I am confused about the id we create in RelativeLayout

Question

Hello,

So I tried to change the background following the steps described in the video and I realized that I already had an id for the RelativeLayout in the xml file (android:id="@+id/activity_fun_facts"). It is even used in FunFactsActivity.java in onCreate method: (setContentView(R.layout.activity_fun_facts);).

My first question is why doesn't Ben have this id declared in xml file since it is also referenced in his onCreate method?

Second question is why since I had it declared in xml the software didn't recommend it in the code autocompletion when initializing the mRelativeLayout in the onCreate method? Once I used this id the color changed just fine. However, if I add another id in the xml under RelativeLayout it gives an error for name duplication of ids since I also say (android:id=...).

Thank you!

Here is my code:

public class FunFactsActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
private FactBook mFactBook = new FactBook();
private TextView mFactTextView;
private Button mShowFactButton;
private RelativeLayout mRelativeLayout;

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_fun_facts);

    mFactTextView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.factTextView);
    mShowFactButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.showFactButton);
    mRelativeLayout = (RelativeLayout) findViewById(R.id.activity_fun_facts);
    View.OnClickListener listener = new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view) {

        String fact = mFactBook.getFact();
            mFactTextView.setText(fact);
            mRelativeLayout.setBackgroundColor(Color.RED);
        }
    };
    mShowFactButton.setOnClickListener(listener);
}
}


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:id="@+id/activity_fun_facts"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
tools:context="com.example.akboss.funfacts.FunFactsActivity"
android:background="#51b46d">

<TextView
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Did you know?"
    android:textSize="24sp"
    android:textColor="#80ffffff" />

<Button
    android:text="Show another fun fact"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
    android:id="@+id/showFactButton"
    android:background="@android:color/white" />

<TextView
    android:text="Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:id="@+id/factTextView"
    android:textSize="24sp"
    android:layout_centerVertical="true"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
    android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
    android:textColor="@android:color/white" />
    </RelativeLayout>

Answer 1 · 2016-12-21T18:41:20Z

December 21, 2016 6:41pm

Hi Arthur - In the following line of code:

setContentView(R.layout.activity_fun_facts);

R.layout.activity_fun_facts is not the id of the RelativeLayout. It's the name of a layout file. Notice that the name of the file is preceded by R.layout as opposed to R.id as in:

mFactTextView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.factTextView);

Also, the id of the RelativeLayout is supposed to be relativeLayout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:id="@+id/relativeLayout"
    tools:context="com.teamtreehouse.funfacts.FunFactsActivity"
    android:background="#51b46d">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Did you know?"
        android:textSize="24sp"
        android:textColor="#80ffffff"/>

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning."
        android:id="@+id/factTextView"
        android:layout_centerVertical="true"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
        android:textSize="24sp"
        android:textColor="@android:color/white"/>

    <Button
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Show Another Fun Fact"
        android:id="@+id/showFactButton"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:background="@android:color/white"/>
</RelativeLayout>

Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Looking to learn something new?

Arthur Kharzamanov

Arthur Kharzamanov

I am confused about the id we create in RelativeLayout

1 Answer

Kourosh Raeen

Kourosh Raeen

Arthur Kharzamanov

Arthur Kharzamanov