What is the difference between gravity and layout_gravity in Android?

user_379693 0
Viewed 625243

I know we can set the following values to the android:gravity and android:layout_gravity properties:

  1. center
  2. center_vertical
  3. center_horizontal, etc.

But I am confused regarding both of these.

What is the difference between the usage of android:gravity and android:layout_gravity?

android-gravity android-layout android
21 Answers

There is many difference in the gravity and layout-gravity. I am going to explain my experience about these 2 concepts(All information i got due to my observation and some websites).

Use Of Gravity and Layout-gravity in FrameLayout .....

Note:-

  1. Gravity is used inside the View Content as some User have answer and it is same for all ViewGroup Layout.

  2. Layout-gravity is used with the parent View as some User have answer.

  3. Gravity and Layout-gravity is work more useful with the FrameLayout childs . We can't use Gravity and Layout-gravity in FrameLayout's Tag ....

  4. We can set Child View any where in the FrameLayout using layout-gravity .

  5. We can use every single value of gravity inside the FrameLayout (eg:- center_vertical, center_horizontal, center,top, etc), but it is not possible with other ViewGroup Layouts .

  6. FrameLayout fully working on Layout-gravity. Example:- If you work on FrameLayout then you don't need to change whole Layout for adding new View. You just add View as last in the FrameLayout and give him Layout-gravity with value.(This is adavantages of layout-gravity with FrameLayout).

have look on example ...... 

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

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:textColor="#264bd1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:text="Center Layout Gravity"/>

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:textColor="#1b64b9"
        android:gravity="bottom"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom|center"
        android:text="Bottom Layout Gravity" />

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:textColor="#d75d1c"
        android:gravity="top"
        android:layout_gravity="top|center"
        android:text="Top Layout Gravity"/>

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:layout_marginTop="100dp"
        android:textColor="#d71f1c"
        android:gravity="top|right"
        android:layout_gravity="top|right"
        android:text="Top Right Layout Gravity"/>


    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:layout_marginBottom="100dp"
        android:textColor="#d71cb2"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom"
        android:gravity="bottom"
        android:text="Top Left Layout Gravity"/>

</FrameLayout>

Output:-

g1

Use Of Gravity and Layout-gravity in LinearLayout .....

Gravity working same as above but here differnce is that we can use Gravity inside the LinearLayout View and RelativeLayout View which is not possible in FrameLayout View.

LinearLayout with orientation vertical ....

Note:- Here we can set only 3 values of layout_gravity that is (left | right | center (also called center_horizontal)).

have look on example :- 

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

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:textColor="#264bd1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
        android:text="Center Layout Gravity \nor \nCenter_Horizontal"/>

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
        android:textColor="#d75d1c"
        android:layout_gravity="right"
        android:text="Right Layout Gravity"/>


    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:layout_marginBottom="100dp"
        android:textColor="#d71cb2"
        android:layout_gravity="left"
        android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
        android:gravity="bottom"
        android:text="Left Layout Gravity"/>

</LinearLayout>

Output:-

g2

LinearLayout with orientation horizontal ....

Note:- Here we can set also 3 values of layout_gravity that is (top | bottom | center (also called center_vertical)).

have look on example :-

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

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:textColor="#264bd1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_gravity="bottom"
        android:text="Bottom \nLayout \nGravity"/>

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
        android:textColor="#d75d1c"
        android:layout_gravity="center"
        android:text="Center \nLayout \nGravity"/>


    <TextView
        android:layout_width="150dp"
        android:layout_height="100dp"
        android:textSize="25dp"
        android:background="#000"
        android:layout_marginBottom="100dp"
        android:textColor="#d71cb2"
        android:layout_gravity="left"
        android:layout_marginTop="20dp"
        android:text="Left \nLayout \nGravity"/>

</LinearLayout>

output:-

g3

Note:- We can't use layout_gravity in the RelativeLayout Views but we can use gravity to set RelativeLayout childs to same position....

user_53054300

Gravity: Allow you move the content inside a container. (How sub-views will be placed).

Important: (MOVE along X-axis or Y-axis within available space).

Example: Let's say if you were to work with LinearLayout (Height: match_parent, Width: match_parent) as root level element, then you will have full frame space available; and the child views says 2 TextViews (Height: wrap_content, Width: wrap_content) inside the LinearLayout can be moved around along x/y axis using corresponding values for gravity on parent.

Layout_Gravity: Allow you to override the parent gravity behavior ONLY along x-axis.

Important: (MOVE[override] along X-axis within available space).

Example: If you keep in mind the previous example, we know gravity enabled us to move along x/y axis, i.e; the place TextViews inside LinearLayout. Let's just say LinearLayout specifies gravity: center; meaning every TextView needs to be center both vertically and horizontally. Now if we want one of the TextView to go left/right, we can override the specified gravity behavior using layout_gravity on the TextView.

Bonus: if you dig deeper, you will find out that text within the TextView act as sub-view; so if you apply the gravity on TextView, the text inside the TextView will move around. (the entire concept apply here too)

user_68734070

The android:gravity sets the gravity (position) of the children whereas the android:layout_gravity sets the position of the view itself. Hope it helps

user_118143610

gravity--Applies to its own view.

layout-gravity---Applies to view related to its parent.

user_21196660

Gravity and layout_gravity both are the XML attributes.

The android:gravity attribute is used to arrange the position of the content inside a view (for example text inside a Button widget).

The android:layout_gravity is used to arrange the position of the entire View relative to it’s container.

For further details you can see this link.

user_109844170
Related