Android - row of buttons at bottom disappears (not in designer)

Question

The app has a screen that needs at the bottom a button bar. Above are a few text views and 1 editview.

When the user starts editing, the software keyboard becomes visible. I would like the buttons to move up and always be visible. The rest of the views should shrink.

Normally I would expect the below code to work. I tried many options, e.g. with a RelativeLayout as top layout manager.

==> The result is that the button bar is gone!

When I remove the Scrollview, then the buttons bar is visible again.

Why does the button bar disappear? In the designer it is visible.

My first series of attempts (that I use in other screens) uses a RelativeLayout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:custom="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:scrollbarAlwaysDrawVerticalTrack="true"
    android:scrollbarStyle="outsideOverlay"
    android:scrollbars="horizontal" >

    <ScrollView
        android:id="@+id/layout_scrollview"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_above="@id/bottom_buttons"
        android:scrollbars="vertical">

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:padding="7dp">

            <TextView
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:text="Notes"
                android:textStyle="bold" />

            <EditText
                android:id="@+id/the_edit_view"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="0dp"
                android:layout_weight="1"
                android:hint="Notes"
                android:minLines="3"
                android:text="" />

            <LinearLayout
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:orientation="horizontal">

                <TextView
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="Some static text"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <TextView
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="Some dynamic text />
            </LinearLayout>

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/abc_explanation"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:gravity="center_vertical"
                android:text="" />
        </LinearLayout>
    </ScrollView>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/bottom_buttons"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="5dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <Button
            android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
            android:id="@+id/save_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save" />
        <Button ... 2>
        <Button ... 3>            
    </LinearLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

In my AndroidManifest.xml I use normally:

<activity
    android:name="xy.organisation.app.MainActivity"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize"
    android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation" >

My second series of attempts is using a LinearLayout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        xmlns:custom="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

    <ScrollView
        android:id="@+id/layout_scrollview"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:scrollbars="vertical" >

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:padding="7dp">

            <TextView
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:text="Notes"
                android:textStyle="bold" />

            <EditText
                android:id="@+id/the_edit_view"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="0dp"
                android:layout_weight="1"
                android:hint="Notes"
                android:minLines="3"
                android:text="" />

            <LinearLayout
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:orientation="horizontal">

                <TextView
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="Some static text"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <TextView
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="Some dynamic text />
            </LinearLayout>

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/abc_explanation"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:gravity="center_vertical"
                android:text="" />
        </LinearLayout>
    </ScrollView>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/bottom_buttons"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="5dp"
        android:layout_weight="0"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save" />
        <Button ... 2>
        <Button ... 3>            
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

I tried your code:

Below code is working fine:--

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:custom="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:scrollbarAlwaysDrawVerticalTrack="true"
    android:scrollbarStyle="outsideOverlay"
    android:scrollbars="horizontal"
    tools:context=".RelativeActivity"
    android:fillViewport="true">
    <ScrollView
        android:id="@+id/layout_scrollview"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:scrollbars="vertical" >

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:padding="7dp">

        <TextView
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:text="Notes"
            android:textStyle="bold" />

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/the_edit_view"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="0dp"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:hint="Notes"
            android:minLines="3"
            android:text="" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:orientation="horizontal">

            <TextView
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="Some static text"
                android:textStyle="bold" />

            <TextView
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="Some dynamic text" />
            </LinearLayout>

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/abc_explanation"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:gravity="center_vertical"
            android:text="" />
        </LinearLayout>
    </ScrollView>

    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/bottom_buttons"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="5dp"
        android:layout_weight="0"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save1" />
        <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button2"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save2" />
        <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button3"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save3" />
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

Please check your AndroidManifest.xml.

If there is android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustPan" under your activity like below:

<activity android:name=".RelativeActivity"
            android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustPan"/>

Remove android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustPan" from AndroidManifest file under your activity. Because of adjustPan your bottom buttons are disappear when keyboard is open.

I hope its work for you.

Answer 2

You have given weight 0 to the linear layout of the buttons. Removing that will fix the issue. Also add 0dp height to ScrollView

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<ScrollView
    android:id="@+id/layout_scrollview"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:layout_weight="1"
    android:scrollbars="vertical" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        android:padding="7dp">

        <TextView
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:text="Notes"
            android:textStyle="bold" />

        <EditText
            android:id="@+id/the_edit_view"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="0dp"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:hint="Notes"
            android:minLines="3"
            android:text="" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:orientation="horizontal">

            <TextView
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="Some static text"
                android:textStyle="bold" />

            <TextView
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:text="Some dynamic text />
        </LinearLayout>

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/abc_explanation"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="0"
            android:gravity="center_vertical"
            android:text="" />
    </LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>

<LinearLayout
    android:id="@+id/bottom_buttons"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
    android:layout_marginBottom="5dp"
    android:orientation="horizontal">

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/save_button"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:text="Save" />
    <Button ... 2>
    <Button ... 3>            
</LinearLayout>

Relative Layout

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<ScrollView
        android:id="@+id/layout_scrollview"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_above="@+id/bottom_buttons"
        android:scrollbars="vertical">

    <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:padding="7dp">

        <TextView
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:text="Notes"
                android:textStyle="bold"/>

        <EditText
                android:id="@+id/the_edit_view"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="0dp"
                android:layout_weight="1"
                android:hint="Notes"
                android:minLines="3"
                android:text=""/>

        <LinearLayout
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:orientation="horizontal">

            <TextView
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="Some static text"
                    android:textStyle="bold"/>

            <TextView
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="Some dynamic text"/>

        </LinearLayout>

        <TextView
                android:id="@+id/abc_explanation"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_weight="0"
                android:gravity="center_vertical"
                android:text=""/>
    </LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>

<LinearLayout
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:id="@+id/bottom_buttons"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="15dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="5dp"
        android:orientation="horizontal">

    <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save"/>
    <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button1"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save"/>
    <Button
            android:id="@+id/save_button2"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:text="Save"/>

</LinearLayout>