Android Layout with ListView and Buttons

I think this is what you are looking for.

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

    <Button android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:id="@+id/testbutton"
        android:text="@string/hello" android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" />

    <ListView android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:id="@+id/list"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true" android:layout_above="@id/testbutton" />

</RelativeLayout>

I had the same problem for ages.

The solution to keeping the ListView above the buttons, but preventing it from covering them up when the list is long, is to set android:layout_weight="1.0" on the ListView. Leave the layout_weight on the buttons unset so that they remain at their natural size, otherwise the buttons will get scaled. This works with LinearLayout.

There's an example in the Android ApiDemos: ApiDemos/res/layout/linear_layout_9.xml

I was just searching for an answer to this question and this was one of the first results. I feel as if all of the answers, including the one that is currently chosen as the "best answer" is not addressing the issue being asked about. The problem that is being stated is that there is an overlap of the two components Button and ListView in that the ListView is taking up the entire screen, and the Button is visually floating above (in front of) the ListView (blocking view/access of the last item in the ListView)

Based on the answers I've seen here and on other forums, I finally came to a conclusion on how to resolve this.

Originally, I had:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout
  xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  android:orientation="vertical"
  android:layout_width="fill_parent"
  android:layout_height="fill_parent"
  android:background="#FF394952">

  <ListView
    android:id="@+id/game_list"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
    />

  <LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
    style="@android:style/ButtonBar">

    <Button
      android:id="@+id/new_game"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/new_game"
      android:textColor="#FFFFFFFF"
      android:background="@drawable/button_background" />
  </LinearLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

Note the use of RelativeLayout as the root node.

This is the final, working version in which the Button does not overlap the ListView:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout
  xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  android:orientation="vertical"
  android:layout_width="fill_parent"
  android:layout_height="fill_parent"
  android:background="#FF394952">

  <ListView
    android:id="@+id/game_list"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
    android:layout_weight="1.0" />

  <LinearLayout
    android:orientation="horizontal"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
    style="@android:style/ButtonBar">

    <Button
      android:id="@+id/new_game"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/new_game"
      android:textColor="#FFFFFFFF"
      android:background="@drawable/button_background" />
  </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

There are only two differences. First, I've switched to using a LinearLayout. This will help with the next bit, which was adding android:layout_weight to my ListView

I hope this helps.