It is essential for every designer to get familiar with the basic Android design layouts before getting started with the app. This article is all about the basic ideas of layouts that should be designed keeping in mind the Android architecture.
Also, we shall explore some specific layout controls available for organizing application screen content in a number of ways.
What Is A Layout?
Layouts are defined in two ways by Android developers depending on their applications.
- A primary resource that illustrates what is to be drawn on the screen. In most of the application, these are set aside as XML files in the /res/layout directory. Layout resource is nothing but a proposed template for designing a user interface screen.
- Layouts can also be defined as a kind of view class used to organize other controls. Such layout classes display child controls, and several other controls like, text controls, buttons, images etc.
Every layout comprises of a number of segmented view on the website. These segments hold specific information based on their category. These segments are known as child views with layout being the parent.
Primary Layout Types:-
LinearLayout:- In such layouts, all the child view controls are kept in one direction. It makes use of single row or column and is very handy choice for creating forms.
FrameLayout:- The primary use of FrameLayout is to block out an area on the screen to display a specific item. It is advisable to use FrameLayout while holding a child view because it can be difficult to manage child locks having varying size.
TableLayout:-TableLayout makes use of child view lock to organize them into rows and columns. It comprises of TableRow objects to define a row. Each row consists of zero or more cells and every individual cells can hold one view object.
RelativeLayout:- This Layout incorporates relation between multiple child view controls. These layouts are defined based on the relation of existing child view controls.
Combining Layouts
A layout is an individual identity i.e. all the layouts described above exist as unique designing elements. Most of the Android Apps Design require making use of several layouts to be combined together. Any of the layouts can be used inside the other as Linear Layout in FrameLayout. There are so many tools out there being used for layout design. However, one of the most popular layout design tools is Eclipse.
- It is always advisable to design layouts keeping in mind the various device types i.e. flexible layouts.
- One can design different layouts to load depending upon the orientation of the screen size whether the device has a large screen or small.
Primary Layout Optimization Tools:-
Several tools are provided by Android SDK for debugging and optimizing layouts.
- Hierarchy Viewer- Used to inspect the layout details at run-time.
- LayoutOpt-Layout Command-line Tool can be used for optimizing layout files.
That’s all about having a brief idea to the primary layout designs in Android. We, at Oodles Studio design Android apps and UI to provide best of the creativity and technicality to our clients following their varied needs.
