custom TextView is not showing text but shows only background

Question

I have an strange behavior of TextView it beats me how can I figure out a solution to this issue. I have a layout

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' ?>
<LinearLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="start"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:visibility="visible">

    <View
        android:id="@+id/them_avatar_spacer"
        android:layout_width="@dimen/avatar_size"
        android:layout_height="0.0dip"
        android:visibility="gone"/>

    <org.slabs.fc.chatstarter.ui.CircularImageView
        android:id="@+id/them_avatar"
        android:layout_width="@dimen/avatar_size"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/avatar_size"
        android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
        android:src="@drawable/default_avatar"
        android:visibility="gone"/>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginLeft="4.0dip"
        android:gravity="start"
        android:orientation="vertical">

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/chat_title"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginBottom="2.0dip"
            android:layout_marginLeft="6.0dip"
            android:layout_marginTop="6dp"
            android:includeFontPadding="false"
            android:text="Title"
            android:textColor="@color/black_light"
            android:textSize="@dimen/chat_name_fontsize"/>

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:gravity="start"
            android:orientation="horizontal">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/chat_text"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginRight="63.0dip"
                android:autoLink="all"
                android:background="@drawable/selectable_balloon_left"
                android:clickable="true"
                android:lineSpacingExtra="@dimen/text_body_line_spacing"
                android:linksClickable="true"
                android:text="Every message text comes here"
                android:textColor="@color/black_heavy"
                android:textIsSelectable="false"
                android:textSize="@dimen/chat_text_msg_fontsize"
                android:visibility="visible"/>

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/chat_time"
                android:layout_width="60.0dip"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_gravity="start|center"
                android:layout_marginLeft="-60.0dip"
                android:text="12:15"
                android:textColor="@color/black_lightest"
                android:textSize="@dimen/chat_timestamp_fontsize"/>
        </LinearLayout>
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

It gives me desired layout in a Design option of XML editor, as shown

But when I run the App the TextView with id chat_text is not showing and I get a result like below,

Then I tried to create a custom TextView I simply created one as

public class ChatThemTextView extends TextView {

    public ChatThemTextView(Context context) {
        super(context);
    }

    public ChatThemTextView(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
        super(context, attrs);
    }

    public ChatThemTextView(Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyleAttr, int defStyleRes) {
        super(context, attrs, defStyleAttr, defStyleRes);
    }

    @Override
    protected void onLayout(boolean changed, int left, int top, int right, int bottom) {
        super.onLayout(changed, left, top, right, bottom);
        ViewGroup.MarginLayoutParams margins = ViewGroup.MarginLayoutParams.class.cast(getLayoutParams());
        int margin = 5;
        margins.topMargin = margin;
        margins.bottomMargin = margin;
        margins.leftMargin = margin;
        margins.rightMargin = margin;
        setLayoutParams(margins);
    }
}

At this point other issue came out which is when I add the first message I don't get anything but when I add the second message I get the background but TextView is still not showing as shown here

You all see what is expected how the output comes, any help is appreciated...

Update

ViewHolder is just simple

public class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
    public ViewHolder(View itemView) {
        super(itemView);
    }
}

adapter class goes here

public class ChatMessageAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<ViewHolder> {

    private List<ChatMessage> mMessageList;
    private Context mContext;
    private boolean isMe = false;
    public ChatMessageAdapter(Context mContext, List<ChatMessage> mMessageList){
        this.mContext = mContext;
        this.mMessageList = mMessageList;
    }

    @Override
    public ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
        View rootView = View.inflate(mContext, R.layout.chat_them_container, null);
        return new ThemMessageHolder(rootView);
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(ViewHolder holder, int position) {
        ThemMessageHolder messageHolder = (ThemMessageHolder) holder;
        messageHolder.mMessageTextView.setText(mMessageList.get(position).getMessage());
        messageHolder.mSentAtTextView.setText(mMessageList.get(position).getSentAt());
        Log.e("MSG_TEXT", mMessageList.get(position).getMessage());
    }

    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return mMessageList.size();
    }

    public void clearData() {
        mMessageList.clear(); //clear list
        this.notifyDataSetChanged();
    }
}

important

I get the Sting value at

Log.e("MSG_TEXT", mMessageList.get(position).getMessage());

but TextView is not showing that String...

.gitignore is

*.iml
.gradle
/local.properties
/.idea/workspace.xml
/.idea/libraries
.DS_Store
/build
/captures

and settings.gradle is just

include ':app'

Answer 1

You may change:

View rootView = View.inflate(mContext, R.layout.chat_them_container, null);

To:

View rootView = LayoutInflater.from(mContext).inflate(R.layout.chat_them_container, parent, false);

It will respect the LayoutParams of its parent, and hence fix your issue.