ListView rows disappear when adding a RelativeLayout below a ListView

Question

Here's a simplified version of the portrait UI I want from my layout:

It's a ListView above another layout.

The complication is that I want the whole bottom layout (in this case 'Button2') to be visible when lots of lines get added to the EditText:

I've been trying to achieve this by nesting a RelativeLayout inside a LinearLayout. Unfortunately, the ListView disappears when I get the effect I want with the EditText, e.g.

I've tried loads of alternatives, but nothing seems to achieve both goals.

Here's my XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/main"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/AAA"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
    </FrameLayout>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/BBB"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/AAA"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <LinearLayout
            android:id="@+id/list_container"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="0dip"
            android:layout_weight="1" >

            <ListView
                android:id="@+id/list"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:entries="@array/list_items"/>
        </LinearLayout>

        <RelativeLayout
            android:id="@+id/input_parent"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content" >

            <Button
                android:id="@+id/button1"
                android:layout_above="@+id/bottom_layout"
                android:layout_width="100dip"
                android:layout_height="50dip"
                android:clickable="true"
                android:text="Button1" />

            <EditText
                android:id="@+id/edittext"
                android:layout_above="@+id/bottom_layout"
                android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/button1"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:minHeight="50dip"
                android:imeOptions="flagNoExtractUi"
                android:inputType="textMultiLine"
                android:maxLines="8"
                android:scrollbars="vertical" />

            <!-- Align this with the bottom so when the input text area gets
                 really big it doesn't push this section off screen  -->
            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/bottom_layout"
                android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <Button
                    android:id="@+id/button2"
                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
                    android:layout_height="150dip"
                    android:layout_gravity="bottom"
                    android:clickable="true"
                    android:text="Button2" />

            </LinearLayout>

        </RelativeLayout>

    </LinearLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

If I remove the android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" from the bottom_layout then the ListView contents appears, but then I lose the effect I want with the EditText.

Can anybody help? I need to support OS 2.2+.

Answer 1

Simplifying the layout a bit like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
                android:id="@+id/main"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <FrameLayout
            android:id="@+id/AAA"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
    </FrameLayout>

    <RelativeLayout
            android:id="@+id/BBB"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_below="@+id/AAA"
            android:orientation="vertical" >

            <ListView
                    android:id="@+id/list"
                    android:layout_above="@+id/edittext"
                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
                    android:layout_height="match_parent"
                    android:entries="@array/list_items"/>

            <Button
                    android:id="@+id/button1"
                    android:layout_above="@+id/bottom_layout"
                    android:layout_width="100dip"
                    android:layout_height="50dip"
                    android:clickable="true"
                    android:text="Button1" />

            <EditText
                    android:id="@+id/edittext"
                    android:layout_above="@+id/bottom_layout"
                    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/button1"
                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:minHeight="50dip"
                    android:imeOptions="flagNoExtractUi"
                    android:inputType="textMultiLine"
                    android:maxLines="8"
                    android:scrollbars="vertical" />

            <!-- Align this with the bottom so when the input text area gets
                 really big it doesn't push this section off screen  -->
            <LinearLayout
                    android:id="@+id/bottom_layout"
                    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:orientation="vertical" >

                <Button
                        android:id="@+id/button2"
                        android:layout_width="match_parent"
                        android:layout_height="150dip"
                        android:layout_gravity="bottom"
                        android:clickable="true"
                        android:text="Button2" />
            </LinearLayout>

    </RelativeLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

seems to give the result you were describing.