Develop Reference

Android how to overlap an ImageView on top of a LienearLayouy so that they have the same size?

Hi and thanks for any suggestion.
I need to put an ImageView to overlapp over a LinearLayout.
I have tried this:
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/background"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
>
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/backgroundimage"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:src="#drawable/gradient_box"
android:layout_gravity="center"
/>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_gravity="center">
But this is the result I get (the ImageView shrinks to a single line)
I have tried using RelativeLayout, this is the result I get.
CLOSE, but the ImageView now expands to fill all the available space and does not "wrap content" as I need to.
The desired result would be like this:
PS: I cannot use android:background="image" because i need to change it at runtime.

You can use a Relativ Layout that contains the LinearLayout and then align the ImageView with the LinearLayout
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/background"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/linear"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_gravity="center">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/backgroundimage"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:src="#drawable/gradient_box"
android:layout_alignLeft="#id/linear"
android:layout_alignRight="#id/linear"
android:layout_alignTop="#id/linear"
android:layout_alignBottom="#id/linear"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:scaleType="fitCenter" />
If you just want to set the image as a background you can just set a background image for the linear layout:
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/background"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/blue" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:background="#drawable/gradient_box"
android:layout_gravity="center">

PS: I cannot use android:background="image" because i need to change it at runtime.
Why not? Use setBackgroundResource.

relative layout issues/android

I am having issues with creating a menu (not menu when you click menu button -- but menu as in the welcome screen to select items). I went to ImageView and TextView float (left/right) Android and I did not solve my issue. I would like to create at least five or six options to select from on this menu class. This is my menu.xml file. Please let me know what I need to do.
The issue is that the first item appears, but the second item overlaps the first item. I been picking away with this for the last hour and cannot solve this issue.
<?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="wrap_content"
android:padding="5dp">
<TextView
android:textSize="18dp"
android:id="#+id/message_view"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=" Check Your Account" />
<ImageView
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_add"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/icon" />
<TextView
android:textSize="18dp"
android:id="#+id/message_view"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=" View our Site" />
<ImageView
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_add"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
</RelativeLayout>
thannk you.

Why don't you use a LinearLayout (like a vertical one with severals little horizontal ones inside, each with a TextView and an ImageView) ?
Anyway, if you want to use RelativeLayout you should use something like android:layout_toRightOf, android:layout_toLeftOf, android:layout_above or android:layout_below in your xml to place your elements.
I advise you to take a look at http://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.html if you don't know those parameters.

You use a RelativeLayout but you don't place elements with reference to each other.
Example :
<RelativeLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<Button android:id="#+id/topBtn"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Top"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true">
</Button>
<Button android:id="#+id/leftBtn"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Left"
android:layout_below="#+id/topBtn"
android:layout_toLeftOf="#+id/topBtn">
</Button>
</RelativeLayout>
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/RelativeLayout.html

A Linear Layout would be better.
Try this and tell me if this is what you needed:
<?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:padding="5dp"
android:orientation="vertical"
>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/linearLayout1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/message_view"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=" Check Your Account"
android:textSize="18dp" />
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/icon"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_add" android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"/>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/linearLayout2"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/message_view"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text=" View our Site"
android:textSize="18dp" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:src="#drawable/ic_menu_add" android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"/>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Placing button to the right in android

I'm trying to create a view with 2 buttons on top(1 at left hand side of the screen and other on right side),a gesture overlay in between and another button at the bottom right of the screen.
Here the top right button isn't being placed on the right.. please help..
here is my 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="fill_parent"
android:background="#ffffff"
>
<LinearLayout android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/linearLayout1">
<ImageButton android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/add"
android:id="#+id/bBlog"></ImageButton>
<ImageButton android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_gravity="right" android:background="#drawable/view" android:id="#+id/bBlog"></ImageButton>
</LinearLayout>
<RelativeLayout android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_width="match_parent">
<android.gesture.GestureOverlayView android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:id="#+id/myoverlay"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:gestureColor="#000333"/>
<ImageButton android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#drawable/icon"
android:id="#+id/exit"></ImageButton>
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Try using a RelativeLayout with layout_alignParentLeft and layout_alignParentRight as such:
<RelativeLayout android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:id="#+id/linearLayout1">
<ImageButton
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:src="#drawable/add"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:id="#+id/bBlog">
</ImageButton>
<ImageButton
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:src="#drawable/view"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:id="#+id/bBlog">
</ImageButton>
Of course, you can add padding in there as necessary.

Check out answers of this for your question that why you are not able to set top right image button. For make it work, do change in your code as per Nick's answer given here. :)

Android -- Title bar invisible padding

So, I've seen several instances of padding being a problem in a custom title bar but this seems to be unique and I would love to see if anyone could shed some light on it.
Here's what I have:
There's padding to the right of the configure button that shouldn't be. I want a little bit of padding in the end but, to prove a point, this is with no padding set. Here's the layout for the custom title bar.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="#+id/container"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#FFF" >
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/titleImage"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingLeft="8dip"
android:paddingTop="8dip"
android:paddingBottom="8dip"
android:src="#drawable/icon" />
<TextView android:id="#+id/customtitlebar"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:text="COMPANY"
android:textSize="20dip"
android:textColor="#205cc7"
android:textStyle="bold"
android:paddingTop="15px" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="right" >
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingTop="8dip"
android:paddingBottom="8dip"
android:src="#drawable/configure" />
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
I thought maybe the layout I gave a dummy id "container" was being cut off as well and the problem was outside this layout, but, when I change its background to red, it takes up the whole screen.
Does anyone have a solution short of hiding the OS title bar and making it a header for every screen layout?

Try to set android:layout_alignParentRight="true" to the LinearLayout which should be strechted to the right edge of the RelativeLayout.
Apart from that I agree to Octavian Damiean that your definition is to complex to receive the layout you want.

This layout has the same problem that the first image does. It uses alignParentRight and simplifies the layout.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="#FFF" >
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/titleImage"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingLeft="8dip"
android:paddingTop="8dip"
android:paddingBottom="8dip"
android:src="#drawable/icon" />
<TextView android:id="#+id/customtitlebar"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:paddingLeft="55dip"
android:text="COMPANY"
android:textSize="20dip"
android:textColor="#205cc7"
android:textStyle="bold"
android:paddingTop="15px" />
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
android:paddingTop="8dip"
android:paddingBottom="8dip"
android:src="#drawable/configure" />
</RelativeLayout>

How to avoid space between imageview and gridview in linearlayout

I have a image view and grid view in my .xml file. When I am executing this file its getting some space between grid view and image view. How to avoid this space...can any one help me to solve this problem.
thanks in advance...
my xml code is:
android:layout_width="0px"
android:layout_height="0px">
</Button>
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/prevMonth"
android:src="#drawable/cal_left_arrow_off2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
</ImageView>
<Button
android:id="#+id/currentMonth"
android:layout_weight="0.6"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"
android:background="#drawable/calendar_bar2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
</Button>
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/nextMonth"
android:src="#drawable/cal_right_arrow_off2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
</ImageView>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:layout_gravity="bottom|center_horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/calendarheader"
android:src="#drawable/blue_bg_with_text2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
>
</ImageView>
</LinearLayout>
<GridView
android:id="#+id/calendar"
android:numColumns="7"
android:layout_gravity="top"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content">
</GridView>

You should try setting the android:gravity attribute correctly, and it has to work:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:gravity="bottom|center_horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content">
<ImageView android:id="#+id/calendarheader" android:src="#color/blue_start"
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:minWidth="250dp" android:minHeight="30dp">
</ImageView>
</LinearLayout>
<GridView android:id="#+id/calendar" android:numColumns="7"
android:layout_gravity="top"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#color/blue_start">
</GridView>
</LinearLayout>
i'm using here simple color background, and there is no gap:
If you still having the problem, then you should see your blue_bg_with_text2 image, whether it has any empty pixels at the bottom.
ps: ignore the android:minWidth="250dp" android:minHeight="30dp" part, it is there to imitate an image with that size.
Update
Here is the same view using RelativeLayout (it's a bit clearer at least for me):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<Button android:id="#+id/selectedDayMonthYear"
android:textColor="#000000" android:layout_gravity="center"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"
android:layout_width="0px" android:layout_height="0px" />
<ImageView android:id="#+id/prevMonth" android:src="#drawable/cal_left_arrow_off2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
<ImageView android:id="#+id/nextMonth" android:src="#drawable/cal_right_arrow_off2"
android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentRight="true" />
<Button android:id="#+id/currentMonth" android:layout_weight="0.6"
android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"
android:background="#drawable/calendar_bar2" android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_toRightOf="#id/prevMonth"
android:layout_toLeftOf="#id/nextMonth"
android:layout_alignBottom="#id/prevMonth"
android:layout_alignTop="#id/prevMonth" />
<ImageView android:id="#+id/calendarheader" android:src="#drawable/calendarheader"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:minHeight="25dp"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
android:layout_below="#id/currentMonth"
android:layout_margin="0dp"
android:scaleType="fitXY" />
<GridView android:id="#+id/calendar" android:numColumns="7"
android:layout_gravity="top" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_below="#id/calendarheader"
android:layout_margin="0dp"
android:background="#color/white_fader_end">
</GridView>
</RelativeLayout>
I've added to it my resources as background (two of them are actually screenshots from yours).
What i observed is, you must
either use a static image for your
calendar header background, or,
if you use an xml drawable, you have
to drop the stroke element from it / set its android:width to 0
otherwise it will add an unnecessary gap around your view's drawable, that is as wide as the stroke width you've specified.
my output using static images as backgrounds looks this way:
Update 2
The problem is not between your calendar header and gridView, but inside your gridView.
It has a 'padding' of 5 px inside (not real padding, see how it gets there):
The default selector for the GridView is a 9x9 patch rectangle with a border of 5px.
That 5 px is visible all around your gridView.
You can specify a different listSelector for this grid either by xml:
android:listSelector="#drawable/grid_selector"
or from code (onCreate):
gridView.setSelector(R.drawable.grid_selector);
Now if your grid_selector is an image or is a drawable xml without any margins, then the gap that causes the problem is gone.
You can also hide that gap, by setting a background color to your gridView, that matches or grandients the calendar header's background color.