Creating a linearlayout with weights

Question

Im trying to make something similar to this - Android Layout(User Interface) only I want to make the first column with a weight of 4 the second one with a weight of 2 (and also with two rows) and the last one with a weight of 1 (and also with three rows)...problem is It messes up itself (I copy and pasted the answer and changed everything according to my needs but it keeps on get messed up.. =) any help? [code]

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:background="@color/background_color"
    android:orientation="vertical"

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="4"
        android:gravity="center_horizontal|center_vertical"
        android:orientation="horizontal" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textDishes"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginLeft="20dp"
            android:text="@string/dishes"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageDishes"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <View
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/seperator_size"
        android:background="@color/seperator" />

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="2"
        android:measureWithLargestChild="true"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:weightSum="2" >

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="vertical" >

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/textfood"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="@string/food"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/imagefood"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
        </LinearLayout>

        <View
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="@dimen/seperator_size"
            android:background="@color/seperator" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="vertical" >

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/textMalls"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="@string/malls"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/imageMalls"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
        </LinearLayout>
    </LinearLayout>

    <View
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/seperator_size"
        android:background="@color/seperator" />

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:weightSum="3"
        android:orientation="horizontal" >

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="vertical" >

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/textView1"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="@string/app_name"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/imageView1"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
        </LinearLayout>

        <View
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="@dimen/seperator_size"
            android:background="@color/seperator" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="vertical" >

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/textView2"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="@string/coupons"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/imageView2"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
        </LinearLayout>

         <View
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="@dimen/seperator_size"
            android:background="@color/seperator" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:orientation="vertical" >

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/textView3"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="@string/markets"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/imageView3"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
        </LinearLayout>
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>
[/code]

That is the result -

The result should look like - Any help??

Answer 1

EDIT working example now

This is not a complete answer because the vertical dividers are still not working, but hopefully it gets you going in the right direction:

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_weight="4"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textDishes"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Dishes"
        android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/imageDishes"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
</LinearLayout>

<View
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="5dp"
    android:background="@color/red" />

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_weight="2"
    android:orientation="horizontal" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textfood"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="Food"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imagefood"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <View
        android:layout_width="5dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:background="@color/red"
        android:gravity="center" >
    </View>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textMalls"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="Malls"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageMalls"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

<View
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="5dp"
    android:background="@color/red" />

<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_weight="1"
    android:orientation="horizontal" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textView1"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="App name"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageView1"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <View
        android:layout_width="5dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:background="@color/red"
        android:gravity="center" >
    </View>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textView2"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="Coupons"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageView2"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
    </LinearLayout>

    <View
        android:layout_width="5dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:background="@color/red"
        android:gravity="center" >
    </View>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/textView3"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="Markets"
            android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceLarge" />

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/imageView3"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher" />
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Answer 2

I'm not sure if this was just a mistake when you included your XML here, but you're missing a ">" after the parent LinearLayout.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="@color/background_color"
android:orientation="vertical"

Should be

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="@color/background_color"
android:orientation="vertical" >

Additionally, you are using weights in some of this parent layout's children, but you have not specified a weightSum total in the parent LinearLayout. Remember that a weightSum is the total weight to be distributed amongst the children, so their weights should add up to this weightSum. Also, just a head's up, but using nested weights (which you would be doing if you added that in) is bad for performance.

Maybe the best solution to your problem would be to explore a different layout option instead of using a LinearLayout? You could get it to work this way, though. Make the parent weightSum 7 and make sure you distribute this as desired to the children.

As per your picture (and using linear layouts), it should look something like this, I think:

<LinearLayout
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:weightSum="7" >

<LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:weight="4" >

// This one's child here - it has weight 1.

<LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:weightSum="2"
    android:weight="2" >

// This one's children here - they both have weight 1.

 <LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:weightSum="3"
    android:weight="1" >

// This one's children here - they all have weight 1.

Don't forget to close the LinearLayouts as well. I haven't tested that code, either, so you will want to review it for possible errors.