[android] What is the purpose of Android's <merge> tag in XML layouts?

The include tag

The <include> tag lets you to divide your layout into multiple files: it helps dealing with complex or overlong user interface.

Let's suppose you split your complex layout using two include files as follows:

top_level_activity.xml:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/layout1" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <!-- First include file -->
    <include layout="@layout/include1.xml" />

    <!-- Second include file -->
    <include layout="@layout/include2.xml" />

</LinearLayout>

Then you need to write include1.xml and include2.xml.

Keep in mind that the xml from the include files is simply dumped in your top_level_activity layout at rendering time (pretty much like the #INCLUDE macro for C).

The include files are plain jane layout xml.

include1.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/textView1"
    android:text="First include"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

... and include2.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Button xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/button1"
    android:text="Button" />

See? Nothing fancy. Note that you still have to declare the android namespace with xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android.

So the rendered version of top_level_activity.xml is:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/layout1" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <!-- First include file -->
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:text="First include"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

    <!-- Second include file -->
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:text="Button" />


</LinearLayout>

In your java code, all this is transparent: findViewById(R.id.textView1) in your activity class returns the correct widget ( even if that widget was declared in a xml file different from the activity layout).

And the cherry on top: the visual editor handles the thing swimmingly. The top level layout is rendered with the xml included.

The plot thickens

As an include file is a classic layout xml file, it means that it must have one top element. So in case your file needs to include more than one widget, you would have to use a layout.

Let's say that include1.xml has now two TextView: a layout has to be declared. Let's choose a LinearLayout.

include1.xml:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/layout2" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:text="Second include"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView2"
        android:text="More text"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

</LinearLayout>

The top_level_activity.xml will be rendered as:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/layout1" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <!-- First include file -->
    <LinearLayout 
        android:id="@+id/layout2" 
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

       <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textView1"
            android:text="Second include"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

       <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textView2"
            android:text="More text"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

   </LinearLayout>

     <!-- Second include file -->
   <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:text="Button" />

</LinearLayout>

But wait the two levels of LinearLayout are redundant!

Indeed, the two nested LinearLayout serve no purpose as the two TextView could be included under layout1for exactly the same rendering.

So what can we do?

Enter the merge tag

The <merge> tag is just a dummy tag that provides a top level element to deal with this kind of redundancy issues.

Now include1.xml becomes:

<merge xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:text="Second include"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView2"
        android:text="More text"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

</merge>

and now top_level_activity.xml is rendered as:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/layout1" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <!-- First include file --> 
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:text="Second include"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView2"
        android:text="More text"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"/>

    <!-- Second include file -->
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:text="Button" />

</LinearLayout>

You saved one hierarchy level, avoid one useless view: Romain Guy sleeps better already.

Aren't you happier now?