button at the bottom of a LinearLayout

[Richard Hayward]

This seems the most simple thing, yet I can figure out how to do it.

In a LinearLayout, I have a Button and a class MyView that extends View. MyView occupies the space not used by the Button and just does some drawing in it's onDraw method.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:orientation="vertical" > <Button android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="hello" /> <com.xentu.twothousandlines.MyView android:id="@+id/vMyView" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" /> </LinearLayout>

It works ok, but I'd like the button at the bottom of the screen, despite the fact that it's declared before MyView in the xml.

Google brings loads of hits on how to do this, many of which must surely be way to complicated for such a simple problem. I've spent ages messing around with layout_weight, layout_gravity and various other attributes.

What is the simplest & cleanest way to achieve this?

Regards
Richard

[Ulf Dittmer]

I'd like the button at the bottom of the screen, despite the fact that it's declared before MyView in the xml.

What are you trying to accomplish by that? LinearLayout displays views in the order they're defined. If you want to change that order, alter the layout file accordingly.

[Richard Hayward]

Hi Ulf

Ulf Dittmer wrote:
What are you trying to accomplish by that?

I did that because I want MyView to take all the remaining space once the Button has been created. If I reverse the order and declare MyView first, it seems to occupy all available screen space and the button cannot be seen.

[Steve Luke]

Then you are using the wrong layout. Use a RelativeLayout with the custom view set to above the button and the button set to align with the parents bottom

[Richard Hayward]

Steve Luke wrote:Then you are using the wrong layout. Use a RelativeLayout with the custom view set to above the button and the button set to align with the parents bottom

But if I do that,

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:orientation="vertical" > <com.xentu.onethousandlines.MyView android:id="@+id/vMyView" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" /> <Button android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" android:text="hello" /> </RelativeLayout>

then the button is at the bottom, but MyView takes all the screen space, I can see it even behind (or maybe on top of), the button.
Changing MyView's layout_height attribute to either "fill_parent" or "wrap_content" still gives the same result.

[Steve Luke]

You should put the button at the top of the layout file so it is sized and placed first. You will need to give the button an id. Then you use the correct layout attribute to align the custom view above the button

I forget the correct layout attribute to use but if you look up the api for RelativeLayout it should be clear.

[Richard Hayward]

Steve & Ulf,

Thanks for your help. I have it working now:

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:orientation="vertical" > <SeekBar android:id="@+id/sbMyBar" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"/> <com.xentu.onethousandlines.MyView android:id="@+id/vMyView" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_above="@+id/sbMyBar" /> </RelativeLayout>

Above uses a SeekBar, instead of a Button but the problem & its solution is the same.

Richard