Aligning textviews on the left and right edges in Android layout

Question

I am getting started with Android. I am having trouble getting a simple layout going.

I would like to use a LinearLayout to position two TextViews in a single row. One TextView on the left hand side, the other on the right hand side (analogous to float:left, float:right in CSS).

Is that possible, or do I need to use a different ViewGroup or further layout nesting to accomplish it?

Here's what I have so far:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal" android:padding="10sp">
<TextView android:id="@+id/mytextview1" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="somestringontheleftSomestring" android:layout_width="wrap_content"/>
<TextView android:id="@+id/mytextview2" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:ellipsize="end"
    android:text="somestringontheright" android:layout_width="wrap_content"/>
</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

Use a RelativeLayout with layout_alignParentLeft and layout_alignParentRight :

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/RelativeLayout01" 
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:padding="10dp">

    <TextView 
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" 
        android:id="@+id/mytextview1"/>

    <TextView 
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true" 
        android:id="@+id/mytextview2"/>

</RelativeLayout>

Also, you should probably be using dip (or dp ) rather than sp in your layout . sp reflect text settings as well as screen density so they're usually only for sizing text items.

Answer 2

You can use the gravity property to "float" views.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">

    <LinearLayout 
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="horizontal">

        <TextView  
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
            android:gravity="left"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Left Aligned"
            />

        <TextView  
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:gravity="right"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Right Aligned"
            />
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

Answer 3

It can be done with LinearLayout (less overhead and more control than the Relative Layout option). Give the second view the remaining space so gravity can work. Tested back to API 16.

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Aligned left" />

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="end"
        android:text="Aligned right" />
</LinearLayout> 

If you want to limit the size of the first text view, do this:

Adjust weights as required. Relative layout won't allow you to set a percentage weight like this, only a fixed dp of one of the views

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Aligned left but too long and would squash the other view" />

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="end"
        android:text="Aligned right" />
</LinearLayout>

Answer 4

Even with Rollin_s's tip, Dave Webb's answer didn't work for me. The text in the right TextView was still overlapping the text in the left TextView .

I eventually got the behavior I wanted with something like this:

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/RelativeLayout01" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent" 
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:padding="10dp">

<TextView 
    android:id="@+id/mytextview1"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />

<TextView 
    android:id="@+id/mytextview2"
    android:layout_width="match_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:layout_toRightOf="@id/mytextview1"
    android:gravity="right"/>

</RelativeLayout>

Note that mytextview2 has "android:layout_width" set as "match_parent" .

Hope this helps someone!

Answer 5

<TextView
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_weight="1"
    android:text="Hello world" />

<View
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_weight="1" />

<TextView
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Gud bye" />

Answer 6

There are many other ways to accomplish this, I would do something like this.

<RelativeLayout 
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textRight"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="30dp"
        android:text="YOUR TEXT ON THE RIGHT"
        android:textSize="16sp"
        android:textStyle="italic" />


    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textLeft"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="30dp"
        android:text="YOUR TEXT ON THE LEFT"
        android:textSize="16sp" />
</RelativeLayout>

Answer 7

Dave Webb's answer did work for me. Thanks! Here my code, hope this helps someone!

<RelativeLayout
    android:background="#FFFFFF"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:minHeight="30dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <TextView
        android:height="25dp"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginLeft="20dp"
        android:text="ABA Type"
        android:padding="3dip"
        android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
        android:gravity="left|center_vertical"
        android:layout_height="match_parent" />
    <TextView
        android:background="@color/blue"
        android:minWidth="30px"
        android:minHeight="30px"
        android:layout_column="1"
        android:id="@+id/txtABAType"
        android:singleLine="false"
        android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_marginRight="20dp"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" />
</RelativeLayout>

Image: Image

Answer 8

In case you want the left and right elements to wrap content but have the middle space

<LinearLayout
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <TextView
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
    <Space
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1"/>
    <Button
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
</LinearLayout>

Answer 9

This Code will Divide the control into two equal sides.

    <LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:id="@+id/linearLayout">
    <TextView
        android:text = "Left Side"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_weight = "1"
        android:id = "@+id/txtLeft"/>

    <TextView android:text = "Right Side"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_weight = "1"
        android:id = "@+id/txtRight"/>
    </LinearLayout>