Question

The xml below shows my layout. If you view this layout in the graphical editor the “Tempo” EditText is blue. That makes this field the item that has focus when the activity is open. I would like to have the “Name” field the first field that has focus when the Activity starts. Any ideas? Thanks.

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

    <ScrollView
        xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:id="@+id/scroll_view"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="0dip"
        android:layout_weight="1.0"
        android:fadingEdge="none" >

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:paddingLeft="10.0dip"
            android:paddingRight="10.0dip"
            android:paddingTop="10.0dip"
            android:focusableInTouchMode="true" >

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/songname_layout"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/songname"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <EditText
                    android:id="@+id/edit_songname"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                    android:inputType="textCapSentences"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000" >

                </EditText>
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/artist_layout"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/artist"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <AutoCompleteTextView
                    android:id="@+id/autocomplete_artist"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                    android:inputType="textCapSentences"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000" />
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/genre_area"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/genre"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <AutoCompleteTextView
                    android:id="@+id/autocomplete_genre"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                    android:inputType="textCapSentences"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000" />
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/notes_area"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/notes"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <EditText
                    android:id="@+id/notes"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:capitalize="sentences"
                    android:gravity="top"
                    android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                    android:inputType="textCapSentences"
                    android:minLines="3"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000" />
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/song_length_area"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/song_length"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <LinearLayout
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:orientation="horizontal" >

                    <EditText
                        android:id="@+id/edit_minute"
                        android:layout_width="60dp"
                        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                        android:gravity="right"
                        android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                        android:inputType="number"
                        android:maxLength="3"
                        android:textColor="#ff000000" />

                    <TextView
                        style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                        android:text="@string/semicolon"
                        android:textColor="#ff000000"
                        android:textStyle="bold" />

                    <EditText
                        android:id="@+id/edit_second"
                        android:layout_width="40dp"
                        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                        android:gravity="right"
                        android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                        android:inputType="number"
                        android:maxLength="2"
                        android:textColor="#ff000000" />

                    <TextView
                        style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                        android:text="@string/minsec"
                        android:textColor="#ff000000"
                        android:textStyle="bold" />
                </LinearLayout>
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/tempo_area"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/tempo"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <EditText
                    android:id="@+id/edit_tempo"
                    android:layout_width="60dp"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:gravity="right"
                    android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                    android:inputType="number"
                    android:maxLength="3"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000" >

                    <requestFocus />
                </EditText>
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/key_area"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="vertical" >

                <TextView
                    style="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/key"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />

                <Spinner
                    android:id="@+id/edit_key"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000" />
            </LinearLayout>

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/depreciated_area"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:orientation="horizontal" >

                <CheckBox
                    android:id="@+id/depreciated"
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                    android:text="@string/depreciated"
                    android:textColor="#ff000000"
                    android:textStyle="bold" />
            </LinearLayout>
        </LinearLayout>
    </ScrollView>

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:paddingBottom="1.0dip"
        android:paddingLeft="4.0dip"
        android:paddingRight="4.0dip"
        android:paddingTop="5.0dip" >

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btnsave"
            android:layout_width="0.0dip"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1.0"
            android:text="@string/save" />

        <Button
            android:id="@+id/btncancel"
            android:layout_width="0.0dip"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1.0"
            android:text="@string/cancel" />
    </LinearLayout>

</LinearLayout>

Answer 1

Use requestFocus to bring focus to a specific EditText:

            <EditText
                android:id="@+id/edit_songname"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:imeOptions="actionNext"
                android:inputType="textCapSentences"
                android:textColor="#ff000000" >

                <requestFocus />

            </EditText>

As you can see in your layout, the tempo field is the one that has requestFocus in it. Just move it to your songname field, and all will be well.