Android - Constraint Layout inside another Constraint Layout background not showing

Question

I'm working on an Android activity in which I want to have a header, and the content below the header. I want to have background image that is streched just on the content, but not on the header.

From the picture you can see that my image is streched also on the logo part of the screen, which I don't want.

Here is the xml of my current layout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@drawable/background_11"
    tools:context=".login.LoginActivity"
    >

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/logo"
        android:layout_width="381dp"
        android:layout_height="156dp"
        android:src="@drawable/logo"
        tools:ignore="ContentDescription"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        android:layout_marginTop="-480dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="10dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="10dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="10dp"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.47" />

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/emptyImage"
        android:layout_width="384dp"
        android:layout_height="445dp"
        android:layout_marginBottom="0dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="0dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="0dp"
        android:background="@color/TICK_BACKGROUND"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/logo"
        app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.0"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/empty" />

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/login_usernameTextField"
        android:layout_width="291dp"
        android:layout_height="63dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="80dp"
        android:background="@drawable/rounded_text_edit_shape"
        android:ems="10"
        android:hint="Username"
        android:inputType="textPersonName"
        android:textColor="@color/INPUT_TEXT_COLOR"
        android:textColorHint="@color/iron"
        android:textCursorDrawable="@null"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.506"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/logo"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp" />

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/login_passwordTextField"
        android:layout_width="291dp"
        android:layout_height="63dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="-38dp"
        android:background="@drawable/rounded_text_edit_shape"
        android:ems="10"
        android:hint="Password"
        android:textCursorDrawable="@null"
        android:inputType="textPassword"
        android:textColor="@color/INPUT_TEXT_COLOR"
        android:textColorHint="@color/iron"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.506"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/login_usernameTextField"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/login_loginButton"
        android:onClick="loginButtonClick"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
        android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="30dp"
        android:background="@drawable/rounded_button_shape"
        android:text="Log In"
        android:textColor="@color/white"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/login_passwordTextField"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        android:layout_marginBottom="8dp"
        app:layout_constraintVertical_bias="0.28"
        android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
        android:layout_marginEnd="8dp" />

</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

I thought about making a parent Layout and inside that Layout add a header and another layout that contains the content. And then set the background inside the content layout like like this: android:background="@drawable/background_11"

Here is the code I tried:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent">




    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/logo"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/logo_2"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        android:layout_marginTop="-1dp"
        android:layout_marginLeft="0dp"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
        android:layout_marginRight="8dp"
        app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintHorizontal_bias="0.0" />

    <android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:background="@drawable/background_11"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/logo"
        android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
        app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent">

    </android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

However, my background is not showing up. Here are the reuslts:

Answer 1

There is no problem adding a constraint layout inside of another constraint layout if you satisfy all constraints.

This would work:

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:background="@drawable/background_11"
    android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/logo"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent">
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

But also:

<android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:background="@drawable/background_11"
    android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/logo"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent">
</android.support.constraint.ConstraintLayout>

If it is the right approach using a ConstraintLayout for the purpose of setting a background image is another question.

Since you are only using the ConstraintLayout to use the background property, you can skip that layout completely and use a View directly. Since all views inherit from View, but just add a lot of logic on top of it, in this use case a View is enough to satisfy the needs.

<View
    android:layout_width="0dp"
    android:layout_height="0dp"
    android:background="@drawable/background_11"
    android:layout_marginLeft="8dp"
    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/logo"
    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
    app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent">
</View>