Develop Reference

How to make a layout center inside a background?

I am using a RelativeLayout of height 400dp and width 300dp. I want it to be in the center of a background image but I can't figure out how to do so. I have tried using android:layout_centerInParent= "true" but still it doesn't work. Here is my code.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="300dp"
android:layout_height="400dp"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
tools:context=".ChooseLanguage">
</RelativeLayout>
I can use the marginLeft and marginTop commands to get it roughly in the center but it would not be the right method as what this would work only in the screen dimensions of my preview phone, it may change as the phone changes. I want it to remain in the center of the image background irrespective of the phone it is displayed on.
I am new to android studio and any help would be appreciated

As per my above comment You need to use
android:layout_gravity="center"
instead of
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
The android:layout_centerInParent="true" will work only when the parent layout is RelativeLayout
Read more here about android:layout_gravity

Try using
android:layout_gravity="center"
or
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
or
android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal"

The simplest solution will be to replace centerInParent with
android:layout_gravity="center"

Android RelativeLayout Background Color

For a long time I am reading posts from stackoverflow because they are very helpful and google seems to think that also.
Since yesterday I have a problem with a row in a ListView in Android. I want to show an image and the area between the image and the bottom of the element should be filled with a grey color.
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<RelativeLayout
android:id="#+id/ConversationsBadgeLayout"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#c0c0c0"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<QuickContactBadge
android:id="#+id/ConversationsBadge"
android:layout_width="60dp"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true" />
</RelativeLayout>
<!--
...
A LinearLayout with TextViews, shouldn't be interesting for this
...
-->
</RelativeLayout>
My Problem ist that the it seems that the inner layout only wraps the content but doesn't fill_parent. When I set for example 100dp it works but that is not what i want.
It would be nice if you could help me with that. I tried much workarround like using LinearLayouts and TextViews but nothing worked.

You can set the background color to the ListView itself, then everything in it will have the background you want.
BTW, I recommend using LinearLayout instead of RelativeLayout in your case.

The layout file should contain exactly one outermost element and it should have both android:layout_width="match_parent" and android:layout_height="match_parent" Your RelativeLayout has android:layout_height="wrap_content"

i think you can use you can take background color in another xml file and put in drawable folder and also using Linear Layout is very useful to your problem

ImageView won't fill parent

I have a ScrollView on one of my screens. I want the right edge to have a shadow. I decided the easiest way to do this was to make the child of the ScrollView a RelativeLayout, and have two children of the RelativeLayout -- one being a LinearLayout that will house the layout of the screen, and the second View being the shadow.
Like so...
<ScrollView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:scrollbars="none" >
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!-- stuff -->
</LinearLayout>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:src="#drawable/shadow"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
/>
</RelativeLayout>
</ScrollView>
Unfortunately, this doesn't quite work. The ImageView is forcing its dimensions to be the size of the image file. It will not stretch vertically to be the height of the RelativeLayout. I've also tried "match_parent" to no avail. The image is a 9-patch.
Ideas?

Applying drawable content as the source of an ImageView somewhat carries with it an inherent requirement that you want the view to do what it can to accomodate the content without modifying the content itself very much. Typically, this is the behavior you would want out of an ImageView.
What you really want is the behavior you get by setting drawable content as the background of a view, for which you don't really need ImageView at all. A background is designed to simply stretch, fill, etc. to whatever size the view is. Also, since you are using RelativeLayout you can tell the view to match the bound of the view you are shadowing by adding an id and some extra layout_alignparameters.
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/content_layout"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!-- stuff -->
</LinearLayout>
<View
android:layout_width="11dp"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignTop="#id/content_layout"
android:layout_alignBottom="#id/content_layout"
android:background="#drawable/shadow"
/>
</RelativeLayout>

try this
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#drawable/ic_launcher"
android:scaleType="fitXY"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
/>
here is what I get
and code id
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ScrollView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:fillViewport="true"
android:scrollbars="none" >
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!-- stuff -->
</LinearLayout>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:background="#drawable/ic_launcher"
android:scaleType="fitXY" />
</RelativeLayout>
</ScrollView>

Your problem has nothing to do with the ImageView or 9-patch itself, but rather with the fact that you're wrapping everything in a ScrollView. A ScrollView will automatically force its children direct child to wrap its content, no matter whether you tell it to FILL_PARENT or MATCH_PARENT - both do exactly the same thing by the way; the only difference is the name, which reflects better the actual behaviour of the flag.
Fortunately ScrollView provides a way to force it to fill the viewport with a flag, which will make the behaviour pretty similar to setting FILL_PARENT to a regular view. Either add the attribute android:fillViewport or use setFillViewport() from code.
Edit: Just to be clear, you need to set that flag on the ScrollView. Also, if it's the ScrollView that should have the shadow, can you not send your 9-patch as background to it? I suppose it does depend on what your actual image looks like. Regarding you comment: yes, the RelativeLayout is flexible in terms of positioning and sizing children, but any child will still be bound to the size of its parent.
I do have the feeling that some of us may be working towards something different than what you have in mind. It would definitely help to clarify things with a simple drawing.

You wanted a Shadow towards the right of your image, Then use single layout with Horizontal Orientation, It's good that you have decide to use Relative Layout. Use
android:orientation="vertical"
inside this layout, add those two images. If you still have a doubt, give me those two images or sample images, i will give you the code

Android - Background at bottom

I should like to have an android app which has its background image on the bottom of the view.
Hopefully this could be achieved by only using XML.
My background image (bg.png) is located at the folder "res/drawable-mdpi".
The XML code is now:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/bg"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_marginBottom="0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
But this is stretching the whole image over the whole page. I only want it stretched in horizontal direction.
The height has to be in proportion with the (stretched) width.
And this image has to be the background of a view/layout, I want to keep using the layout and add items/objects to it.
I hope someone could help me with this, I've been looking on the internet for it for a few hours and I couldn't find anything more helpful then I have now.
Thanks in advance,
Dennis

Firstly Change your LinearLayout to a RelativeLayout (android:layout_alignParentBottom only works with RelativeLayout).
Secondly use android:src="#drawable/bg" on your ImageView (not background)

if you really want to use the LinearLayout, you can try adding this attribute to your imageview android:layout_gravity="bottom"

Android Add two surface view to single Layout

Probably my question might be silly. I posted to know whether there is a possibilities to add two surfaceview object under a Relativelayout.
I need One surface view to stream Video behind and another view do sprite animations.
I tried putting them under a relative layout but the surfaceview i put first on layout takes preference and second view disappears.
Kindly suggest me a solution.
EDIT :
<RelativeLayout android:id="#+id/widget31"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:id="#+id/widget30" android:orientation="vertical">
</LinearLayout>
<com.mycalss.CameraView
android:id="#+id/camerapreview" android:clickable="true"
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:focusable="true"/>
</RelativeLayout>
Now i add my graphic's surfaceview inside linearlayout-widget30 in code

You don't appear to be properly sizing your Views: try setting the layout_height of both to 0dp and then setting the layout_weight of both to 1 and see if they both show up.