TextView contents not centering correctly on android 4.2.2

Question

layout difference between 4.2.2 and 2.3.3

The image on the right (2.3.3) presents my view as i would like it to, however i can't get it to look right on 4.2.2. Notice how the text in the textview is not vertically centered. I've tried both in the emulator and on Galaxy S4. Also, the eclipse ADT preview of XML files shows it centered correctly.

The view is used in a listview.

How do i center the text in my textview so it looks the same on all android versions?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/parent"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:padding="16dp" >

    <ImageView android:id="@+id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:gravity="center"

        android:scaleType="fitCenter"

        android:src="@drawable/fylke_buskerud" />

    <TextView android:id="@+id/fylke_navn"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_alignBottom="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_alignTop="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:gravity="center_vertical"

        android:paddingLeft="16dp"

        android:textSize="24sp"
        android:maxLines="1"
        android:text="Placeholder text" />

    <CheckBox android:id="@+id/star"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_alignTop="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_alignBottom="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:gravity="center"

        android:button="@drawable/star_checkbox"
        android:focusable="false" /> 

</RelativeLayout>

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered May 06 '14 at 15:29

You should to remove android:layout_alignBottom and android:layout_alignTop attributes.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
                android:id="@+id/parent"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:orientation="horizontal"
                android:padding="16dp" >

    <ImageView android:id="@+id/fylke_vapen"
               android:layout_width="wrap_content"
               android:layout_height="match_parent"
               android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
               android:scaleType="fitCenter"
               android:src="@drawable/userpic_sidebar_default" />

    <TextView android:id="@+id/fylke_navn"
              android:layout_width="wrap_content"
              android:layout_height="match_parent"
              android:layout_toRightOf="@id/fylke_vapen"
              android:layout_toLeftOf="@id/star"
              android:gravity="center_vertical"
              android:paddingLeft="16dp"
              android:textSize="24sp"
              android:maxLines="1"
              android:text="Placeholder text" />

    <CheckBox android:id="@+id/star"
              android:layout_width="wrap_content"
              android:layout_height="match_parent"
              android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
              android:button="@drawable/star_checkbox"
              android:gravity="center"
              android:focusable="false" />

</RelativeLayout>

Removing those attributes resulted in the text not being centered both on 2.3.3 and 4.2.2 for me. — vec, May 06 '14 at 17:01
@vec You can use a `LinearLayout` instead of `RelativeLayout` and `TextView` with `drawableLeft` attribute instead of `TextView` and `ImageView` both. Try this way, it uses only two views in `LinearLayout`. [http://pastebin.com/E7TeeCYZ](http://pastebin.com/E7TeeCYZ) — erakitin, May 07 '14 at 06:51

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered May 06 '14 at 18:21

Well, i solved my issue by wrapping the textview in a linearlayout which centers the textview via gravity.

There seems to be a bug where you can't match_parent on textview within a listview on 4.2.2 (i've not tested any other versions than 4.2.2 and 2.3.3)

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:padding="16dp" >

    <ImageView android:id="@+id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:scaleType="fitCenter"
        android:src="@drawable/fylke_buskerud" />

    <CheckBox android:id="@+id/star"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:button="@drawable/star_checkbox"
        android:focusable="false" /> 

    <LinearLayout 
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_toLeftOf="@id/star"
        android:layout_alignBottom="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_alignTop="@id/fylke_vapen"
        android:paddingLeft="16dp"
        android:gravity="left|center" >

        <TextView android:id="@+id/fylke_navn"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:textSize="24sp"
            android:maxLines="1"
            android:text="Placeholder text" />
    </LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

Yes, very possibly related to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20239547/android-sdk-18-textview-gravity-doesnt-work-vertically/21334982 — Flyview, Oct 22 '16 at 19:46

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered May 07 '14 at 04:39

// try this way,hope this will help you...

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/parent"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:padding="10dp" >

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/fylke_vapen"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:scaleType="fitCenter"
        android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher"/>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center">
        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/fylke_navn"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:textSize="24sp"
            android:maxLines="1"
            android:gravity="center"
            android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
            android:layout_marginRight="5dp"
            android:text="Placeholder text" />
    </LinearLayout>


    <CheckBox
        android:id="@+id/star"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:button="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:focusable="false" />

</LinearLayout>

TextView contents not centering correctly on android 4.2.2

3 Answers3