[android] How do you make a LinearLayout scrollable?

I have lot of items on the screen and I need to use the scrollbar so the user can scroll down. However, the scroll is either not visible or it's not working. How is it possible to add a scrollbar to a LinearLayout?

This can be done using the tag <ScrollView>. For ScrollView, one thing you have to remind that, ScrollView must have a single child.

If you want your full layout to be scrollable then add <ScrollView> at the top. Check the example given below.

<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/scroll" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <LinearLayout 
        android:id="@+id/container" 
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="vertical">
            <!-- Content here -->
    </LinearLayout>

</ScrollView>

But if you want some part of your layout to be scrollable then add <ScrollView> within that part. Check the example given below.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="400dp">

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

        <LinearLayout 
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical">
                <!-- Content here -->
        </LinearLayout>

    </ScrollView>

</LinearLayout>

You need to place ScrollView as the first child of Layout file and now put your linearlayout inside it. Now, android will decide on the basis of content and device size available whether to show a scrollable or not.

Make sure linearlayout has no sibling because ScrollView can not have more than one child.

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

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

            <LinearLayout
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:orientation="vertical">
                <---------Content Here --------------->
            </LinearLayout>
       </ScrollView>
    </LinearLayout>

You can add an atrribute in linearLayout : android:scrollbars="vertical"

<ScrollView 
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:id="@+id/scroll" 
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content">

      <LinearLayout 
            android:id="@+id/container"
            android:orientation="vertical" 
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content">
      </LinearLayout>

 </ScrollView>

you need to use the following attribute and enclose it within the linear layout

<LinearLayout ...>
<scrollView ...> 

</scrollView>
</LinearLayout>

You need to wrap your linear layout with a scroll view

<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/scroll" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <LinearLayout 
        android:id="@+id/container" 
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="vertical">


    </LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>

Here is how I did it by trial and error.

ScrollView - (the outer wrapper).

    LinearLayout (child-1).

        LinearLayout (child-1a).

        LinearLayout (child-1b).

Since ScrollView can have only one child, that child is a linear layout. Then all the other layout types occur in the first linear layout. I haven't tried to include a relative layout yet, but they drive me nuts so I will wait until my sanity returns.

Whenever you wanted to make a layout scrollable, you can use <ScrollView> With a layout or component in it.