Aligning textviews on the left and right edges in Android layout

Question

Getting started with Android and having trouble getting a simple layout going.

I would like to use a LinearLayout to position two TextViews in a single row. One TextView on the left hand side, the other on the right hand side (analogous to float:left, float:right in CSS).

Is that possible or do I need to use a different ViewGroup or further layout nesting to accomplish it?

Here's what I have so far:

<?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="horizontal" android:padding="10sp">
<TextView android:id="@+id/mytextview1" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="somestringontheleftSomestring" android:layout_width="wrap_content"/>
<TextView android:id="@+id/mytextview2" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:ellipsize="end"
    android:text="somestringontheright" android:layout_width="wrap_content"/>
</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

Use a RelativeLayout with layout_alignParentLeft and layout_alignParentRight:

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/RelativeLayout01" 
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:padding="10dp">

    <TextView 
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" 
        android:id="@+id/mytextview1"/>

    <TextView 
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true" 
        android:id="@+id/mytextview2"/>

</RelativeLayout>

Also, you should probably be using dip (or dp) rather than sp in your layout. sp reflect text settings as well as screen density so they're usually only for sizing text items.

Answer 2

You can use the gravity property to "float" views.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">

    <LinearLayout 
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:gravity="center_vertical|center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="horizontal">

        <TextView  
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
            android:gravity="left"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Left Aligned"
            />

        <TextView  
            android:layout_width="wrap_content" 
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:gravity="right"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Right Aligned"
            />
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>