[android] How to make layout with View fill the remaining space?

I'm designing my application UI. I need a layout looks like this:

(< and > are Buttons). The problem is, I don't know how to make sure the TextView will fill the remaining space, with two buttons have fixed size.

If I use fill_parent for Text View, the second button (>) can't be shown.

How can I craft a layout that looks like the image?

i found

 <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_marginEnd="10dp"
        android:fontFamily="casual"
        android:text="(By Zeus B0t)"
     ``   android:textSize="10sp"
        android:gravity="bottom"
        android:textStyle="italic" />

It´s simple You set the minWidth or minHeight, depends on what you are looking for, horizontal or vertical. And for the other object(the one that you want to fill the remaining space) you set a weight of 1 (set the width to wrap it´s content), So it will fill the rest of area.

<LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center|left"
        android:orientation="vertical" >
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="80dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:minWidth="80dp" >
</LinearLayout>

use a Relativelayout to wrap LinearLayout

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:round="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical">
    <Button
        android:layout_width = "wrap_content"
        android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
        android:text="&lt;"/>
    <TextView
        android:layout_width = "fill_parent"
        android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight = "1"/>
    <Button
        android:layout_width = "wrap_content"
        android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
        android:text="&gt;"/>

</LinearLayout>

</RelativeLayout>`

In case if < TEXT VIEW > is placed in LinearLayout, set the Layout_weight proprty of < and > to 0 and 1 for TextView.
In case of RelativeLayout align < and > to left and right and set "Layout to left of" and "Layout to right of" property of TextView to ids of < and >

You can use set the layout_width or layout_width to 0dp (By the orientation you want to fill remaining space). Then use the layout_weight to make it fill remaining space.

For those having the same glitch with <LinearLayout...> as I did:

It is important to specify android:layout_width="fill_parent", it will not work with wrap_content.

OTOH, you may omit android:layout_weight = "0", it is not required.

My code is basically the same as the code in https://stackoverflow.com/a/25781167/755804 (by Vivek Pandey)

Using a ConstraintLayout, I've found something like

<Button
    android:id="@+id/left_button"
    android:layout_width="80dp"
    android:layout_height="48dp"
    android:text="&lt;"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

<TextView
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintLeft_toRightOf="@+id/left_button"
    app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/right_button"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

<Button
    android:id="@+id/right_button"
    android:layout_width="80dp"
    android:layout_height="48dp"
    android:text="&gt;"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />

works. The key is setting the right, left, top, and bottom edge constraints appropriately, then setting the width and height to 0dp and letting it figure out it's own size.

If you use RelativeLayout, you can do it something like this:

<RelativeLayout
    android:layout_width = "fill_parent"
    android:layout_height = "fill_parent">
    <ImageView
        android:id = "@+id/my_image"
        android:layout_width = "wrap_content"
        android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentTop ="true" />
    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/layout_bottom"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height = "50dp"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom = "true">
        <Button
            android:id = "@+id/but_left"
            android:layout_width = "80dp"
            android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
            android:text="&lt;"
            android:layout_alignParentLeft = "true"/>
        <TextView
            android:layout_width = "fill_parent"
            android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
            android:layout_toLeftOf = "@+id/but_right"
            android:layout_toRightOf = "@id/but_left" />
        <Button
            android:id = "@id/but_right"
            android:layout_width = "80dp"
            android:layout_height = "wrap_content"
            android:text="&gt;"
            android:layout_alignParentRight = "true"/>
    </RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

You should avoid nesting 2 relative layout since relative layout always make 2 pass for drawing (against 1 for any other type of layout). It becomes exponential when you nest them. You should use linear layout with width=0 and weight=1 on the element you want to fill the space left. This answer is better for performance and the practices. Remember: use relative layout ONLY when you don't have other choice.

<?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="match_parent"
          android:orientation="vertical">

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/imageview"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="50dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/prev_button"
            android:layout_width="80dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="&lt;" />

        <TextView
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:ellipsize="end"
            android:singleLine="true"
            android:gravity="center"
            android:text="TextView" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/next_button"
            android:layout_width="80dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="&gt;" />
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

you can use high layout_weight attribute. Below you can see a layout where ListView takes all free space with buttons at bottom:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    tools:context=".ConfigurationActivity"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    >

        <ListView
            android:id="@+id/listView"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1000"
            />


        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btnCreateNewRule"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Create New Rule" />



        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btnConfigureOk"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Ok" />


</LinearLayout>

When using a relative layout, you can make a view stretch by anchoring it to both of the views it's supposed to stretch toward. Although the specified height will be disregarded, Android still requires a height attribute, which is why I wrote "0dp". Example:

<View
    android:id="@+id/topView"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="40dp"
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"/>

<View
    android:id="@+id/stretchableView"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_below="@id/topView"
    android:layout_above="@+id/bottomView"
    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
    android:adjustViewBounds="true"/>

<View
    android:id="@id/bottomView"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="40dp"
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
    android:layout_marginBottom="16dp"/>