How to make space between LinearLayout children?

Question

The API >= 11 solution:

You can integrate the padding into divider. In case you were using none, just create a tall empty drawable and set it as LinearLayout's divider:

    <LinearLayout
            android:showDividers="middle"
            android:divider="@drawable/empty_tall_divider"
...>...</LinearLayout>

empty_tall_divider.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <size
            android:height="40dp"
            android:width="0dp"/>
</shape>

You should android:layout_margin<Side> on the children. Padding is internal.

Android now supports adding a Space view between views. It's available from 4.0 ICS onwards.

The sample below just does what you need programatically. I have used a fixed size of (140,398).

LinearLayout.LayoutParams layoutParams = new LinearLayout.LayoutParams(140, 398);
        layoutParams.setMargins(24, 0, 24, 0);
        layout.addView(button,layoutParams);

Since API Level 14 you can just add a (transparent) divider drawable:

android:divider="@drawable/divider"
android:showDividers="middle"

and it will handle the rest for you!

Use LinearLayout.LayoutParams instead of MarginLayoutParams. Here's the documentation.

Using padding in the layout of Child View.

layout.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:layout_margin="5dp"
          android:background="@drawable/backage_text"
          android:textColor="#999999"
           >

</TextView>

backage_text.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <solid android:color="@color/white"/>
    <corners android:radius="2dp"/>
    <stroke
        android:width="1dp"
        android:color="#999999"/>
    <padding
        android:bottom="5dp"
        android:left="10dp"
        android:right="10dp"
        android:top="5dp" />
</shape>