyle="italic" />
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
this is the result on wide-screen
The button is in the bottom of the scroll which spans 3/4 of the whole screen

Add android:fillViewport="true" to your scrollview:
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.m"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/blue_bg"
android:fillViewport="true" >

Apply this to your layout:
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<!-- Your scroll view -->
<ScrollView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_marginBottom="#dimen/ar_button_height"
android:gravity="center" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/button_at_bottom"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="#dimen/ar_button_height"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:gravity="center"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:showDividers="middle" >
</Button>
</ScrollView>
</RelativeLayout>

Not sure if there is a better solution, but you could put your scroll view inside a relative layout and have your button outside the scroll view and set android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" on the button

If you want to set the button at the bottom you need to implement your layout with weight.
First of all the scrollview can only have one child layout inside it.
Secondly add your content layout inside the child layout of it, set the layout_height to 0dp, and do remember to set the weight to 1.
And at last add your button at the bottom of your content layout and set its height and set the weight to be 0.
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<ScrollView
android:id="#+id/scrollMain"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:overScrollMode="always"
android:background="#00000000"
android:scrollbars="none">
<LinearLayout
android:overScrollMode="always"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:scrollbars="vertical"
android:background="#FFFFFF"
android:paddingTop="5dp">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1">
</LinearLayout>
<Button android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="35dp"
android:layout_weight="0" />
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
</LinearLayout>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/rootLayout"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<com.m.view.text.mTextView
android:id="#+id/verifyHeaderText"
style="#style/textOnBg"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginBottom="30dp"
android:layout_marginTop="50dp"
android:text="ENTER VERIFICATION CODE"
android:textAllCaps="true"
android:textColor="#android:color/white"
app:font_type="varela" />
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#android:color/white"
android:paddingBottom="5dp"
android:paddingLeft="25dp"
android:paddingRight="25dp"
android:paddingTop="5dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/inputBox"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:gravity="center"
android:background="#drawable/input_box_idle"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<EditText
android:id="#+id/verificationCodeEditText"
style="#style/textOnBg"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#android:color/transparent"
android:hint="- - - - -"
android:inputType="number"
android:maxLength="5"
android:textColor="#00bcfe"
android:textSize="25dp"
android:textStyle="italic" >
</EditText>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<Button
android:id="#+id/continueButton"
style="#style/textOnBg"
android:layout_width="250dp"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
android:background="#drawable/btn_selector"
android:text="Continue"
android:textColor="#00bcfe"
android:textSize="16dp"
android:textStyle="italic" />
USe your button here

You can use scrollView inside relativeLayout to fix your button at bottom:
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#drawable/radialback">
<ScrollView android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_below="#+id/top_header"
>
<EditText
android:id="#+id/editmessage"
android:layout_margin="2dp"
style="#style/editView"
android:inputType="textMultiLine"
android:digits="ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890 _-.,()"
android:maxLength="500"
/>
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
<Button
android:id="#+id/submitbutton"
android:text="#string/submitbutton"
style="#style/submitView"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" />
</RelativeLayout>

ListView inside tab is not filling height?

I'm using TabHost and inside of one tab, I inserted ListView. I set all height's to fill_parent. But it doesn't show full list, but only part of it. What to do to make tab contents fill screen by height?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/bkg"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="7dp"
android:layout_marginRight="7dp"
android:layout_marginTop="7dp"
android:background="#drawable/gradientrounded"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/imageView1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="15dp"
android:src="#drawable/taxisign" />
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/taxiprofiletitle"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="15dp"
android:layout_weight="0.9"
android:text="Large Text"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
android:textColor="#000000" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/phonenumber"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginBottom="4dp"
android:layout_marginLeft="15dp"
android:layout_marginRight="15dp"
android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
android:background="#drawable/button"
android:paddingBottom="5dp"
android:paddingTop="5dp"
android:text="Button"
android:textColor="#ffffff" />
</LinearLayout>
<ProgressBar
android:id="#+id/loadFeedbacks"
style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleLarge"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:visibility="invisible" />
</LinearLayout>
<TabHost
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#FFFF0000" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:background="#FF000000"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<TextView
android:tag="tab0"
android:text="Инфо"
android:background="#android:drawable/btn_star_big_on"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
/>
<TextView
android:tag="tab1"
android:text="Отзывы"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
/>
<TextView
android:tag="tab2"
android:text="Тарифы"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
/>
</TabWidget>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="1" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/tab1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/profile_info"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Info" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/tab2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView android:text="Добавить"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
</TextView>
<ImageButton
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
</LinearLayout>
<ListView
android:id="#+id/reviewslist"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ListView>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/tab3"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<ListView
android:id="#+id/tariffslist"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="1" >
</ListView>
</LinearLayout>
</FrameLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>

On your very first LinearLayout change the layout_height="match_parent". Also, fill_parent has been deprecated since API 8 and replaced with match_parent so that is what you should be using instead.

You have used wrap content for your listView height. You should always use height as match_parent/fill_parent. I guess your problem is here
<ListView
android:id="#+id/reviewslist"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ListView>
change it to:
<ListView
android:id="#+id/reviewslist"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
</ListView>
Adding to that, this layout seems to be innefcient. Listviews inside scrollviews are not recommended.

It does seem while quickly viewing the XML file that the parent of your TabHost (LinearLayout) is 'wrap_content' so I am not sure that you are getting all the parents. I do desire a better UI interface for building visuals through Eclipse. Not too happy to work out issues like this when they come up. And they can come up frequently. Usually it involves some trial and error to get things looking the way I want.

Scroll Layout was unnecessary, removing it, made code to work

Align a layout to the top of another layout in order to make a status bar

I have a layout like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/parent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#e4e8ed"
android:gravity="top" >
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/app"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="0px"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:padding="0px" >
<include
android:id="#+id/tabBar"
layout="#layout/tab" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/nist"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="67dp"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginBottom="3dp"
android:layout_marginLeft="3dp"
android:layout_marginRight="3dp"
android:layout_marginTop="3dp"
android:background="#drawable/ready"
android:textColor="#FFFFFF" />
<ListView
android:id="#+id/lastCases"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="2.08"
android:longClickable="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="7dp"
android:layout_below="#id/app"
android:background="#drawable/dropshadow_custom" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/error"
style="#style/AudioFileInfoOverlayText"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="120dp"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="No Cases"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
android:textColor="#D6D8D9"
android:textSize="40dp" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignTop="#+id/app"
android:background="#000000"
android:gravity="bottom"
android:orientation="vertical" >
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
I try to align the last LinearLayout on top of the layout which holds the ListView by using this tag: android:layout_alignTop="#+id/app" But it doesn't seem to work. How can accomplish this?
Many Thanks!

Without any content a Layout with layout_width="wrap_content" and layout_height="wrap_content" is not shown as its width and height have a value of 0! Even if you have set some background color nothing will appear! You either have to add some content to the layout or you have to define another layout dimension. The position of your layout with android:layout_alignTop="#+id/app" should be correct. Hope that helps.

You can set "layout_below" on the first layout targeting to the last layout.
The code is that, I put a button inside the top layout as an exemple (Obs: In your listview you should use 0dp in layout_weight cause you already use layout_weight ^^) :
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/parent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#e4e8ed"
android:gravity="top" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/app"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_margin="0px"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_below="#+id/top"
android:padding="0px" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/nist"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="67dp"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:layout_marginBottom="3dp"
android:layout_marginLeft="3dp"
android:layout_marginRight="3dp"
android:layout_marginTop="3dp"
android:textColor="#FFFFFF" />
<ListView
android:id="#+id/lastCases"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="2.08"
android:longClickable="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="7dp"
android:layout_below="#+id/app" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/error"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="120dp"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="No Cases"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge"
android:textColor="#D6D8D9"
android:textSize="40dp" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/top"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:background="#000000"
android:gravity="bottom"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Top"
/>

If ScrollView only supports one direct child, How to display the whole layout scrollable?

Here i am showing the xml layout of my application.i want to scroll the whole pages using Scrollview .But i am unable to use.ScrollView only supports one direct child.But i wanna to scroll the whole content.please help me to solve this problem?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_height="match_parent" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/prev"
android:layout_width="40dp"
android:layout_height="40dp"
android:layout_gravity="left"
android:background="#null"
android:src="#drawable/left_white" />
<EditText
android:layout_width="185dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_marginLeft="25dp"
android:hint=""
android:visibility="invisible"
/>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/tour"
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_gravity="right"
android:layout_marginLeft="17dp"
android:background="#null"
android:src="#drawable/logo" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_gravity="center"
>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/textView1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="What interests you?"
android:textSize="20dp" >
</TextView>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="fill_horizontal"
android:orientation="horizontal"
>
<com.android.example.CoverFlow
android:id="#+id/coverFlow"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="150dip"/>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_marginTop="17dp"
>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<ListView
android:id="#+id/list"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:divider="#b5b5b5"
android:dividerHeight="1dp"
android:listSelector="#drawable/list_selector" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Put Scroll view before your main LinearLayout.
<LinearLayout>
<ScrollView>
<LinearLayout>
// This Linear Layout contains your entire layout code
</LinearLayout>
</Scrollview>
</LinearLayout>

you can do this
<your main layout>
<ScrollView>
<LinearLayout>
your whole layout code here
</LinearLayout>
</Scrollview>
</your main layout>

Agreed. It supports only one child. But if you want the above xml file to be scrollable, Put your main Linearlayout inside scrollView tag. The main LinearLayout will be considered as single child of ScrollView.
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_height="match_parent" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_height="match_parent" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
>
...
</ScrollView>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!-- add your entire layout here -->
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_height="match_parent" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/prev"
android:layout_width="40dp"
android:layout_height="40dp"
android:layout_gravity="left"
android:background="#null"
android:src="#drawable/left_white" />
<EditText
android:layout_width="185dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_marginLeft="25dp"
android:hint=""
android:visibility="invisible"
/>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/tour"
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_gravity="right"
android:layout_marginLeft="17dp"
android:background="#null"
android:src="#drawable/logo" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_gravity="center"
>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/textView1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="What interests you?"
android:textSize="20dp" >
</TextView>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="fill_horizontal"
android:orientation="horizontal"
>
<com.android.example.CoverFlow
android:id="#+id/coverFlow"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="150dip"/>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_marginTop="17dp"
>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<ListView
android:id="#+id/list"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:divider="#b5b5b5"
android:dividerHeight="1dp"
android:listSelector="#drawable/list_selector" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>

You cannot use ListView inside ScrollView. Many of us got this problem. So here is the solution of this question:
Create a list.xml that contains just ListView
Create a header.xml that contains above the XML code of ListView
Create a footer.xml that contains below the XML code of ListView
At last, from your main class grab the ListView reference and add list Header and Footer. Hope this will work. If you have any problem with this make sure your comment.

Refill Layout when hiding some elments

I would like to show different elements to the user.
Therefore I would like to hide some elements, while others will show.
However, replaced elements cannot fill up the original area.
So are there any method to replace it.?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<VideoView
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_videoView"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dip"
android:layout_weight="6" />
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_LinearLayout"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dip"
android:layout_weight="6"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<EditText
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_record"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:editable="false"
android:ems="10"
android:singleLine="false" />
<ListView
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_buddyList"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:animateLayoutChanges="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<TableRow
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_tableRow1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dip"
android:layout_weight="1" >
<EditText
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_message"
android:layout_width="0dip"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="4" >
</EditText>
<Button
android:id="#+id/lesson_main_left_send"
android:layout_width="0dip"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="SEND" />
</TableRow>
</LinearLayout>

Yes, you can do that, using
setVisibility(View.GONE)
(instead of View.INVISIBLE).