Android Layout Weight

Question

I am new to Android development and I have a question about setting weight in a linear layout.

I am trying to create a row with two custom buttons and a custom edit text. The edit text should only take up as much room as its content, and the two buttons should expand horizontally to fill the rest of the available space in the row. Like this...

| [#Button++#] [#Button--#] [et] |

After several attempts this is the closest I can get to what I want, even though it seems overly complicated.

| [Button] [Button] [###ET###] |

---

<LinearLayout 
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="center_horizontal|center_vertical"
    android:layout_weight="1"
    >

    <LinearLayout 
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center_horizontal|center_vertical"
        >
        <RelativeLayout 
            android:id="@+id/btn_plus_container" 
            android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            >
            <ImageButton 
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
                android:id="@+id/btn_plus" 
                android:background="@drawable/btn"
                android:layout_centerInParent="true"
                ></ImageButton>
            <TextView 
                android:textColor="#FAFAF4"
                android:id="@+id/tv_dice_plus" 
                android:text="@string/tv_plus" 
                android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_centerInParent="true"
                ></TextView>
        </RelativeLayout>
    </LinearLayout>
    <LinearLayout 
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center_horizontal|center_vertical"
        >
        <RelativeLayout 
            android:id="@+id/btn_minus_container" 
            android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            >
            <ImageButton 
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
                android:id="@+id/btn_minus" 
                android:background="@drawable/btn"
                android:layout_centerInParent="true"
                ></ImageButton>
            <TextView 
                android:textColor="#FAFAF4"
                android:id="@+id/btn_minus" 
                android:text="@string/tv_minus" 
                android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_centerInParent="true"
                ></TextView>
        </RelativeLayout>
    </LinearLayout>
    <LinearLayout 
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center_horizontal|center_vertical"
        >
        <EditText 
            android:textColor="#FAFAF4"
            android:text="@string/et_output" 
            android:id="@+id/et_output" 
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:inputType="number"
            android:selectAllOnFocus="true" 
            android:minWidth="50sp"         
            android:maxWidth="50sp"
            android:background="@drawable/tv_black_background3"
            android:textColorHighlight="#c30505"
            ></EditText>
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

As I understand setting [android:layout_weight="2"] for the linear layouts holding the buttons should make them take up more room than the edit text, but it does the opposite for me, making them both half the size.

| [Btn] [Btn] [#####et#####] |

I have tried so many different combinations I can't even remember them, and none have worked.

Answer 1

weight values 0-1 share distribution of available space (after setting layout_width="0px") in proportion to the weight value. View elements with weight not specified (no weight entry) get weight 0 which means they get no expansion.

A simple alternative with no weight entries needed is to attach marquee to a view with text which tells it to expand from minimum needed for the text (wrap_content) to space available EditText: android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:ellipsize="marquee"

Answer 2

One more reason I found (vague as it may sound). The below did not work.

LinearLayout vertical

LinearLayout height fillparent + weight

LinearLayout height fillparent + weight

LinearLayout height fillparent + weight

EndLinearLayout

What did work was

RelativeLayout

LinearLayout vertical

LinearLayout height fillparent + weight

LinearLayout height fillparent + weight

LinearLayout height fillparent + weight

EndLinearLayout

EndRelativeLayout

It sounds vague by a root layout with Linear and weights under it did not work. And when I say "did not work", I mean, that after I viewed the graphical layout between various resolutions the screen consistency broke big time.

Answer 3

It doesn't work because you are using fill_parent as the width. The weight is used to distribute the remaining empty space or take away space when the total sum is larger than the LinearLayout. Set your widths to 0dip instead and it will work.

Answer 4

<LinearLayout
    android:id="@+id/linear1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:weightSum="9"
    android:orientation="horizontal" >

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/ring_oss"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="3"
        android:src="@drawable/ring_oss" />

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/maila_oss"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="3"
        android:src="@drawable/maila_oss" />
<EditText
        android:id="@+id/edittxt"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="3"
        android:src="@drawable/maila_oss" />
</LinearLayout>

Answer 5

i would suppose to set the EditTexts width to wrap_content and put the two buttons into a LinearLayout whose width is fill_parent and weight set to 1.

Answer 6

Think it that way, will be simpler

If you have 3 buttons and their weights are 1,3,1 accordingly, it will work like table in HTML

Provide 5 portions for that line: 1 portion for button 1, 3 portion for button 2 and 1 portion for button 1