Question

I have a chat application and i need to align left or right rows in a listView.
My problem is that i can’t align each row left or right. They remain aligned left.
I inflate each layout based on the fallowing code

odd rows

   <FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 android:id="@+id/userprofile_view"
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:background="@drawable/odd" 
 android:layout_gravity="right">

 <TextView
  android:id="@+id/chat_message_odd"
  android:layout_width="wrap_content"
  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
  android:paddingLeft="10dp"  
  android:textColor="#66CD00"
   />
</FrameLayout>

even

<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 android:id="@+id/userprofile_view"
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:background="@drawable/even" 
 android:layout_gravity="left">

 <TextView
  android:id="@+id/chat_message"
  android:layout_width="wrap_content"
  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
  android:paddingLeft="10dp"
  android:textColor="#000000"
   />
</FrameLayout>

Main layout

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:background="#FFFFFF" >


    <ListView
    android:id="@+id/listMessages"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="0px"
    android:layout_weight="1"
    android:scrollbars="vertical"
    android:divider="@null"
    android:dividerHeight="0dp" />

 <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:orientation="horizontal" >
    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/sendText"
        android:layout_width="253dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:autoText="false"
        android:capitalize="none"
        android:ems="10"
        android:scrollHorizontally="true"
        android:singleLine="true"
        android:textSize="16sp"
        android:hint="Enter text"
        >       
    </EditText>
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/send"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"        
        android:text="Send" />

</LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

make the TextView width match_parent and set it’s gravity to right.

so make it:

<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 android:id="@+id/userprofile_view"
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:background="@drawable/odd" 
 >

 <TextView
  android:id="@+id/chat_message_odd"
  android:layout_width="match_parent"
  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
  android:gravity="right"
  android:textColor="#66CD00"
   />
</FrameLayout>

or if you want a left aligned text which as a whole is on the right side of its parent, i would rather go for a RelativeLayout like this:

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/userprofile_view"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:background="@drawable/odd" >



    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/chat_message_odd"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:paddingLeft="10dp"
        android:textColor="#66CD00" />

</RelativeLayout>

*** EDIT
so simulating a list view I just did a vertical LinearLayout here:

    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/userprofile_view"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/chat_message_odd"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:background="@android:drawable/editbox_background"
            android:gravity="right"
            android:padding="10dp"
            android:text="foo bar"
            android:textColor="#66CD00" />
    </RelativeLayout>

    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/userprofile_view"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" >

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/chat_message_even"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:background="@android:drawable/editbox_background"
            android:gravity="right"
            android:padding="10dp"
            android:text="foo fighters"
            android:textColor="#f400" />
    </RelativeLayout>

</LinearLayout>

the above code creates a view like this: