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LinearLayout and its Important Attributes with Examples in Android

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025
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LinearLayout is one of the most basic layouts in android studio, that arranges multiple sub-views (UI elements) sequentially in a single direction i.e. horizontal or vertical manner by specifying the android:orientation attribute. If one applies android:orientation="vertical" then elements will be arranged one after another in a vertical manner (i.e. top to bottom) and If you apply android:orientation="horizontal" then elements will be arranged one after another in a horizontal manner (i.e. left to right).

Linear-Layout-Blueprint


Sample Code of LinearLayout:

XML 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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="vertical"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <!--sub view 1-->
    <View
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 2-->
    <View
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 3-->
    <View
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</LinearLayout>


Some Important Attributes of LinearLayout

Attributes

Description

android:id

Assigns a unique id to the layout.

android:orientation

Defines the arrangements of sub-views in the layout. It is either "horizontal" or "vertical".

android:layout_width

Sets the width of the layout

android:layout_height

Sets the height of the layout

android:layout_weight

Assigned individually to the sub-views, it specifies how the parent layout divides the remaining space amongst the sub-views.

android:weightSumDefined in the layout, it sets the total weight sum of all the sub-view inside the layout.
android:layout_gravity

Assigned to the sub-views, it sets the gravity of the view or layout relative to its parent. 

Possible values are - center, center_vertical, center_horizontal, fill, top, bottom, start, end, etc.

android:baselineAligned

Assigns a Boolean value, which prevents the layout from aligning its children's baselines.

Examples of LinearLayout

1. How to arrange views in a vertical manner in LinearLayout

XML 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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="vertical"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">
    <!--  Set Orientation as "vertical"  -->

    <!--sub view 1-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_1"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp" />

    <!--sub view 2-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_2"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp" />

    <!--sub view 3-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_3"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp" />

    <!--sub view 4-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_4"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp" />

</LinearLayout>

Design UI:

Horizontal-design-and-blueprint


2. How to arrange views in a horizontal manner in LinearLayout

XML 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">
    <!--  Set Orientation as "horizontal"  -->

    <!--sub view 1-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_1"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="64dp"
        android:layout_margin="16dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 2-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_2"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="64dp"
        android:layout_margin="16dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 3-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_3"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="64dp"
        android:layout_margin="16dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 4-->
    <View
        android:id="@+id/view_4"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:layout_width="64dp"
        android:layout_margin="16dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</LinearLayout>

Design UI:

Vertical-design-and-blueprint


3. How to use layout_weight and weightSum in LinearLayout

XML 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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="vertical"
    android:weightSum="5"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">
    <!--  Set Orientation as "vertical"  -->
    <!--  Set WeightSum as "3"  -->

    <!--sub view 1-->
    <!--This view has more weight than others providing it with more space-->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/view_1"
        android:text="GeeksforGeeks"
        android:background="@color/black"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_weight="3"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 2-->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/view_2"
        android:text="GeeksforGeeks"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 3-->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/view_3"
        android:text="GeeksforGeeks"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</LinearLayout>

Design UI:

Layout-weight-and-weight-sum


4. How to use layout_gravity in LinearLayout

XML 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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="vertical"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">
    <!--  Set Orientation as "vertical"  -->
    <!--  Set WeightSum as "3"  -->

    <!--sub view 1-->
    <!--Set the layout gravity as start-->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/view_1"
        android:text="GeeksforGeeks"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="start"
        android:padding="32dp"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 2-->
    <!--Set the layout gravity as center-->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/view_2"
        android:text="GeeksforGeeks"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:padding="32dp"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <!--sub view 3-->
    <!--Set the layout gravity as end-->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/view_3"
        android:text="GeeksforGeeks"
        android:background="@color/grey"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="end"
        android:padding="32dp"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="32dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</LinearLayout>

Design UI:

layout-gravity



LinearLayout and its Important Attributes with Examples in Android

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