Android bottom button bar & scroll view with dialog theme

Question

I am trying to display an Android activity with:

• a dialog theme;
• a title fixed at the top of the dialog;
• a button bar fixed at the bottom of the dialog;
• a scroll view in the middle.

The layout I have written fulfills these criteria, except that the dialog always fills the full screen (see vertical screenshot at the bottom).

This is my layout:

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

    <TextView android:id="@+id/header"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginLeft="10dp" android:layout_marginRight="10dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="10dp" android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
    android:gravity="center_vertical"
        android:textSize="18dip" android:textColor="#ffffff"
        android:text="Sample Layout" />

    <LinearLayout android:id="@+id/controls" android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
    style="@android:style/ButtonBar">
        <Button android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1" android:text="Yes" />
        <Button android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1" android:text="No" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <ScrollView android:id="@+id/test" android:layout_below="@id/header"
    android:layout_above="@id/controls"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginBottom="5dp" android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
    android:layout_marginRight="5dp">
        <TextView android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
        adipiscing elit. Integer dui odio, convallis vitae suscipit eu,
        tincidunt non mi. Vestibulum faucibus pretium purus vel adipiscing.
        Morbi mattis molestie risus vitae vehicula. [...]" />
    </ScrollView>

</RelativeLayout>

In addition, the activity is styled with @android:style/Theme.Dialog and android:windowNoTitle.

I'm not sure I understand why this layout expands to fill the whole screen. None of the views have a layout height set to fill_parent; the parent layout isn't set to fill_parent either.

Does anyone know if what I want to do is possible, and if yes how to do it?

My current layout in horizontal mode

My current layout in vertical mode

Answer 1

I have an Activity that is very similar to yours. I did it some time ago so I don't really remember why I did this and that, but I think I achieve what you're trying to do. Here is my code:

<LinearLayout 
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@+id/info_root"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_gravity="bottom"
android:background="@color/color2">

<LinearLayout 
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@color/color1">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/infos_titre"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_margin="12dip"
        android:textSize="20dip"
        android:textColor="@color/color2"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:background="@color/color1">
    </TextView>

</LinearLayout>

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_weight="1">

    <ScrollView
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content">

        <LinearLayout
            android:id="@+id/infos_LL"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:gravity="center_vertical">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/infos_text"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:textSize="16dip"
                android:padding="4dip"
                android:textColor="@color/color1"
                android:lineSpacingMultiplier="1.1"
                android:autoLink="web">
            </TextView>
        </LinearLayout>
    </ScrollView>
</LinearLayout>

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@color/color1"
    android:paddingTop="6dip">

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/infos_remarquebutton"
        android:text="Faire une remarque"
        android:drawableLeft="@drawable/happy"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:textColor="@color/buttontext_color">
    </Button>
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/infos_partagerbutton"
        android:text="Partager"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:drawableLeft="@drawable/ic_menu_share"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:textColor="@color/buttontext_color">
    </Button>
</LinearLayout>

Don't be disturbed by the Frenglish namings...

So, I think the main trick was to put the ScrollView inside a LinearLayout. I also gave a weight of 1 to that LinearLayout (I don't remember why...). Also, the top Layout is a LinearLayout, and not a Relative Layout as in your code, but I don't think it would change anything, although I'm not familiar with RelativeLayouts.

Hope it helps!