Layout in Android

Layouts in Android serve as the cornerstone for designing and arranging user interfaces. They are essentially like View
Groups but are defined by an XML file rather than as a component. They can often include several View Groups and are the
map that dictates how different views and elements are organized on the screen. It’s the structural framework that defines
the visual structure of a UI.
Mastering the layouts is important because they provide a systematic way to arrange different interface components,
ensuring that the app is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally effective. Android devices have a wide range of
different screen sizes and resolutions, and layouts help in creating responsive interfaces that adapt seamlessly to various
dimensions, with elements like buttons and text fields being logically placed for easy interaction.
Layouts also streamline the development process. By defining a consistent structure for UI elements, they make it easier
for developers to implement and modify the app’s interface. A well-structured layout can significantly reduce the
complexity of app maintenance, with UI designers and developers being able to change several components instead of
entire screens quickly.
Types of Android UI Layouts
You can organize various types of Views and View Groups into different Layouts:
• LinearLayout organizes Views in a linear order, horizontally or vertically. It is straightforward and efficient for
arranging elements in a single row or column. This layout is particularly useful for creating forms, toolbars, or any
interface where a sequential arrangement of elements is needed.
• GridView displays items in a two-dimensional, scrollable grid. Similar to ListView, it uses an Adapter to fill its cells
with Views. GridView is ideal for displaying a collection of images, icons, or data in a uniform grid, like a photo
gallery or a settings menu.
• TableLayout: as the name suggests, it arranges Views in a grid-like format, similar to a table. It’s useful for
displaying rows of data or elements that need to be aligned in columns and rows. Each row in a TableLayout can
contain multiple Views, and each View is placed in a cell. This layout is beneficial when creating calculators,
timetables, or any interface with a tabular structure.
• FrameLayout is designed to hold a single child View, but it can contain multiple child Views, which are positioned
based on the top-left corner. It’s a simple container used to display a single item, like an image or a piece of text.
FrameLayout is often used for its simplicity in handling UI elements like a loading spinner or as a placeholder for
fragments in an app.
• ListView displays a list of scrollable items, automatically inserted into the list using an Adapter. It’s efficient for
displaying datasets that scroll vertically, like a contact list or a menu. The key difference between this option
and LinearLayout is that the ListView recycles the item views when scrolling, making it memory-efficient for long
lists.
• AbsoluteLayout enables you to specify the exact location of child Views. Each View can be positioned with specific
x and y coordinates. However, it’s not recommended for use as it doesn’t adapt well to different screen sizes and
orientations. Due to its lack of flexibility and the complexity of maintaining it across various screen sizes, it’s
generally avoided in modern Android development.
• RelativeLayout allows Views to be positioned in relation to each other or to the parent container. It offers greater
flexibility than LinearLayout as it enables developers to create complex layouts without the need for nested
containers. For example, you can align a button to the right of a TextView or at the center of the screen. It’s ideal
for designing interfaces where the position of elements depends on others.
Each layout type serves a unique purpose and understanding when to use which layout is key to creating effective and
user-friendly Android applications. Developers choose layouts based on the requirements of the app’s design and the
relationships between UI elements.
1. LinearLayout
• Purpose: Arranges child views in a single row or column.
• Orientation: Can be vertical or horizontal.
• Use Case: Useful when you want to align elements in a single line.
• Pros: Simple and easy to use for straightforward arrangements.
• Cons: Can become inefficient with complex or deeply nested views, leading to performance issues.
2. RelativeLayout
• Purpose: Allows for more flexible positioning of child views relative to each other or the parent container.
 • Use Case: Good for creating layouts where elements need to be positioned relative to each other, such as aligning
a button to the right of an image.
• Pros: Reduces the need for nested layouts compared to LinearLayout.
• Cons: Can become complex to manage if the layout becomes too intricate.
3. ConstraintLayout
• Purpose: Provides a more flexible and powerful way to create complex layouts. You define constraints between
views to control their position and size.
• Use Case: Ideal for complex layouts that need to adjust dynamically to different screen sizes and orientations.
• Pros: Efficient in terms of rendering performance and reduces the need for nesting views.
• Cons: Requires understanding of constraints and may have a steeper learning curve.
4. FrameLayout
• Purpose: Displays a single view on top of another. Child views are stacked on top of each other.
• Use Case: Suitable for simple cases like displaying an image with overlay text or layering multiple views.
• Pros: Simple to use and good for overlapping views.
• Cons: Not ideal for complex layouts where precise control over view positioning is needed.
5. GridLayout
• Purpose: Arranges child views in a grid, similar to a table.
• Use Case: Useful for creating layouts that resemble tables or grids, such as calculators or photo galleries.
• Pros: Allows for complex grid arrangements and is more flexible than a TableLayout.
• Cons: Can be difficult to manage if the grid layout is too complex.
6. TableLayout
• Purpose: Arranges child views into rows and columns, resembling a table structure.
• Use Case: Ideal for simple tabular layouts where views are organized into rows and columns.
• Pros: Straightforward for table-like arrangements.
• Cons: Less flexible compared to GridLayout and can become cumbersome for complex layouts.
7. CoordinatorLayout
• Purpose: A super-powered version of FrameLayout that allows for complex interactions between child views.
• Use Case: Often used with Material Design components to coordinate interactions, like scrolling effects.
• Pros: Useful for implementing advanced UI patterns like scrolling behaviors.
• Cons: More complex to use and understand, often used in combination with other layouts.
Summary
• LinearLayout: Simple, linear arrangement of views.
• RelativeLayout: Flexible, relative positioning of views.
• ConstraintLayout: Advanced, flexible layout with powerful constraints.
• FrameLayout: Simple, single-view stacking.
• GridLayout: Grid-based arrangement.
• TableLayout: Table-like arrangement with rows and columns.
• CoordinatorLayout: Advanced interactions and behaviors, often with Material Design.
Choosing the right layout depends on the specific needs of your app’s UI and the complexity of the design you want to
achieve. For most complex layouts, ConstraintLayout is often the go-to choice due to its flexibility and performance
efficiency.
How to write the XML?
In Android development, layouts as part of the general UI structure of your app are defined by XML files. Here’s some
guidance on their syntax:
• XML layout files start with the <layout> tag followed by a root ViewGroup, such as <LinearLayout>,
<RelativeLayout>, etc. Each UI component (View) is defined within this root ViewGroup;
• each View and ViewGroup in the layout have attributes. These are key-value pairs defined within the opening tag
of a View or ViewGroup, such as android:layout_width="wrap_content" or android:text="Hello World!";
• to use Android’s built-in attributes, you need to include the Android XML namespace in your root
element: xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android".
Here are some basic rules about the structure and hierarchy of an XML file:
• every layout file must have a single root element, which is a ViewGroup that contains other Views and ViewGroups;
• organize your UI components logically: ViewGroups can nest other ViewGroups or Views to create complex
layouts;
• proper indentation and spacing are essential for readability: keep a consistent style throughout your XML files.
• deeply nested layouts (layouts within layouts) can lead to performance issues since each additional layer adds
complexity to the layout rendering process.
• a well-organized hierarchy makes it easier to manage and update your layout. Aim for a shallow hierarchy where
possible.
• the hierarchy impacts how your layout behaves on different screen sizes and orientations. A flexible hierarchy with
appropriate layout constraints ensures better responsiveness.
Mastering XML files takes time, and most developers find their own way to do it. However, there’s some fairly universal
advice from us:
• avoid deep nesting: you can use ConstraintLayout to create complex layouts with fewer levels.
• use match_parent and wrap_content wisely: match_parent makes the View expand to fit its parent, while
wrap_content sizes the View to fit its content; choose based on your layout needs.
• include comments with <!-- Comment --> and use them to explain complex parts of your layout;
• assign descriptive IDs to your Views with android:id="@+id/name": this makes it easier to reference them in
your Java or Kotlin code.
XML File Example
Here’s a simple example of an XML layout file ерфе shows a LinearLayout containing a TextView and a Button, each with
its own attributes. The layout is clear, structured, and easy to understand, highlighting the importance of syntax,
structure, and hierarchy:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical">

<TextView
android:id="@+id/textView"
 android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Hello World!" />

<Button
android:id="@+id/button"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Click Me" />
</LinearLayout>
Load the XML resource
You need to load an XML layout into your app to display the UI, and it can be accomplished in 2 ways:
Using setContentView() in an Activity:
This process typically takes place in the onCreate() method. First, you define your XML layout in the res/layout directory.
Then, within your Activity, you call setContentView(R.layout.layout_name), where layout_name is the name of your XML
layout file. This method sets the layout for the entire screen of the Activity. Once you’ve called setContentView(), you can
interact with the Views in the XML file using methods like findViewById() to manipulate them.
Inflating XML layouts as View objects:
This method is a bit different and is mainly used in Fragments, Custom Views, or Adapters. This is where the LayoutInflater
class comes into play. It’s used to instantiate layout XML files into their corresponding View objects. For example, in a
Fragment, you would use LayoutInflater in the onCreateView() method to inflate the layout. The process involves passing
the layout resource ID, the parent ViewGroup (which is often null in Fragments), and a boolean for whether to attach the
inflated layout to the ViewGroup. This method allows for more flexibility as it’s used for creating View hierarchies from
XML files for specific parts of the screen, rather than the entire screen.
The choice between using setContentView() and inflating a layout depends on the context. setContentView() is specific to
Activities and sets the layout for the entire screen, whereas layout inflation offers more flexibility and is used in a variety
of contexts, including for individual items in a ListView or for a specific Fragment’s layout. This understanding is crucial
for effective UI development in Android, ensuring the appropriate presentation of layouts in different parts of an app.
Layout Attributes
Each layout has a set of attributes which define the visual properties of that layout. There are few common attributes
among all the layouts and there are other attributes which are specific to that layout. Following are common attributes and
will be applied to all the layouts:
Attributes Description
android:layout_weight This specifies how much of the extra space in the layout should be allocated to the
View. It is defined individually to the child’s views to specify how
LinearLayout divides the remaining space amongst the views it contains
android:layout_width This is the width of the layout.

android:layout_height This is the height of the layout

android:layout_marginTop This is the extra space on the top side of the layout.
android:layout_marginBottom This is the extra space on the bottom side of the layout.
android:layout_marginLeft This is the extra space on the left side of the layout.
android:layout_marginRight This is the extra space on the right side of the layout.
android:weightSum Defines the total weight sum
android:orientation How the elements should be arranged in the layout. It can be horizontal or vertical.
android:gravity It specifies how an object should position its content on its X and Y axes. Possible
values are – center_vertical, fill, center, bottom, end, etc.
android:layout_gravity Sets the gravity of the View or Layout relative to its parent.
Possible values are – center_vertical, fill, center, bottom, end, etc.
android:layout_x This specifies the x-coordinate of the layout.

android:layout_y This specifies the y-coordinate of the layout.

android:paddingLeft This is the left padding filled for the layout.

android:paddingRight This is the right padding filled for the layout.

android:paddingTop This is the top padding filled for the layout.

android:paddingBottom This is the bottom padding filled for the layout.

 android:baselineAligned This must be a boolean value, either “true” or “false” and prevents the layout from
aligning its children’s baselines.
android:id This gives a unique id to the layout.

These attributes are integral to the design and functionality of your app interface. layout_width and layout_height are
mandatory for every View and ViewGroup, as they dictate their size. Attributes like layout_gravity, padding, and margin
further refine the positioning and spacing, greatly helping to create a polished look on any device. The id attribute is
essential for programmatically manipulating Views, such as setting listeners or altering their properties at runtime.
Meanwhile, attributes like src, text, and orientation are more specific to the type of View and define their primary
characteristics.
Here width and height are the dimension of the layout/view which can be specified in terms of dp (Density-independent
Pixels), sp (Scale-independent Pixels), pt (Points which is 1/72 of an inch), px (Pixels), mm (Millimeters) and finally in
(inches).
You can specify width and height with exact measurements but more often, you will use one of these constants to set the
width or height −
• android:layout_width=wrap_content tells your view to size itself to the dimensions required by its content.
• android:layout_width=fill_parent tells your view to become as big as its parent view.
Gravity attribute plays important role in positioning the view object and it can take one or more (separated by '|') of the
following constant values.
Constant Value Description
top 0x30 Push object to the top of its container, not changing its size.
bottom 0x50 Push object to the bottom of its container, not changing its size.
left 0x03 Push object to the left of its container, not changing its size.
right 0x05 Push object to the right of its container, not changing its size.
center_vertical 0x10 Place object in the vertical center of its container, not changing its size.
fill_vertical 0x70 Grow the vertical size of the object if needed so it completely fills its container.
center_horizontal 0x01 Place object in the horizontal center of its container, not changing its size.
fill_horizontal 0x07 Grow the horizontal size of the object if needed so it completely fills its container.
Place the object in the center of its container in both the vertical and horizontal
center 0x11
axis, not changing its size.
Grow the horizontal and vertical size of the object if needed so it completely fills
fill 0x77
its container.
Additional option that can be set to have the top and/or bottom edges of the child
clipped to its container's bounds. The clip will be based on the vertical gravity: a
clip_vertical 0x80
top gravity will clip the bottom edge, a bottom gravity will clip the top edge, and
neither will clip both edges.
Additional option that can be set to have the left and/or right edges of the child
clipped to its container's bounds. The clip will be based on the horizontal gravity:
clip_horizontal 0x08
a left gravity will clip the right edge, a right gravity will clip the left edge, and
neither will clip both edges.
start 0x00800003 Push object to the beginning of its container, not changing its size.
end 0x00800005 Push object to the end of its container, not changing its size.

LinearLayout and its Important Attributes with Examples

LinearLayout is the most basic layout in android studio, that aligns all the children sequentially either in a horizontal
manner or a 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 and If you
apply android:orientation=”horizontal” then elements will be arranged one after another in a horizontal manner.
Sample Code of LinearLayout

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
 tools:context=".MainActivity">
</LinearLayout>

Examples
1. How to arrange children views in a vertical manner

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
tools:context=".MainActivity">
<!-- Add vertical in the android:orientation-->

<!-- Add Button-->

<Button
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

<!-- Add Button-->

<Button
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

<!-- Add Button-->

<Button
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

</LinearLayout>

Output UI:
2. How to arrange children views in a horizontal manner

<?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">
<!-- Add horizontal in the android:orientation-->

<!-- Add Button-->

<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp" />
 </LinearLayout>

Output UI:

3. How to use layout_weight and weightSum

<?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"
android:weightSum="3"
tools:context=".MainActivity">
<!-- Add value in the android:weightSum-->
<!-- Add horizontal in the android:orientation-->

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the android:layout_weight-->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the android:layout_weight-->
<Button
 android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the android:layout_weight-->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_weight="1" />

</LinearLayout>

Output UI:

4. How to use gravity

<?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"
android:weightSum="3"
tools:context=".MainActivity">
<!-- Add value in the android:weightSum-->
<!-- Add horizontal in the android:orientation-->
 <!-- Add Button-->
<!-- Add value in the android:gravity -->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:gravity="bottom|center"
android:text="GFG" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the android:gravity -->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:gravity="center"
android:text="GFG" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the android:gravity -->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_margin="10dp"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:gravity="center|top"
android:text="GFG" />

</LinearLayout>

Output UI:
5. How to use layout_gravity

<?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">
<!-- Add vertical in the android:orientation-->

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the layout_gravity -->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
android:layout_margin="10dp" />

<!-- Add Button-->

<!-- Add value in the layout_gravity -->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="right"
android:layout_margin="10dp" />

<!-- Add Button-->

 <!-- Add value in the layout_gravity -->
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="left"
android:layout_margin="10dp" />

</LinearLayout>

Output UI:

What distinguishes a View from a Layout in Android development?

A View is a basic UI element like a button or text field, while a Layout is a View Group that arranges these Views on the
screen; a View is a part of a layout.
When should I use LinearLayout over ConstraintLayout?
LinearLayout allows for more simple UIs with a linear arrangement of elements. ConstraintLayout, however, is better
suited for complex, flat hierarchies and more flexible positioning of Views.
What is the most efficient layout to use in Android Studio?
ConstraintLayout is generally the most efficient in Android Studio for creating complex, performance-optimized UIs with
minimal nesting.
Which layout offers the best performance in Android applications?
ConstraintLayout typically offers the best performance, allowing complex designs with fewer nested elements, and
enhancing rendering speed and efficiency.