How can I create 2 rows of buttons in android layout.xml file

Question

I try to create 2 rows of buttons in android layout.xml file. The first row is left-aligned, the second row is center-aligned.

Here is what I did, but I end up getting 1 row of buttons. Can you please tell me what am I doing wrong?

enter code here
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" 
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
 <LinearLayout
          android:layout_width="fill_parent"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:orientation="horizontal"
          android:layout_gravity="bottom|left"
        >
         <Button 
          android:id="@+id/btn1"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          />
        </LinearLayout>
     <LinearLayout
          android:layout_width="fill_parent"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:orientation="horizontal"
          android:layout_gravity="bottom|center"
        >
         <Button 
          android:id="@+id/btn2"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          />
       <Button 
          android:id="@+id/btn3"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          />
        </LinearLayout>
</FrameLayout>
</pre>

reflog · Accepted Answer · 2009-08-12 07:27:20Z

FrameLayout is wrong for this task. Use LinearLayout like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
 <LinearLayout
          android:layout_width="fill_parent"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:orientation="horizontal"
          android:layout_gravity="bottom|left"
        >
         <Button
          android:id="@+id/btn1"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          />
        </LinearLayout>
     <LinearLayout
          android:layout_width="fill_parent"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:orientation="horizontal"
          android:layout_gravity="bottom|center"
        >
         <Button
          android:id="@+id/btn2"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          />
       <Button
          android:id="@+id/btn3"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          />
        </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

for explanation on what FrameLayout is for go here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/widget/FrameLayout.html

agf · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-12 23:52:13Z

You can use Tablelayout for displaying button in the form of rows.

<TableLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
      android:id="@+id/root"
      android:stretchColumns="*"
      android:background="#000000">
  <TableRow android:layout_margin="0dip"
         android:id="@+id/first_row">
    <Button android:id="@+id/button01" 
          android:layout_width="0dip"
          android:layout_weight="1"
          android:padding="15dip" />
    <Button android:id="@+id/button02" 
          android:layout_width="0dip"
          android:layout_weight="1"
          android:padding="15dip" />
    <Button android:id="@+id/button03" 
          android:layout_width="0dip"
          android:layout_weight="1"
          android:padding="15dip" />
    <Button android:id="@+id/button04" 
          android:layout_width="0dip"
          android:layout_weight="1"
          android:padding="15dip" />
    <Button android:id="@+id/button05" 
          android:layout_width="0dip"
          android:layout_weight="1"
          android:padding="15dip" />
  </TableRow>
</TableLayout>

Lennart · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-06 12:55:31Z

2

I would recommend against nesting LinearLayouts like that. It's not productive, very inefficient and hinders the ability of Android layouts to expand in some cases and UI changes.

And besides, it's very CPU intensive! Don't do it and read this:

http://developer.android.com/training/improving-layouts/optimizing-layout.html

edited Apr 6, 2013 at 12:55

Lennart

10.3k16 gold badges75 silver badges103 bronze badges

answered Nov 17, 2010 at 23:49

davidcesarino

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Comments

Erik B · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-29 20:02:41Z

0

You could also use just one RelativeLayout instead of all of your layouts. I've read many reports that RelativeLayout uses less resources than LinearLayout.

answered Mar 29, 2010 at 20:02

Erik B

2,8661 gold badge36 silver badges38 bronze badges

2 Comments

Joel Fischer Over a year ago

Relative Layout is by far the most expensive layout mechanism. Source, a Google Engineer: plus.google.com/+KirillGrouchnikov/posts/fFfm7jKn7q5

Erik B Over a year ago

Your linked "article" (more like sentence) is talking about layouts within an adapter. OP does not require this to be in an adapter. Just because the words come out of the holy gods' mouths, doesn't mean there isn't more going on.

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