How to add (vertical) divider to a horizontal LinearLayout?

Question

I\'m trying to add a divider to a horizontal linear layout but am getting nowhere. The divider just doesn\'t show. I am a total newbie with Android.

This is my layou

Answer 1

Try this, create a divider in the res/drawable folder:

vertical_divider_1.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">    
    <size android:width="1dip" />
    <solid android:color="#666666" />    
</shape> 

And use the divider attribute in LinearLayout like this:

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="48dp"
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:divider="@drawable/vertical_divider_1"
    android:dividerPadding="12dip"
    android:showDividers="middle"
    android:background="#ffffff" >

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Button" />
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Button" />

</LinearLayout>

Note: android:divider is only available in Android 3.0 (API level 11) or higher.

Answer 2

Your divider may not be showing due to too large dividerPadding. You set 22dip, that means the divider is truncated by 22dip from top and by 22dip from bottom. If your layout height is less than or equal 44dip then no divider is visible.

Answer 3

If the answer of Kapil Vats is not working try something like this:

drawable/divider_horizontal_green_22.xml

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

    <size android:width="22dip"/>
    <solid android:color="#00ff00"/>

</shape>

layout/your_layout.xml

LinearLayout 
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:id="@+id/llTopBar"
            android:orientation="horizontal"
            android:divider="@drawable/divider_horizontal_green_22"
            android:showDividers="middle"
           >

I encountered an issue where the padding attribute wasn't working, thus I had to set the height of the divider directly in the divider.

Note:

If you want to use it in vertical LinearLayout, make a new one, like this: drawable/divider_vertical_green_22.xml

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

    <size android:height="22dip"/>
    <solid android:color="#00ff00"/>

</shape>

Answer 4

You can use the built in divider, this will work for both orientations.

<LinearLayout
  android:layout_width="match_parent"
  android:layout_height="match_parent"
  android:divider="?android:attr/listDivider"
  android:orientation="horizontal"
  android:showDividers="middle">

Answer 5

Update: pre-Honeycomb using AppCompat

If you are using the AppCompat library v7 you may want to use the LinearLayoutCompat view. Using this approach you can use drawable dividers on Android 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.

Example code:

<android.support.v7.widget.LinearLayoutCompat
        xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        app:showDividers="middle"
        app:divider="@drawable/divider">

drawable/divider.xml: (divider with some padding on the top and bottom)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<inset xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:insetBottom="2dp"
        android:insetTop="2dp">
    <shape>
        <size android:width="1dp" />
        <solid android:color="#FFCCCCCC" />
    </shape>
</inset>

Very important note: The LinearLayoutCompat view does not extend LinearLayout and therefor you should not use the android:showDividers or android:divider properties but the custom ones: app:showDividers and app:divider. In code you should also use the LinearLayoutCompat.LayoutParams not the LinearLayout.LayoutParams!