257
votes

I have lot of items on the screen and I need to use the scrollbar so the user can scroll down. However, the scroll is either not visible or it's not working. How is it possible to add a scrollbar to a LinearLayout?

10

10 Answers

479
votes

Wrap the linear layout with a <ScrollView>

See here for an example:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <LinearLayout 
       android:layout_width="fill_parent"
       android:layout_height="fill_parent"
       xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
       <ScrollView
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content">
            <LinearLayout 
                  android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                  android:orientation="vertical">
                  <!-- Content here -->
            </LinearLayout>
      </ScrollView>
 </LinearLayout>

Note: fill_parent is deprecated and renamed to match_parent in API Level 8 and higher.

151
votes
<ScrollView 
      xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
      android:id="@+id/scroll" 
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content">

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

 </ScrollView>
4
votes

This can be done using the tag <ScrollView>. For ScrollView, one thing you have to remind that, ScrollView must have a single child.

If you want your full layout to be scrollable then add <ScrollView> at the top. Check the example given below.

<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/scroll" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <LinearLayout 
        android:id="@+id/container" 
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:orientation="vertical">
            <!-- Content here -->
    </LinearLayout>

</ScrollView>

But if you want some part of your layout to be scrollable then add <ScrollView> within that part. Check the example given below.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="400dp">

    <ScrollView
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent">

        <LinearLayout 
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:orientation="vertical">
                <!-- Content here -->
        </LinearLayout>

    </ScrollView>

</LinearLayout>
4
votes

Here is how I did it by trial and error.

ScrollView - (the outer wrapper).

    LinearLayout (child-1).

        LinearLayout (child-1a).

        LinearLayout (child-1b).

Since ScrollView can have only one child, that child is a linear layout. Then all the other layout types occur in the first linear layout. I haven't tried to include a relative layout yet, but they drive me nuts so I will wait until my sanity returns.

3
votes

You need to wrap your linear layout with a scroll view

<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/scroll" 
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

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


    </LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
1
votes

You need to place ScrollView as the first child of Layout file and now put your linearlayout inside it. Now, android will decide on the basis of content and device size available whether to show a scrollable or not.

Make sure linearlayout has no sibling because ScrollView can not have more than one child.

1
votes

you need to use the following attribute and enclose it within the linear layout

<LinearLayout ...>
<scrollView ...> 

</scrollView>
</LinearLayout>
0
votes
 <LinearLayout 
        xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        tools:context=".MainActivity">

        <ScrollView
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent">

            <LinearLayout
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:orientation="vertical">
                <---------Content Here --------------->
            </LinearLayout>
       </ScrollView>
    </LinearLayout>
-1
votes

Whenever you wanted to make a layout scrollable, you can use <ScrollView> With a layout or component in it.

-28
votes

You can add an atrribute in linearLayout : android:scrollbars="vertical"