Android Layout Editor: How do I add a simple view?

Question

The Layout Editor's palette doesn't seem to have a blank view that I can drag in (unless my eyes are crazy).

Is there a way to drag a blank view from the palette in the Android Layout Editor onto the view I'm making (without having to type in the raw XML)?

Here's what I see under the "Common" section:

Here's what I see when I search for "view":

Am I missing something?

I see a "< view >" under the "Containers" section, but that just pulls up a pop up with the same stuff that's already in the palette.

I'm new to Android dev and am coming from iOS where I can just drag a UIView right onto the storyboard. What's the equivalent of this behavior in Android?

Is there some way for me to add my own custom stuff to the Layout Editor palette?

Is typing <View ... /> in the raw XML the only way of achieving this?

you're filtering for containers. View is not a container. – Tim Aug 23 '18 at 09:19 — Tim, Aug 23 '18 at 09:19
holy cow... it's under "Widgets" – Xavier L. Aug 23 '18 at 09:22 — Xavier L., Aug 23 '18 at 09:22

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 23 '18 at 09:25

1

My eyes are crazy.

Press "Widgets" (circled in red)

Drag in "View" (circled in green)

Anyone able to explain why it's under "Widgets"?

answered Aug 23 '18 at 09:25

Xavier L.

709
5
21

tomasznajda · Answer 2 · 2018-08-23T09:10:31.527

0

You can use android:alpha="0.5" to set 50% opacity.

To use simple View, as an overlay for example, you can use the code below inside XML.

<View
        android:id="@+id/overlayOrSomethingElse"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:gravity="top"
        android:alpha="0.5"
        android:background="@android:color/black" />

edited Aug 23 '18 at 09:10

answered Aug 23 '18 at 09:02

tomasznajda

56
3

My question is not about setting opacity. My question has to do with dragging a blank view onto the Layout Editor. I'll rephrase my question better. – Xavier L. Aug 23 '18 at 09:03
You can drag anything else and rename component to the `View`. – tomasznajda Aug 23 '18 at 09:06

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 23 '18 at 09:11

There is a View on the palette and you can do something like this.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".Main2Activity">

    <View
        android:id="@+id/view"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="243dp"
        android:background="#0000ff"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteX="0dp"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="349dp" />

    <View
        android:id="@+id/view3"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="4dp"
        android:background="#ffffff"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteX="0dp"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="469dp" />

</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

Android Layout Editor: How do I add a simple view?

3 Answers3