Develop Reference

Change the position of a text in android studio

I just started a programing in course in android studio using Java and XML and cant really figure out how to do a simple task. I have 3 buttons at the top of the screen, they fill up the whole width of the screen. I want to add a text below these 3 buttons, but i dont really now how to specify this. Right now i have:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout 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"
app:layout_behavior="#string/appbar_scrolling_view_behavior"
tools:showIn="#layout/activity_main">
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/button_send" />
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/button_textcolor" />
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/button_textsize" />
<TextView
android:text="South Africa"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
/>
</LinearLayout>
Now, the text in the text element is displayed at the right side of the screen, its barely visible. The text gets cramped up so tight that it gets misaligned verticaly. What would i do if i instead wanted the text inside the textview element to be displayed just below the 3 buttons, to the left horizontaly, like normal text?
Thank you!

Use something like this. Inside the TextView tag add:
android:layout_below="#+id/buttonid"
Obviously you have to use relative layout for using this

Here you go
<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"
app:layout_behavior="#string/appbar_scrolling_view_behavior"
tools:showIn="#layout/activity_main">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/button_send" />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/button_textcolor" />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/button_textsize" />
</LinearLayout>
<TextView
android:text="South Africa"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
/>
</LinearLayout>

Use RelativeLayout instead of LinearLayout. There are also many other layouts you can try. Check here for the other type of available layouts.
RelativeLayout lets child views specify their position relative to the
parent view or to each other (specified by ID). So you can align two
elements by right border, or make one below another, centered in the
screen, centered left, and so on. By default, all child views are
drawn at the top-left of the layout, so you must define the position
of each view using the various layout properties available from
RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.

Android - nested layouts

I have built the following XML layout:
<?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:background="#color/white"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/ll1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="0.2"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/imageView1"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="0.3"
android:gravity="center"
android:src="#drawable/logo" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="0.7"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="#string/my_profile"
android:textColor="#A669DA"
android:textSize="20sp" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/ll2"
android:background="#A669DA"
android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="0.15"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/TextView"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
android:text="#string/payroll_header"
android:textColor="#FFFFFF"
android:textSize="20sp" />
</LinearLayout>
<ScrollView
android:id="#+id/scrollView1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="0.65" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/ll3"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:weightSum="2" >
<ExpandableListView
android:id="#+id/expandableListView1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:fadeScrollbars="true" >
</ExpandableListView>
<HorizontalScrollView
android:id="#+id/horizontalScrollView1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<ExpandableListView
android:id="#+id/expandableListView2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ExpandableListView>
</HorizontalScrollView>
<ListView
android:id="#+id/listView1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ListView>
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
</LinearLayout>
The root element of this XML layout is a linear layout. It contains 2 linear layouts and one scroll. Since scroll view can only have one child, it contains a linear layout which in turn contains an expandable listView, horizontal scrollview (which contains an expandable listview) and a listview. As you can see, this is a very complicated layout, and I think it should be possible to simplify. Basically, I want the top 2 linear layouts to always take 35% of the screen, and the scrollview to take the rest. That's why I gave a weight of 0.2 to the first linear layout, 0.15 to the second linear layout, and 0.65 to scrollView.
Within the scrollView, I would like each of the 3 elements to take as much space as they would need, so that user scrolls down if he/she doesn't see everything. I know that expandableListView and ListView are already scrollable, so I will disable scrolling in them, so that parent's scroll bar is used.
However, I am facing several problems with this design:
1) In the first screenshot, you can see an expandableListView, horizontalScrollBar (with an expandableListView), and a listView.
Each of them has height set to "wrap content", so I would expect each of them to take as much space as they need. However, you can see in the second screenshot that when I open the second expandable listView (the one within a horizontal scrollBar), listview doesn't move down to make space for the expanded list view. How can I achieve it, so that each of them moves down when the expandable list above expands? Is the only way to do it is to combine them all in one expandableListView?
2) My second expandableListView is in the horizontalScrollBar, however, I can't scroll it horizontally. Can I even put horizontal scrollBar inside a vertical scrollBar?

First off, a little simplification: Your second LinearLayout (the 0.15 one) can be left out since it only has a single child. Just be sure to adjust the layout parameters of that single child (the TextView).
For your problem #1, try calling invalidate() or requestLayout() on your root view.
Problem #2 is actually solved: Link
My general impression is that this nesting of ScrollViews and ListViews is pretty complex. Have you considered alternatives such as TabLayout or DrawerLayout?
Cheers

How to make a button's location movable based on the number of items in the ListView

In a layout file I have a Listview whose size can grow/shrink dynamically. I have a button btn_rec_add and it's click event I add an item in the ListView. I have tried many changes in the Layout file but haven't been able to make the button shift its location based on number of items in the ListView. If I keep the button in the same RelativeLayout which has the ListView, then the button moves dynamically which is exactly how I want but I can't see the button after adding 5 or more elements in 4.3 inch display phones. If I keep the button outside the RelativeLayout of the ListView, then it is fixed on the screen.
Currently, the btn_rec_add is fixed to the bottom of the layout. Can someone please help me solve this problem.
Here is the XML code:
<?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"
android:background="#drawable/bg" >
<ImageView
android:id="#id/top_bar_view"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:background="#drawable/top_bar"
android:contentDescription="#string/content" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_recipients"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
android:padding="8dp"
android:text="#string/text_recipients"
android:textColor="#FFFFFF"
android:textSize="16sp" />
<ImageButton
android:id="#id/btn_back"
android:layout_width="80dp"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:contentDescription="#string/content"
android:paddingTop="6dp"
android:src="#drawable/ic_back" />
<RelativeLayout
android:id="#+id/Rlayout_recipients"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_above="#id/btn_rec_add"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_below="#id/top_bar_view" >
<ListView
android:id="#+id/rec_list"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:divider="#null"
android:dividerHeight="0dp"
android:paddingTop="20dp" />
</RelativeLayout>
<ImageButton
android:id="#+id/btn_rec_add"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:contentDescription="#string/content"
android:src="#drawable/icon_add" />
</RelativeLayout>

If I understand correctly, you want the behavior of the button to be as follows:
Appear below the last ListView item if the ListView does not extend to fill screen
If the ListView extends the full height of the screen, the button should be at the bottom of the screen, but the list should remain scrollable
If my understanding is correct, you should place your ListView and your button in a LinearLayout as follows:
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<ListView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />
<Button
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="#dimen/button_height"
android:background="#drawable/button_image" />
</LinearLayout>
The effect of the above layout is as follows:
Layout in which items are vertically placed
Layout which will be as wide as parent, but as tall as ListView and Button
ListView will take up all of the space in the layout that the button does not occupy (this is layout_weight="1" whereas Button has no layout weight so it will simply fill as much space as it needs as defined in this case by #dimen/button_height)
Great Android layout question!

Your Problem is related to User Experience.
You have to decide whether user will like to scroll to end of the list to press add button
or user want to add without scrolling to end of list.
Since you only have two options with our scenario,
either keep add button fixed or add it as footer of listview.

ListView pushes other Views off the screen

I'm struggling to get a layout looking correctly, and I've tried to produce the shortest, smallest possible example of my problem.
My goal is to have a header and footer View, at the top and bottom of the screen, with a ListView in between the two, with another View (let's call it the label, it's the gray box from the screen shots) directly below the ListView. This label, and the footer should always be shown when ListView needs to scroll.
Visual Result
When the ListView does not need to scroll (this is correct):
When the ListView needs to scroll, the footer and the gray box are pushed off screen (wrong):
Layout
<?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="vertical">
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="header"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/red"/>
<ListView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#android:id/list" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="this should be directly below the ListView, but not pushed off screen when the ListView needs to scroll"
android:padding="5dp"
android:background="#color/light_gray"
android:textColor="#color/black"/>
<!-- Used to push the footer to the bottom -->
<View android:layout_width="0dp" android:layout_height="0dp" android:layout_weight="1"/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="footer"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/blue"/>
</LinearLayout>
Test Activity
public class TestActivity extends ListActivity
{
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
ArrayList<String> items = new ArrayList<String>();
items.add("one");
items.add("two");
items.add("three");
items.add("four");
items.add("five");
items.add("six");
items.add("seven");
items.add("eight");
items.add("nine");
items.add("ten");
setListAdapter(new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, R.layout.simple_list_item_1, items));
setContentView(com.myproject.android.R.layout.test);
}
}
I've tried a few different approaches, such as giving the ListView layout_weight="1" and removing the blank View that I use to push the footer to the bottom. This is almost what I want, it keeps the footer and label visible when the ListView scrolls, but when it only has 1 or 2 items, I need the gray box right below the ListView. I've also attempted to use a RelativeLayout, without success. I guess I'm completely misunderstanding things.
EDIT
Here's my attempt with a RelativeLayout which still isn't correct.
<?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">
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="header"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/red"
android:id="#+id/header"
/>
<ListView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#android:id/list"
android:layout_below="#id/header"/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="this should be directly below the ListView, but not pushed off screen when the ListView needs to scroll"
android:padding="5dp"
android:background="#color/light_gray"
android:textColor="#color/black"
android:layout_below="#android:id/list"/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="footer"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/blue"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:id="#+id/footer"/>
</RelativeLayout>
Relative Layout (Still Wrong):

Add android:layout_weight="1" to the listview. That will make it the biggest element in the LinearLayout, without pushing the other ones off the screen.

This layout adds the header a top of the screen and the footter and the bottom. The list fills the rest of the screen. With theses aproach list elements never be obscured by the footer. See how to add the gray box below the XML...
<?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">
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="header"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/red"
android:id="#+id/header"
/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="footer"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/blue"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:id="#+id/footer"/>
<ListView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:id="#android:id/list"
android:layout_below="#id/header"
android:layout_above="#id/footer"/>
</RelativeLayout>
Ok. This XML solves the problem of the missing footer. Now we have to add a gray box at the end of the list. I think there is two ways to do it:
Use the addFooterView method: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/ListView.html#addFooterView(android.view.View)
Play with the adapter and the getViewTypeCount() method so you can define two types or elements: normal elements and footer element. http://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/BaseAdapter.html#getViewTypeCount()

A solution that worked for me was to add positive padding to the bottom of the list view and negative padding to the top of the "footer". This will work in a linear layout or a relative layout.
<ListView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:paddingBottom="50dp"/>
<TextView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginTop="-50dp"/>

Two years late to answer the question, but I will leave my solution so it may help someone with the same problem. I solve this problem using 2 nested LinearLayouts and using layout_weigth. Maybe not the best performatic layout, but it reaches the desired effect.
You need to arrange your layout this way:
Your ListView will have wrap_content height to take only the needed space when not filling the entire screen.
Your ListView will be inside a layout with height using layout_weight so the list will take only the needed space when not filling the entire screen and to take only a limited space of the screen when it have size enouth to push the views out of screen.
The grey box view the should be immediately below the list will have wrap_content height and will be a sinbling of the layout of step 2.
This layout and the grey box will be inside a second layout with wrap_content height so they can stay together.
Now you have a layout with the list and the grey view and the list won't push the other views out of screen if it gets too big; you only need to move the footer view to the bottom of the screen.
5a. If you are using RelativeLayout as your root layout, you can do as sgallego said and use android:layout_alignParentBottom.
5b. But if you are using LinearLayout you need to create a third layout with layout_weigth and put inside the layout of step 4 and a empty view also with layout_weigth to fill the empty space.
Here is a commented example.
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!-- Header -->
<TextView
android:id="#+id/RecordStudy_StudyLabel"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/RecordStudy_StudyLabel"
android:textSize="#dimen/text_large" />
<!-- Body -->
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!--
This layout encapsules the list and the button that must be immediately
below the list with a wrap_content height, so the list plus the button
fills only as much space as they need (if the list is not big enouth to
fill the entire screen).
-->
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!--
Layout with varaible size with a list inside.
Using layout_weight tells android that this layout should not grow
greater then the screen, but uses only the free space.
-->
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!--
Inside this limited height layout, there is a list with height
wrap_content so it can grow as much as it needs INSIDE the
layout (through scrolling).
-->
<ListView
android:id="#+id/RecordStudy_StudyList"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</LinearLayout>
<!-- Button immediately below the list -->
<Button
android:id="#+id/RecordStudy_AddStudy"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/RecordStudy_AddStudy" />
</LinearLayout>
<!-- Space between the list and the footer -->
<View
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />
</LinearLayout>
<!-- Footer -->
<Button
android:id="#+id/RecordStudy_ConfirmButton"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/RecordStudy_ConfirmButton" />
</LinearLayout>

One solution that I implemented and found useful was to keep the listview inside a linear layout with fixed height so that it doesn't extend and overlap other items.
Something like this:
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="header"
android:padding="20dp"
android:textSize="18sp"
android:background="#color/red"
android:id="#+id/header"
/>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="150dip" //assume 150dip height is sufficient
<ListView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#android:id/list"
android:layout_below="#id/header"/>
</LinearLayout>
<TextView
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="this should be directly below the ListView, but not pushed off screen when the ListView needs to scroll"
android:padding="5dp"
android:background="#color/light_gray"
android:textColor="#color/black"
android:layout_below="#android:id/list"/>

How to create fixed footer in android layout?

I am using following code to display button at the bottom of activity.
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
>
<Button android:id="#+id/btnGetMoreResults"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:text="Get more"
/>
</RelativeLayout>
and listview above it. when i display more data in listview this button pannel is moved down.can any one guide me how can i fix it at the bottom of activity?
any help would be appreciated.

The answer selected as correct is faulty, the button will hide the lower part of the list view. The correct way is to declare the button first and position the list above the button.
<Button android:id="#+id/btnGetMoreResults"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:text="Get more"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"/>
<ListView
...
android:layout_above="#id/btnGetMoreResults"/>

The android:layout_alignParentBottom attribute has to be declared in an element of the RelativeLayout not in the RelativeLayout himself (unless there is another RelativeLayout as a parent).
You should do something like this, with the ListView inside the RelativeLayout also :
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true">
<ListView ...>
<Button android:id="#+id/btnGetMoreResults"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:text="Get more"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" />
</RelativeLayout>

If you had, for example, all the scrollable elements in a ScrollView, you should do like the following:
<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"
style="#style/rootElement"
>
<ScrollView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
>
<!-- texts, buttons, images and anything that you want to scroll -->
</ScrollView>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
style="#style/footer"
android:id="#+id/footer"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
>
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
Note that if you want the footer to be fixed, then you shouldn't put it in the ScrollView, where the scrollable content will be placed. Make it child of RelativeLayout and set layout_alignParentBottom to true. Maybe you'll need to add a padding at the bottom of the ScrollView in this case (so that the last element do not get hidden by the footer).
The idea is similar for elements other than ScrollView