Question

As an example, see the following tutorial on how my tabs are setup initially.

Instead of a normal activity running on one of the tabs, I want another TabActivity. So what I’m trying to do is run a TabActivity within a TabActivity. I believe the issue is that the ID’s conflict. I have tried to solve this by changing the ID’s on the secondary activity’s xml file and calling those manually in the activity, but have had no luck.

I have been searching for hours for a solution for this, but have come up with nothing.

Answer 1

Multiple tab activities with an application is possible.

For instance:
App contains a Launcher TabActivity (HomeTabActivity) with two tabs : Tab 1 and Tab 2

Tab 1 can be a TabActivity with two or more tabs.
Tab 2 can be a TabActivity with two or more tabs. 

FirstTab, SecondTab, ThirdTab and FourthTab are simple activities actings as child for child of HomeTabActivity.

xml files containing TabHost as parent element
1. hometab.xml
2. tab1.xml
3. tab2.xml

To differentiate between HomeTabActivity and Its child TabActivities i.e Tab1 and Tab2 
I have put TabWidget at top for HomeTabActivity and at bottom for Tab1 and Tab2.

HomeTabActivity (Very First Main Tab Activity):

public class HomeTabActivity extends TabActivity 
{
    private TabHost mTabHost = null;
    private Intent mIntent = null;
    private TabHost.TabSpec mTabSpec = null;

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

    private void initializeTabs() {
        mTabHost = getTabHost();

        mIntent = new Intent().setClass(this, Tab1.class);
        mTabSpec = mTabHost
                .newTabSpec("Tab1")
                .setIndicator("Tab1",
                        getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_launcher))
                .setContent(mIntent);
        mTabHost.addTab(mTabSpec);

        mIntent = new Intent().setClass(this, Tab2.class);
        mTabSpec = mTabHost
                .newTabSpec("Tab2")
                .setIndicator("Tab2",
                        getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_launcher))
                .setContent(mIntent);
        mTabHost.addTab(mTabSpec);

        mTabHost.setCurrentTab(0);
    }

}

Tab1 (TabActivity Embedded inside the HomeTabActivity) :

public class Tab1 extends TabActivity 
{
    private TabHost mTabHost = null;
    private Intent mIntent = null;
    private TabHost.TabSpec mTabSpec = null;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.tab1);
        initializeTabs();
    }

    private void initializeTabs() {
        mTabHost = getTabHost();
        mIntent = new Intent().setClass(this, FirstTab.class);

        mTabSpec = mTabHost
                .newTabSpec("Tab1 Child 1")
                .setIndicator("Tab1 Child 1",
                        getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_launcher))
                .setContent(mIntent);
        mTabHost.addTab(mTabSpec);

        mIntent = new Intent().setClass(this, SecondTab.class);
        mTabSpec = mTabHost
                .newTabSpec("Tab1 Child 2")
                .setIndicator("Tab1 Child 2",
                        getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_launcher))
                .setContent(mIntent);
        mTabHost.addTab(mTabSpec);
        mTabHost.setCurrentTab(0);
    }
}

Tab2 (Another TabActivity Embedded inside the HomeTabActivity) :

public class Tab2 extends TabActivity 
{
    private TabHost mTabHost = null;
    private Intent mIntent = null;
    private TabHost.TabSpec mTabSpec = null;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.tab2);
        initializeTabs();
    }

    private void initializeTabs() {
        mTabHost = getTabHost();
        mIntent = new Intent().setClass(this, ThirdTab.class);

        mTabSpec = mTabHost
                .newTabSpec("Tab2 Child 1")
                .setIndicator("Tab2 Child 1",
                        getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_launcher))
                .setContent(mIntent);
        mTabHost.addTab(mTabSpec);

        mIntent = new Intent().setClass(this, FourthTab.class);
        mTabSpec = mTabHost
                .newTabSpec("Tab2 Child 2")
                .setIndicator("Tab2 Child 2",
                        getResources().getDrawable(R.drawable.ic_launcher))
                .setContent(mIntent);
        mTabHost.addTab(mTabSpec);
        mTabHost.setCurrentTab(1);
    }
}

hometab.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@android:id/tabhost"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <TabWidget
            android:id="@android:id/tabs"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
        </TabWidget>

        <FrameLayout
            android:id="@android:id/tabcontent"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent" >
        </FrameLayout>
    </LinearLayout>

</TabHost>

tab1.xml and tab2.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TabHost xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@android:id/tabhost"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical" >

        <FrameLayout
            android:id="@android:id/tabcontent"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent" 
            android:background="@color/androidblue"
            android:layout_weight="1">
        </FrameLayout>

        <TabWidget
            android:id="@android:id/tabs"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
            android:layout_weight="0">
        </TabWidget>
    </LinearLayout>

</TabHost>