Develop Reference

Using TabHost include other layout

I have a TabHost layout (the below code)
<TabHost
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/myTabHost"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="65dp" >
</TabWidget>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingTop="65dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/content"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
</LinearLayout>
</FrameLayout>
</TabHost>
I am loading some activities inside the TabHost and every things about the activities are OK. but my problem is about loading another layout at the top of TabHost via Include tag,
in other layouts like LinearLayout i put a include tag inside it and it was OK, but in TabHost i could not do like that because after adding include the TabHost UI gets corrupted
.
please tell me how to solve this problem

Wrap your TabHost tag with another LinearLayout tag like this:
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<!-- inclde goes here -->
<TabHost
android:id="#+id/myTabHost"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<!-- Other tags as you have already. -->
</TabHost>
</LinearLayout>

Then Place the LinearLayout as a parent to TabHost and include that LinearLayout using include tag in other layouts as below:
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/myLinearLayout"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<TabHost
android:id="#+id/myTabHost"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="65dp" >
</TabWidget>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingTop="65dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/content"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
</LinearLayout>
</FrameLayout>
</TabHost>
</LinearLayout>

Android TABS with fragments

I've been working on a small project that consists of a GUI with a number of tabs. I'm quite new with the concept of fragments however it seems that they're a best practice within the android tab landscape. I managed to code a simple tab app, that switches between 3 tabs.
The only issue I have is when I try placing the tabs at the bottom of the screen. When they're at the bottom, the tab widget covers the container(framelayout in this case) and so nothing happens, the screen remains the same when clicking the various tabs.
The following XML layout represents the good version( where the tabs are at the top of the screen):
<?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">
<TabHost
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="0"
/>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="0"/>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+android:id/realtabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"/>
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>
</LinearLayout>
The following XML layout represents the version that isn't working, when the tabs are at the bottom of the screen:
<?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">
<TabHost
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<RelativeLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
/>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="0dp"
/>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+android:id/realtabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
/>
</RelativeLayout>
</TabHost>
</LinearLayout>
I changed the layour to relativelayout and added this command: android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" to the tabwidget. Does anyone have an alternative idea of how I can sort this issue? Thanks in advance.

In general using tabs at the bottom of the screen is a bad solution (see Android design guidelines).
For your solution: put TabWidget at the end of list of view. Because of drawing is a line process and fragments this your case are drowed upper TabWidget

You can use weight instead. Try this layout marking
<android.support.v4.app.FragmentTabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</LinearLayout>
</android.support.v4.app.FragmentTabHost>
You can replace FragmentTabHost with own TabHost class. So, your tabs will be at the bottom of the screen.
Be careful with nested weights (they are bad for performance) and deeping in view hierarchy (especially for android < 4).

Why can't my TabHost child activity find the parent TabHost ID?

I have a TabHost activity that are switching activities, so my main looks like this:
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:padding="5dp" >
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginBottom="-4dp"
android:layout_weight="0" />
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:padding="5dp" />
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>
And one of my child activities XML is a ListView:
<?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" >
<ListView
android:id="#+id/list"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ListView>
</LinearLayout>
And in this child activity, (which extends ListActivity) I'm trying to find the parent TabHost:
TabHost tabHost = (TabHost) getParent().findViewById(R.id.tabhost);
tabHost.setCurrentTab(0);
But, the R.id.tabhost is not found (tabhost id cannot be resolved).
What am I doing wrong?

Make it android.R.id.tabhost
It will work.

How to add tabs at bottom

I have a tabhost which contains three tabs, connected with three activities. All three tabs are in the upper side. How can I make these three tabs at the bottom?
I found this, but there are still some problems.
This is my tabhost XML file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="1" />
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="0"/>
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>
In my TabActivity class, I have following code:
setContentView(R.layout.tabs);
TabHost mTabHost = (TabHost)findViewById(android.R.id.tabhost);
mTabHost.addTab(mTabHost.newTabSpec("tab_test1").setIndicator("TAB 1").setContent(new Intent(AndroisTabViewActivity.this,TabActivity1.class)));
mTabHost.addTab(mTabHost.newTabSpec("tab_test2").setIndicator("TAB 2").setContent(new Intent(AndroisTabViewActivity.this,TabActivity1.class)));
mTabHost.addTab(mTabHost.newTabSpec("tab_test3").setIndicator("TAB 3").setContent(new Intent(AndroisTabViewActivity.this,TabActivity1.class)));
mTabHost.setCurrentTab(0);
There is one activity named TabActivity1 which I have also included in Manifest file. But it is showing the error:
Can't get the activity TabActivity1.

I assume you want to show "Tab" at bottom of the window, just try this:
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/linearLayout1"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<TabWidget
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true">
</TabWidget>
<FrameLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent">
</FrameLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

If you want to use the LinearLayout:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#android:id/tabhost"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<FrameLayout
android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />
<TabWidget
android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>
With this solution, the tab content will take no space firstly, the TabWidget will take its own space, then the remaining space will be given to the tab content.

Android question: Can the tabhost be put in one of the tab?

I have some information which I want to show in a cascading style, and would prefer to show it in tab way.
So my idea is to have a TabHost embedded into one tab of another parent TabHost.
I can have one layer of TabHost working, but when I tried to add another TabHost into one of the tab, it always given an error of:
No resource found that matches the given name (at 'id' with value '#android:id/tabhostDiagnosis
Anyone faced the same problem before?
Here is my code (removed the redundant part)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#android:id/tabhost" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<TabWidget android:id="#android:id/tabs"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<FrameLayout android:id="#android:id/tabcontent"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:id="#+id/Diagnosis">
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<!-- -->
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#android:id/tabhostDiagnosis"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<!-- -->
<TabWidget android:id="#android:id/tabsDiagnosis"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<FrameLayout android:id="#android:id/tabcontentDiagnosis"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
</FrameLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
</FrameLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</TabHost>

I studied the source code for TabHost.
It will reference the TabWidget (or FrameLayout) directly by the R.id.x.
mTabWidget = (TabWidget) findViewById(com.android.internal.R.id.tabs);
This basically stops from having TabHost embedded into another one.
So the answer is it will not work.

Winston is correct but ...
You can initiate another activity upon tab selection which can instantiate a new TabHost / TabWidget etc.