Search layout with 2 edittext and 2 buttons

Question

I'm building an Android app and I'm new on building the UI on an .xml file. I've built a simple layout but I think that is not optimize very well.

This component is a search layout with 2 edittext and 2 buttons.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:id="@+id/layout_search" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"> <RelativeLayout android:id="@+id/LayoutSetSearch_From" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"> <TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginLeft="10dp" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" android:text="from:" android:gravity="start" android:maxLines="1" android:layout_alignBottom="@+id/txtsetSearch_From"/> <EditText android:id="@+id/txtsetSearch_From" android:layout_width="120dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_centerVertical="true" android:layout_alignParentRight="true" android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" android:layout_marginRight="10dp" android:singleLine="true" android:gravity="center" android:clickable="false" android:cursorVisible="false" android:focusable="false" android:focusableInTouchMode="false" android:inputType="text"/> </RelativeLayout> <RelativeLayout android:id="@+id/LayoutSetSearch_To" android:layout_below="@+id/LayoutSetSearch_From" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginTop="5dip"> <TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginLeft="10dp" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" android:text="to:" android:gravity="start" android:maxLines="1" android:layout_alignBottom="@+id/txtsetSearch_To"/> <EditText android:id="@+id/txtsetSearch_To" android:layout_width="120dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_centerVertical="true" android:layout_alignParentRight="true" android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" android:layout_marginRight="10dp" android:singleLine="true" android:gravity="center" android:clickable="false" android:cursorVisible="false" android:focusable="false" android:focusableInTouchMode="false" android:inputType="text"/> </RelativeLayout> <RelativeLayout android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="48dp" android:layout_below="@+id/LayoutSetSearch_To" android:layout_marginTop="15dp"> <View android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="1dip" android:layout_marginLeft="4dip" android:layout_marginRight="4dip" android:background="?android:attr/dividerVertical" android:layout_alignParentTop="true"/> <View android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="1dip" android:layout_marginLeft="4dip" android:layout_marginRight="4dip" android:background="?android:attr/dividerVertical" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"/> <View android:id="@+id/ViewColorPickerHelper" android:layout_width="1dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_alignParentTop="true" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" android:layout_marginBottom="4dip" android:layout_marginTop="4dip" android:background="?android:attr/dividerVertical" android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"/> <Button android:id="@+id/btn_search_summary" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="start" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" android:layout_toLeftOf="@id/ViewColorPickerHelper" android:background="?android:attr/selectableItemBackground" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" /> <Button android:id="@+id/btn_reset_search_summary" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="match_parent" android:layout_alignParentRight="true" android:background="?android:attr/selectableItemBackground" android:text="reset" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" android:layout_toRightOf="@id/ViewColorPickerHelper"/> </RelativeLayout> </RelativeLayout> 

Answer 1

If you don't need them get rid of them, if you need them, then you need them. this is a binary thing, it's either 1 or 0.

You either have the object on the layout or you don't. there is not optimizing a layout unless you can remove something from it completely but that is going to depend on your logic and other code files, of which you aren't showing us.

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You can limit your Attributes by

• not coding the attributes that you are going to set to defaults
• not coding the attributes that are inherited

Another way that you can reduce clutter in the layout is to define some styles by creating an xml file in the res/values/ folder of your project and do this

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <resources> <style name="MyStyle1"> <item name="android:layout_width">wrap_content</item> <item name="android:layout_height">wrap_content</item> <!-- etc. --> </style> </resources> 

and then in your Layout XML you add the style to the layout element like this

<TextView style="@style/MyStyle1" android:text="to:" android:layout_alignBottom="@+id/txtsetSearch_To" /> 

note that I am not a professional, but I found Styles and Themes from doing a quick search for styles.xml android example

Don't forget about Developer.Android.com it can be very helpful.

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Your naming is not so good, it could be better.

btn_reset_search_summary I know it's a button from the word "reset" and search_summary should be one word like this searchSummary so I would have it look like this reset_searchSummary so it's like action_objectActedUpon