Question

My main working tool is IntelliJ. So I use it to create XML files and layouts for Android activities. However, if I open such XML file in Eclipse, it does not recognize it as layout file and does not load its GUI designer (I open XML file via Eclipse Layout Editor). If I create an XML file in Eclipse, the GUI designer loads properly.

The very content of Eclipse layout XML filet and IntelliJ layout XML file is 100% identical.

What am I doing wrong?
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EDIT: I have created new project in IntelliJ. Added some test elements into Main.xml. Exported project to Eclipse format (File->Export to Eclipse…). Closed IntelliJ, opened Eclipse, Imported the newly created project, opened Main.xml with Layout Editor and NOTHING again. This is structure of Main.xml

   <?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"
        >
    <TextView
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:text="Hello World, MyActivity"
            />
    <TextView
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:text="just testing text"/>
    <ImageView
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:src="@drawable/icon"/>
    <LinearLayout
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content">
        <TextView
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:text="test inside of layout"/>
    </LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

And this is how Eclipse Layout Editor sees this XML file.

Answer 1

Once you copy the file to the res/layout folder, right click on the project in the project explorer and hit refresh to let it know Eclipse the file is there. You might need to clean the project and rebuild also.

An xml file does not depend on where you created, it’s just text.