Develop Reference

Cannot see second button

I'm trying to create a menu on my home screen but I cannot see the second button that I created. I tried android:layout_below="#+id/score_button" but it gives warning "invalid layout parameter"
Here is my xml file
<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"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/score_button"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="scoreGame"
android:text="#string/score_button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/settings_button"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/action_settings" />
</LinearLayout>
Something that I've noticed is that whichever button is placed first in the xml file is the one that is displayed when I run the app on my device.
Thanks in advance for any help, much appreciated.

use RelativeLayout instead of LinearLayout
then you can use android:layout_below="#+id/score_button"
and remove android:orientation="horizontal" when using RelativeLayout

Change the layout_width to wrap_content:
<Button
android:id="#+id/score_button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="scoreGame"
android:text="#string/score_button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/settings_button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/action_settings" />
Also if you want equal width buttons, give layout_weight:
android:layout_weight="1"
to both the buttons.

try below code:-
<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"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/score_button"
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="scoreGame"
android:text="#string/score_button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/settings_button"
android:layout_width="50dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/action_settings" />
</LinearLayout>

Repace your xml code by this code...
<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"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/score_button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="scoreGame"
android:text="#string/score_button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/settings_button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/action_settings" />
</LinearLayout>

User orientation as Vertical. In linear layout there is no layout_below attribute. Use Relative layout instead.

To force same width for both buttons:
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
... />
<Button
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
... />
To use natural buttons width:
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
... />
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
... />

Instead of "match_parent" for width, put weight
<Button
android:id="#+id/score_button"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="scoreGame"
android:text="#string/score_button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/settings_button"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="#string/action_settings" />

IF you want to show the menu in horizontal
<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"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/score_button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:onClick="scoreGame"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/score_button" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/settings_button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:text="#string/action_settings" />
</LinearLayout>
And if you want to show one blow the other change orientation to Vertical

Try this..
Change this orientation horizontal to vertical like below
android:orientation="horizontal"
to
android:orientation="vertical"

Adjust the button width and height appropriately and check again .. All the best

The android:layout_below="" attribute can only be used with a Relative Layout. You have chosen a Linear Layout.
Also both the buttons choose the "match_parent" for the android:layout_width attribute.
Either change "match_parent" to "wrap_content", otherwise change the android:orientation tag of the linear layout to "vertical".
Also if you change the layout to relative, it will work.

Use a vertical line in a ListView item

I'm trying to show a vertical line in an android ListView item. I define it in the XML for the cell but when I preview it in the ListView it doesn't appear.
I understand this is an issue because I see alot of questions on here, but don't see any real answer.
The XML is pretty standard:
Cell:
<?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="#color/appWhite" >
<View android:layout_width="5dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/appGreen"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />
<RelativeLayout
android:id="#+id/cell_trip_info_container"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/vertical_bar" >
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/cell_trip_name"
android:paddingTop="20dp"
android:paddingBottom="20dp"
android:textColor="#2c3e50"
android:paddingLeft="10dp"
android:text="adfadf" />
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/cell_trip_country"
android:layout_below="#+id/cell_trip_name"
android:textColor="#2c3e50"
android:paddingLeft="10dp"
android:text="adfadf" />
</RelativeLayout>
<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:id="#+id/whole_container"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true" >
<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/appGreen"
android:id="#+id/cell_trip_date_box"
android:layout_alignTop="#+id/update_buttons"
android:layout_alignBottom="#+id/update_buttons"
android:padding="20dp" >
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/cell_tripstart_date"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:textColor="#fff" />
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/cell_date_thru"
android:text="#string/thru"
android:layout_below="#+id/cell_tripstart_date"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:textColor="#fff" />
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/cell_tripend_date"
android:layout_below="#+id/cell_date_thru"
android:textColor="#fff"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
</RelativeLayout>
<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/update_buttons"
android:visibility="gone"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/cell_trip_date_box"
android:background="#e9e9e9"
android:padding="20dp" >
<ImageView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/cell_button_edit_trip"
android:src="#drawable/slide_edit"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:contentDescription="#string/content_description" />
<ImageView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/cell_button_delete_trip"
android:src="#drawable/slide_delete"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/cell_button_edit_trip"
android:adjustViewBounds="true"
android:contentDescription="#string/content_description" />
</RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

I found the cause and the obvious solution/workaround on another post Here
Basically RelativeLayouts for whatever reason won't play nice with the "match_parent" height setting in a ListView Item. One of the answer to the post recommended using a LinearLayout instead. So I just created a new File with the parent view being a LinearLayout. I then created a RelativeLayout child and tossed everything else in there.
It worked fine this time, easily allowing me to create my vertical rule.

In your cell_trip_info_container RelativeLayout you have
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/vertical_bar"
You dont have a View named vertical_bar
Add that ID to your vertical bar view and you should be good to go
<View
android:id="#+id/vertical_bar"
android:layout_width="5dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/appGreen"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />

change
RelativeLayout
to
VerticalLayout

Custom dialog height to match content

This is my custom dialog, there are some textboxs and two buttons.
I'm using a RelativeLayout on it.
I'd like the dialog size to match the content, not all that blank space under there.
I don't want to use explicit pixel heights (it's not good practice).
Another thing, there's a way to have some space between every view?
This is my XML
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_desc"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:textStyle="italic" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_date"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:layout_below="#+id/txt_desc"
android:textSize="8pt" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_place"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:layout_below="#+id/txt_date"
android:textSize="8pt" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btn_close"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/txt_place"
android:layout_toRightOf="#+id/view"
android:text="#string/btn_close" />
<View
android:id="#+id/view"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="1dp"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btn_edit"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_below="#+id/txt_place"
android:layout_toLeftOf="#+id/view"
android:drawableLeft="#android:drawable/ic_menu_edit"
android:text="#string/btn_edit" />
</RelativeLayout>

First question
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
Second question
Plus use android:marginTop="5dp" if you want to separate a View from Top for 5 dp.
marginLeft|Right|Bottom are also available.
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_place"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:layout_marginTop="5dp" <-----------------
android:layout_below="#+id/txt_date"
android:textSize="8pt" />
By the way, if I were you, I'd nest some layouts to make order. You can have a general Relative Layout, then 2 linear layouts: one horizontal for TextViews and one vertical for Buttons. You can definely play with your editor and try to make the best appearance for your dialog.
EDIT
Try this one:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#0000"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:paddingBottom="50dp" >
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_desc"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="prova"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:textStyle="italic" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_date"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:text="prova"
android:textSize="8pt" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/txt_place"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
android:text="prova"
android:textSize="8pt" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/btn_edit"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:drawableLeft="#android:drawable/ic_menu_edit"
android:text="btn_edit" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/btn_close"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="btn_close" />
<View
android:id="#+id/view"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="1dp" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
I've hard-coded the texts. The main idea is to use a big container layout in background, which is trasparent (background=#0000) and in top of that a layout in wrap_content containing your Views.
If this solution doesn't resolve your problem, I think you could edit height directly in your code. Try to relate to this question

Set your relative layout's height to wrap_content.
For example:
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<!-- More XML -->
</RelativeLayout>
Also be aware that fill_parent is deprecated for widths and heights.
You can add either margin (extra space outside a view) or padding (extra space inside a view) with android:layout_margin or android:padding respectively. There are also variants such as layout_marginTop that only apply to a specific side of the view.

layout problem in android

i try show layout like image 1 (textView and editText in same line) but my out put shown like image 2 !
i try with this code :
<?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="wrap_content"
android:padding="5px"
>
<TextView
android:id="#+id/label"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="URL:"
android:layout_alignBaseline="#+id/entry"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"/>
/>
<EditText
android:id="#+id/entry"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/label"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:paddingRight="30px"
android:paddingLeft="30px"
android:text="Go..."
/>
</LinearLayout>
please help me
thanks

Try this
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical">
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/label"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="URL:"
android:layout_alignBaseline="#+id/entry"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"/>
/>
<EditText
android:id="#+id/entry"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/label"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
/>
</LinearLayout>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
android:paddingRight="30px"
android:paddingLeft="30px"
android:text="Go..."
/>
</LinearLayout>
Or use RelativeLayout

Use RelativeLayout instead of Linear one and get use of android:rightOf.

As far as I understood, you cannot use such _toRightTop, _BOTTOM attributes with a linear Layout. Use RelativeLayout and all should be fine.

Use relative layout instead of linear layout.One advantage of this is that it improves your performance.if you try to search and id suing a linear layout,it will check with every component of the linear layout and try to match with its id but with relativer layout it will be faster as all elements are defined relative to each other.

How do I achieve the following result using RelativeLayout?

Pictures: http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/1402/picse.png
How do I make the layout in Pic. 2 using RelativeLayout ONLY. Below is the xml layout of the first screenshot.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/timer_textview"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center"
android:layout_marginTop="10dip"
android:textSize="30sp"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:text="#string/timer_start" />
<ListView
android:id="#+id/questions_listview"
android:layout_below="#id/timer_textview"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<Button android:id="#+id/true_btn"
android:text="#string/true_option"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/false_btn"
android:text="#string/false_option"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/true_btn"
android:layout_alignBaseline="#id/true_btn"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
</RelativeLayout>

You could use LinearLayout at bottom to achieve this. But you want to use RelativeLayout layout only so:
<RelativeLayout android:layout_width="fill_parent" ... >
...
<View android:id="#+id/helper"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
<Button android:id="#+id/true_btn"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toLeftOf="#id/helper"/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/false_btn"
android:layout_alignBaseline="#id/true_btn"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/helper" />
</RelativeLayout>
Can't you really use nested layouts?

If you change the buttons to
<Button android:id="#+id/true_btn"
android:text="#string/true_option"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<Button
android:id="#+id/false_btn"
android:text="#string/false_option"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/true_btn"
android:layout_alignBaseline="#id/true_btn"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
you use at least the full width although the false_btn gets all remaining space.
To increase the width of the first true_btn you could set the minWidth attribute - either use a fixed value or get the screen width and make the minWidth the half of it