Learn How To Dynamically Create the Layout in Android

Introduction

This article explains how to dynamically create the layout in Android. Android Studio is used for the sample.

Typically we develp the layout for an Android application by creating the XML file. But in this we will create the layout for the activity using code in the class file. In this I have created four buttons inside a RelativeLayout that uses methods and variables to change their layout. First you will create the Relativelayout and call LayoutParams to set the parameters as in the following:

 // Creating a new RelativeLayout

        RelativeLayout relativeLayout = new RelativeLayout(this);

 

        // Defining the RelativeLayout layout parameters with Fill_Parent

        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams relativeLayoutParams = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT, RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT);

 

Now you will create the buttons that you want to show on screens as in the following:
 

 // Creating a new Left Button

        Button button1 = new Button(this);

        button1.setText("Button1");

 

        // Creating a new Left Button with Margin

        Button button2 = new Button(this);

        button2.setText("Button2");

 

        // Creating a new Center Button

        Button button3 = new Button(this);

        button3.setText("Button3");

 

        // Creating a new Bottom Button

        Button button4 = new Button(this);

        button4.setText("Button4");

 

Step 1

Create a project as in the following:

 

 

Step 2

 

Default XML file
 

<RelativeLayout 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:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"

    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"

    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"

    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"

    tools:context=".MainActivity">

 

    <TextView

        android:layout_width="wrap_content"

        android:layout_height="wrap_content"

        android:text="@string/hello_world" />

 

</RelativeLayout>

 

Step 3

 

Create a Java file and provide this in it:

 

package com.dynamicbuttoncreation; 

import android.app.Activity;

import android.os.Bundle;

import android.widget.Button;

import android.widget.RelativeLayout;

 

 

import android.content.ContentValues;

import android.content.Context;

import android.database.Cursor;

import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;

import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper;

import android.graphics.Color;

import android.os.Bundle;

import android.app.Activity;

import android.view.Menu;

import android.widget.Button;

import android.widget.RelativeLayout;

 

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

 

    @Override

    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

 

        // Creating a new RelativeLayout

        RelativeLayout relativeLayout = new RelativeLayout(this);

 

        // Defining the RelativeLayout layout parameters with Fill_Parent

        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams relativeLayoutParams = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT, RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT);

 

        // Creating a new Left Button

        Button button1 = new Button(this);

        button1.setText("Button1");

 

        // Creating a new Left Button with Margin

        Button button2 = new Button(this);

        button2.setText("Button2");

 

        // Creating a new Center Button

        Button button3 = new Button(this);

        button3.setText("Button3");

 

        // Creating a new Bottom Button

        Button button4 = new Button(this);

        button4.setText("Button4");

 

        // Add a Layout to the Buttons

        AddButtonLayout(button1, RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_LEFT);

        AddButtonLayout(button3, RelativeLayout.CENTER_IN_PARENT);

        AddButtonLayout(button4, RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_BOTTOM);

 

        // Add a Layout to the Button with Margin

        LayoutAddButton(button2, RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_LEFT, 30, 80, 0, 0);

 

        // Add the Buttons to the View

        relativeLayout.addView(button1);

        relativeLayout.addView(button3);

        relativeLayout.addView(button4);

        relativeLayout.addView(button2);

 

        // Setting the RelativeLayout as our content view

        setContentView(relativeLayout, relativeLayoutParams);

    }

 

    private void LayoutAddButton(Button button, int centerInParent, int marginLeft, int marginTop, int marginRight, int marginBottom) {

        // Defining the layout parameters of the Button

        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams buttonLayoutParameters = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT, RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

 

        // Add Margin to the LayoutParameters

        buttonLayoutParameters.setMargins(marginLeft, marginTop, marginRight, marginBottom);

 

        // Add Rule to Layout

        buttonLayoutParameters.addRule(centerInParent);

 

        // Setting the parameters on the Button

        button.setLayoutParams(buttonLayoutParameters);

    }

 

    private void AddButtonLayout(Button button, int centerInParent) {

        // Just call the other AddButtonLayout Method with Margin 0

        LayoutAddButton(button, centerInParent, 0, 0, 0, 0);

    }

}

 

Step 4

 

Android Manifest.xml file
 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

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

    package="com.dynamicbuttoncreation"

    android:versionCode="1"

    android:versionName="1.0" >

 

    <uses-sdk

        android:minSdkVersion="7"

        android:targetSdkVersion="16" />

 

    <application

        android:allowBackup="true"

        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"

        android:label="@string/app_name"

        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >

        <activity

            android:name="com.dynamicbuttoncreation.MainActivity"

            android:label="@string/app_name" >

            <intent-filter>

                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

 

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />

            </intent-filter>

        </activity>

    </application>

 

</manifest>

Step 5

 

Output