How can we add buttons at dynamic positions in layout?

Question

How can we add buttons at dynamic positions in layout or using canvas, not in table layout?

Can anyone please help me on this?

Answer 1

Use RelativeLayout to position your controls where you like them. Have a look at this link: Dynamic TextView in Relative layout

and here How to create a RelativeLayout programmatically with two buttons one on top of the other?

If you like to achieve it within XML only. Look here: http://www.mkyong.com/android/android-relativelayout-example/

Here an example how you could use the RelativeLayout to position your controls dynamically:

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        // Creating a new RelativeLayout
        RelativeLayout mainRelativeLayout = new RelativeLayout(this);

        // Defining the RelativeLayout layout parameters with Fill_Parent
        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams relativeLayoutParameters = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT, RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.FILL_PARENT);

        // Creating a new Left Button
        Button buttonLeft = new Button(this);
        buttonLeft.setText("Left");

        // Creating a new Left Button with Margin
        Button buttonLeftWithMargin = new Button(this);
        buttonLeftWithMargin.setText("Left with Margin");

        // Creating a new Center Button
        Button buttonCenterParent = new Button(this);
        buttonCenterParent.setText("Center");

        // Creating a new Bottom Button
        Button buttonBottom = new Button(this);
        buttonBottom.setText("Bottom");

        // Add a Layout to the Buttons
        AddButtonLayout(buttonLeft, RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_LEFT);
        AddButtonLayout(buttonCenterParent, RelativeLayout.CENTER_IN_PARENT);
        AddButtonLayout(buttonBottom, RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_BOTTOM);

        // Add a Layout to the Button with Margin
        AddButtonLayout(buttonLeftWithMargin, RelativeLayout.ALIGN_PARENT_LEFT, 30, 80, 0, 0);

        // Add the Buttons to the View
        mainRelativeLayout.addView(buttonLeft);
        mainRelativeLayout.addView(buttonCenterParent);
        mainRelativeLayout.addView(buttonBottom);
        mainRelativeLayout.addView(buttonLeftWithMargin);

        // Setting the RelativeLayout as our content view
        setContentView(mainRelativeLayout, relativeLayoutParameters);
    }

    private void AddButtonLayout(Button button, int centerInParent, int marginLeft, int marginTop, int marginRight, int marginBottom) {
        // Defining the layout parameters of the Button
        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams buttonLayoutParameters = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT, RelativeLayout.LayoutParams.WRAP_CONTENT);

        // Add Margin to the LayoutParameters
        buttonLayoutParameters.setMargins(marginLeft, marginTop, marginRight, marginBottom);

        // Add Rule to Layout
        buttonLayoutParameters.addRule(centerInParent);

        // Setting the parameters on the Button
        button.setLayoutParams(buttonLayoutParameters);     
    }

    private void AddButtonLayout(Button button, int centerInParent) {
        // Just call the other AddButtonLayout Method with Margin 0
        AddButtonLayout(button, centerInParent, 0 ,0 ,0 ,0);
    }
}

And you should get something like this: