How do I align my TextView below 2 other Views in a ConstraintLayout?

Question

I have been using ConstraintLayout for a while and so far have been liking it but have run into a problem of layout alignment. Here is what I have:

You see the TextView having text Requested time, I want that this view always aligns below the LinearLayout(that is above it) as well as below the Rating bar on the right. For that I have anchored its upper anchor point to the LinearLayout but there seems to be no way that I can constrain it to be aligned below the rating bar on the right. I mean, I can only put one constraint per edge right?

Note that, I also cannot make any assumption about the height of LinearLayout being always greater than or less than that of (image view + rating bar)'s. Therefore, the view that is more in depth of the two shall be the determinant of the ultimate position of the Requested time TextView

For your reference, here the layout file of the above:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginTop="4dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="4dp"
    android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:background="@color/lightGrey"
    android:id="@+id/constraintLayout">


    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/guideline"
        android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0"
        android:id="@+id/linearLayout"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="16dp">

        <TextView
            android:text="@string/tutor_name"
            android:textStyle="bold"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:id="@+id/tutor_name"/>

        <TextView
            android:text="@string/tutor_skill_set"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
            android:id="@+id/skill_set"/>

        <TextView
            android:text="@string/tutor_types"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
            android:id="@+id/tutor_types" />

        <TextView
            android:text="@string/tutor_location"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:id="@+id/location"
            android:layout_marginTop="12dp" />

    </LinearLayout>


    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/display_pic"
        android:layout_width="80dp"
        android:layout_height="80dp"
        android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
        android:adjustViewBounds="false"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="1.0"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="@+id/guideline"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:srcCompat="@android:color/holo_red_light" />

    <com.iarcuschin.simpleratingbar.SimpleRatingBar
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/tutor_rating"
        android:layout_below="@+id/display_pic"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
        app:srb_starSize="13dp"
        app:srb_numberOfStars="5"
        app:srb_borderColor="@color/colorAccent"
        app:srb_fillColor="@color/colorPrimary"
        app:srb_starBorderWidth="1"
        app:srb_isIndicator="true"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="@+id/display_pic"
        android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/display_pic"
        android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="@+id/guideline"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="1.0" />

    <android.support.constraint.Guideline
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:id="@+id/guideline"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.6796875" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tutor_requested_time"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Requested time"
        android:textStyle="italic"
        android:layout_marginStart="32dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="32dp"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteX="30dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="47dp"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/linearLayout" />


</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

---

A semi-solution that I tried and worked(not really though):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginTop="4dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="4dp"
    android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
    android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
    android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
    android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
    android:background="@color/lightGrey">


    <android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
        android:orientation="vertical"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginBottom="10dp"
        android:paddingBottom="10dp"
        android:elevation="2dp"
        android:id="@+id/constraintLayout">


        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
            android:layout_marginLeft="16dp"
            android:layout_marginStart="16dp"
            android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
            app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
            app:layout_constraintRight_toLeftOf="@+id/guideline"
            android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
            android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
            app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0"
            android:id="@+id/linearLayout"
            tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="16dp">

            <TextView
                android:text="@string/tutor_name"
                android:textStyle="bold"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:id="@+id/tutor_name"/>

            <TextView
                android:text="@string/tutor_skill_set"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
                android:id="@+id/skill_set"/>

            <TextView
                android:text="@string/tutor_types"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
                android:id="@+id/tutor_types" />

            <TextView
                android:text="@string/tutor_location"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:id="@+id/location"
                android:layout_marginTop="12dp" />

        </LinearLayout>


        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/display_pic"
            android:layout_width="80dp"
            android:layout_height="80dp"
            android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:layout_marginEnd="16dp"
            android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
            android:layout_marginRight="16dp"
            android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
            android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
            android:adjustViewBounds="false"
            android:scaleType="centerCrop"
            app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="1.0"
            app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="@+id/guideline"
            app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
            app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
            app:srcCompat="@android:color/holo_red_light" />

        <com.iarcuschin.simpleratingbar.SimpleRatingBar
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:id="@+id/tutor_rating"
            android:layout_below="@+id/display_pic"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
            app:srb_starSize="13dp"
            app:srb_numberOfStars="5"
            app:srb_borderColor="@color/colorAccent"
            app:srb_fillColor="@color/colorPrimary"
            app:srb_starBorderWidth="1"
            app:srb_isIndicator="true"
            app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="@+id/display_pic"
            android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
            app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/display_pic"
            android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
            android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
            app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="@+id/guideline"
            app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="1.0" />

        <android.support.constraint.Guideline
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:id="@+id/guideline"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            app:layout_constraintGuide_percent="0.6796875" />


    </android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>


    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tutor_requested_time"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginLeft="32dp"
        android:text="Requested time"
        android:textStyle="italic"
        android:layout_marginStart="32dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
        android:layout_below="@+id/constraintLayout" />


</RelativeLayout>

This solution has its own problems for which I posted yet another question with no answers: Color of TextView shows as white on a real device with ConstraintLayout

And, it also kind of defeats the purpose of using ConstraintLayout itself...

So, does anyone know/have solution/idea for the above problem ?

Answer 1

Here is and example a Button below 2 TextView using android.support.constraint.Barrier

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout 
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/text1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        android:text="TextView1 Line1\nLine2"
        android:background="#f00"
        />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/text2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
        android:text="TextView2 Line1\nLine2\nLine3\nLine4"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toEndOf="@+id/text1"
        android:background="#0ff"
        />

    <android.support.constraint.Barrier
        android:id="@+id/barrier"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        app:barrierDirection="bottom"
        app:constraint_referenced_ids="text1,text2" />

    <Button
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Button below text 1 and text 2"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/barrier"
        android:background="#eee"
        />
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

Note: In this example, the barrierDirection is "bottom", you can use another value for another purpose like "top", "start", "end", "left", "right"

Answer 2

A new feature in ConstraintLayout called Barrier is your answer. See this accepted answer to "ConstraintLayout with Barriers; How to constraint to bottom / top of barrier depending on size" regarding how to do this.