Android: trying to understand android:layout_weight

Question

I\'m trying to divide a page in three parts. I\'d like to do it in percentage values, however that is not supported by Android. Instead I have to use android:layout_we

Answer 1

Is there a way to get a percentage value (0..100%) out of android:layout_weight?

Sure. Make them add up to 100.

For your "percentage value", you want the android:layout_height of the individual items within the LinearLayout to be 0px.

Answer 2

When you use android:layout_height="fill_parent" for the bars, you are not leaving any available space. (Since they are filling the parent.) Because all 3 are set to fill, the requested height is actually 3x the parent height, so the weights are being applied to a negative remaining space. This explains the weird behavior you are seeing, and why setting layout_height to 0px solves it.