How do I make generic layouts to include in other layouts but change the properties inside the generic layouts dynamically in android app development?

Question

I am very new to android so please forgive my ignorance.

My main layout is a vertical LinearLayout, I want to include other repeating layouts in this. However I want the info in the objects of the included layouts to be changed. For example, the included generic layout will be a horizontal LinearLayout and will have a TextView and an EditText. In my main layout I want to include two of these generic layouts. How would I dynamically change the text in the TextView and the EditText for each include? Also, how would I dynamically change the number of these included layouts?

My main layout would look something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/main"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >
    <include android:id="@+id/generic" />
    <include android:id="@+id/generic" />
    <include android:id="@+id/generic" />
    .
    .
    .
</LinearLayout>

My generic layout would something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/generic"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="horizontal" >
    <TextView .../>
    <EditView .../>
</LinearLayout>

Hopefully I was clear enough. Thanks

Answer 1

How would I dynamically change the text in the TextView and the EditText for each include?

You would do this by giving each unique id s. So

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/main"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >
    <include android:id="@+id/include1" />
    <include android:id="@+id/include2" />

Then inflate them when you need to access their Views . Suppose include1 is a LinearLayout

LinearLayout ll1 = (LinearLayout) findViewById(R.id.include1);  

then get the TextView from that. Suppose the TextView in the included layout has an id of textView1

TextView tv1 = (TextView) ll1.findViewById(R.id.textView1); 

Now you can do what you want with tv1

Also, how would I dynamically change the number of these included layouts?

You can call addView() on whatever parent layout you want to add these layouts to

Answer 2

If you need to do something dynamically with layouts, then do it in code:

{// add player name
            playerTxt = new RoboTextView(context);
            LayoutParams playerParams = new LayoutParams(ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT,
                    ViewGroup.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);
            if (useSingleLine) {
                playerParams.addRule(CENTER_VERTICAL);
                playerParams.addRule(ALIGN_PARENT_LEFT);
            } else {
                playerParams.addRule(RIGHT_OF, AVATAR_ID);
                playerParams.addRule(ALIGN_TOP, AVATAR_ID);
            }

            playerTxt.setTextSize(playerTextSize);
            playerTxt.setTextColor(playerTextColor);
            playerTxt.setId(PLAYER_ID);
            playerTxt.setPadding((int) (4 * density), 0, 0, 0);
            playerTxt.setMarqueeRepeatLimit(2);
            playerTxt.setEllipsize(TextUtils.TruncateAt.MARQUEE);
            playerTxt.setFont(FontsHelper.BOLD_FONT);

            addView(playerTxt, playerParams);
        }

You may create your own custom MyLinearLayout extends LinearLayout and use your own ids to bind views:

public static final int AVATAR_ID = 0x00004400;
public static final int PLAYER_ID = 0x00004401;
public static final int RATING_ID = 0x00004402;
public static final int FLAG_ID = 0x00004403;
public static final int PREMIUM_ID = 0x00004404;
public static final int CAPTURED_ID = 0x00004405;
public static final int TIME_LEFT_ID = 0x00004406;

If you need to repeatedly add few similar views(or exact same from one layout) you can use base ID:

public static final int BUTTON_PREFIX = 0x00002000;

and add other widgets(views) by incrementing counter of something like that

int getButtonId(ButtonIds buttonId) {
    return BUTTON_PREFIX + buttonId.ordinal();
}

But keep in mind that your id shold not intercross with other's ids in the same layout.