[android] Android Percentage Layout Height

I know that it is impossible to set percentages and that you can set a weight of certain images to scale their heights. What I am trying to do though is specify the height of a layout relative to the layout it is within. Basicly I have something like this

<LinearLayout android:layout_height="fill_parent">
  <LinearLayout>

  </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Of course this is a very simplified version, just so you can understand my gibberish. Basicly I want to set the inner linearlayout to be around 50% of the main linearlayout.

What is the best way to do this?

Just as you said, I'd recommend weights. Percentages would be incredibly useful (don't know why they aren't supported), but one way you could do it is like so:

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

The takeaway being that you have an empty View that will take up the remaining space. Not ideal, but it does what you're looking for.

android:layout_weight=".YOURVALUE" is best way to implement in percentage

<?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="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/logTextBox"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_weight=".20"
        android:maxLines="500"
        android:scrollbars="vertical"
        android:singleLine="false"
        android:text="@string/logText" >
    </TextView>

</LinearLayout>

There is an attribute called android:weightSum.

You can set android:weightSum="2" in the parent linear_layout and android:weight="1" in the inner linear_layout.

Remember to set the inner linear_layout to fill_parent so weight attribute can work as expected.

Btw, I don't think its necesary to add a second view, altough I haven't tried. :)

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:weightSum="2">

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1">
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

With introduction of ContraintLayout, it's possible to implement with Guidelines:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context="com.example.eugene.test1.MainActivity">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:background="#AAA"
        android:text="TextView"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/guideline" />

    <android.support.constraint.Guideline
        android:id="@+id/guideline"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.5" />

</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

You can read more in this article Building interfaces with ConstraintLayout.