I'm just starting out working with Android and it was recommended to me to try and find an Eclipse WYSIWYG plugin that could handle the top layer UI.
So far my searches haven't come up with much other than App Inventor (which won't really do the trick).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mt
In eclipse, you can get a WYSIWYG editor for the xml layout files. It can be found in the tab called "Graphical Layout" when you have a layout xml file open.
For example, if you create a new project, in the layout folder there is the main.xml file which automatically created. If you open this file, you should see two tabs at the bottom left of the editor. One which says "Graphical Layout" and another which says "main.xml". Open the Graphical Layout tab and it's as close to a WYSIWYG editor as I've found.
This is natively supported by the android sdk.
Try DroidDraw
http://www.droiddraw.org/
Related
I'm new to Android development and for me, a good way to learn how the Graphic layout and xml relate to each other is by trying an xml attribute and see the changes in the Graphic UI. Is there a way to see both side by side in the same time and not have to switch from one to another?
The picture show what I want to achieve.
Here is a better answer.
Open Layout
Windows -> New Editor
Set one window to Graphical, another window to xml
Eclipse IDE - Android Graphical Layout and XML Layout Side by Side
Use IntelliJ Idea. It's an IDE that has this feature.
Edit: I'm not sure I understood your question well, but what I got was that you want to make changes and see them update automatically. This feature IS present in Idea:
In the mean time I've found a different and more elegant way of doing this split (still in Eclipse R 4.4.0 + ADT 23.0.3.1327240):
Open Layout XML file.
Window > Editor > Toggle Split Editor (Vertical)
Select Graphical Layout in the pane to the right.
The clever thing about this approach is that the two split panes are retained within the editor tab.
Currently Both graphical and xml editor in same window is not there in Eclipse.
Update your Android SDK Tools to Revision 21
The update includes new tools and capabilities that can help you work more efficiently as you create applications. Tools such as a new multi-config editor, and new Lint rules will help you..
Ref here:enter link description here
Multi-config editor
A new multi-configuration editor allows you to develop and prototype your UI across various orientations, screen sizes and locales. For example, while editing your layout in portrait mode, you can see if your edits aren't visible in the shorter landscape orientation.
Here's how to do it in Eclipse Luna R 4.4.0 + ADT 23.0.3.1327240:
Open Layout XML file.
Window -> Editor Clone
Drag the new editor tab and place it next to the current editor window.
Set one editor window to Graphical Layout and the other to XML.
I can recommend an Eclipse setup with three windows next to each other:
Package Explorer, usually collapsed) | 2. XML | 3. Graphical with its Outline Structure panel open.
Caveats:
Changes made in XML do not automatically get reflected in the graphical window; you need to perform some action here, a click will suffice.
Selecting a new XML file in the Package Explorer will only open it in one (e.g. the XML) editor window, not both; you will need to select the other (e.g. Graphical) editor window and open the file in here too. Thankfully both windows have tabs of recently opened files, so this isn't that much of a hassle.
The usual Outline Window (Window > Show View > Outline) links with the currently selected editor; if you don't show the same file in both the Graphical and XML editor window, things may get confusing.
To preface, I have already read the question here.
In eclipse, after creating a new xml file and right clicking on it. I select "Open With" > "Legacy Android Layout Editor".
The view it actually gives me is not the Graphical Layout, but just the regular "code". "Legacy Android Layout Editor" is the only option that I've found in preferences. I then tried updating eclipse, but this doesn't resolve the issue. Does anyone know a way to get the graphical layout back?
Just to motivate elaboration on this. Did you create a new android layout xml or a regular xml? Also, I have several options when right-clicking the android layout xml and selecting "open with" --> "other". Under "Internal editors" I have four Android xml editors: Binary, Common, Export and Manifest. I use the Android Common XML editor. Check your sdk version, perhaps theres an update available. Official Android sdk download link
I have started a new Android empty project.
Where can i find the graphical layout switch button ?
I have Eclipse Java EE and didn't installed any ADT plug-ins
because i am guessing they are already installed.
Do i need to put initial code before i'll be able to use it?
i read that i need to open the XML file to use the graphical layout,
the only xml file that i found is the manifest.
and accessing this file didn't get any result.
thanks,
Rami
You will find the layout xml files in /res/layout/*.xml.
These are the files that when opened will have a graphical editor.
If there aren't any then you can make one by using the new XML wizard.
Until today (I have no idea what I did to cause this), if I double-clicked an android XML file, then the correct editor would appear.
For example, double-clicking a layout file would open a Graphical Layout tab and a tab with the XML contents for direct editing (named as the file being edited). Now all I get is a Design and a Source tab!
I am unable to preview the layouts I am editing (this is the same as here: Graphical Layout tab does not appear for some layout files into Eclipse)
That link also gives a 'workaround' in that I can right-click the file and open with the right editor, but this isn't a solution!
How can I sort this permenantly? I have re-installed fresh Eclipse, ADT to no avail (haven't used fresh SDK... will that matter??).
** Note this happens to all Android XML files, not just layout ones I mentioned above! **
Yes this may be a permanent solution:
Select any XML layout file
click on Window->Preferences menu.
Follow steps as mentioned in attached image.
What I had to end up doing was selecting the Legacy Android Xml Resources Editor from the same list that Paresh is showing and setting it as the default. I had to choose it from the list that appears when you click the add button. After that I restarted eclipse and everything was fine.
I dont know what happend, but i lost the Graphical Layout Window of the XML Layout that we are using in Eclipce to design the Android Application.
I want that Design window back.
I can see the xml code and every thing. . . But i want the Design Editor that is available as by default in the Eclipse after integration of the Android in it.
So how to get it back ???
No one has answered my question, but by searching on Eclipse I got the answer:
I have to right click on the XML code layout and then select Open With Layout Editor. It will show me the Graphical Layout Editor for my Application and now I am able to see the graphical view on the XML layout files.
Do you not see the "Graphical Layout" tab on the bottom of the open xml file?
Just follow this pattern : Package Explorer ---> res --> Layout ---> activity_main.XML Open activity_main.XML
if you are using the dark juno color theme the tabs at the bottom don't show up.
change back to one of the original color themes and poof they're back.
In Eclipse,just click check for updates and after that it will restart the eclipse and now u can see the graphical layout,the problem was in ADT plugin only.
If you want to open all the xml files in layout editor, go to Preferences->general->editor->FIle associations
Change the default editor in the selections
For me, after reading endless non-viable solutions (including remove and re-import the project, click the 'open with...' menu and the like) the solution was stupidly simple. I was opening the project with the standard Eclipse studio. The solution was to open Eclipse via the ADT bundle directory, that is the version of the Eclipse studio packaged and installed with the Android ADT. Using THAT shortcut to Eclipse, an Android project opens and runs (and edits) as a native Android project using appropriate Android tools.
The answer is to right-click and select open DEFAULT Editor...Then on bottom of editor two tabs will change on the lower right. Click on Graphical Editor.
Resolved installation ADT http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/installing-adt.html
This contain all preview layout and XML editor
You can also, in the project explorer on the left, go to res, layout and double click on activity_main.xml