How to make object overlay another object in Android layout?

Question

What I am trying to do is to have a menu appear over listView. Just like in okCupid app :

when you click menu below the picture : https://ssl.gstatic.com/android/market/com.okcupid.okcupid/ss-480-3-11

it extends itself over the background view : https://g1.gstatic.com/android/market/com.okcupid.okcupid/ss-480-4-11

I have a feeling that this particular app is done in Sencha or JQuery mobile or similar technology but is it possible to get same effect in native app?

thanks

Answer 1

I can look around for some example code later but the basic idea would be to have a MenuView class that draws your menu and animates in and out by setting the content of the menu visible or not.

Then just have all your content be on top of that MenuView by using the relativelayout align_parentBottom and set the content to above the menuview.

Answer 2

Try using FrameLayout and add appropriate transperency for the view

Answer 3

Most layout classes 'help you' by avoiding widgets to overlaps, but with the RelativeLayout you have more flexibility to create overlapping views.

To be sure the overlay view is on top, you can call ViewGroup.bringChildViewToFront() on the relative layout.

In your example the top view also has a partially transparent background.