Question

I’ve been looking around on this site and on Google and haven’t found anything that really gives me a clear answer. So I thought I’d just ask. I’m new to Android so a clear explanation would be best.

The question is simple. I want my app to have a constant menu at the bottom that I can use at any point, along with the activity behind it.

For example, the score mobile app does this and the red arrow points to what I’d want:

Or Even this works with the bigger, grey menu:

Please help.

Answer 1

You can achieve this by using Fragments.
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals/fragments.html

When your app starts up you load a single Activity called HomeActivity or whatever.
This Activity should load a layout looking like this:

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


    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/fragment_container"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_above="@+id/relativeLayout1"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true" >
    </RelativeLayout>

    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/relativeLayout1"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" >

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btnFirst"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
            android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
            android:text="@string/btn_previous" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btnSecond"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
            android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
            android:text="@string/btn_pause" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btnThird"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
            android:text="@string/btn_next" />
    </RelativeLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

As you see, your 3 buttons are ALWAYS on the bottom of the screen.
Instead of calling different Activities you replace the Fragment in the RelativeLayout “fragment_container” with the Fragment you want to display.
That means that you have to change your Activity-Classes with Fragment-Classes. Fragments and Activities are quiet similar and it shouldnt be very much hard to change your code.