Optimising/Combining Related Android Layouts

Question

I'd like some advice regarding Android UI (in)efficiency. I'm trying to determine the best way to build a particular layout for my app, however I think my initial idea potentially runs the risk of brutalising performance. Basically I have three very similar and related app components, and to configure them, I need user input. The three components share different parameters within a global set. I want to determine a nice, fluid fashion in which to display this input form on the device.

What I'd like to do is simply allow users to use one form in place of three. All three components are related/similar and they share some of the configuration parameters the user is required to enter.

My initial idea is as follows:

1. Build an extensive layout of UI elements necessary for initial display for any of the three instances via XML. Unfortunately, given the number of parameters organised in rows, this will amount to approximately 50 view objects in total in this case.
2. Create activity so that the user enters the screen, and understands they are required to initially choose one of three values from a Spinner widget at the top of the screen.
3. By using bitwise comparison operators, simply show/hide the various controls related to the chosen Spinner value. (Triggered via Spinner's onItemSelectedListener() )
4. Create some minor/lightweight animations and so on so they understand pieces of the puzzle are being added or removed to reflect their choice.

Alternatively, a second theory involves using three different activities, and saving state between the three, passing parameters between them... Perhaps I should abandon my initial idea and use something along those lines? A third alternative?

The primary motivation for doing this instead of just breaking it into three separate forms is it should allow for users to experience a consistent UI with minimal frustration if they choose to re-think their initial selection. Using the above, if a user fills out half of the form and decides they'd like to use an alternative option from the Spinner, their information is obviously retained, because they'd be using the same view objects.

I would like to ask you all for a little advice on how I can achieve this without risking too much of a performance decline on typical, mid-range Android devices (by that I mean handsets most users own, from Froyo up, and in particular those from Gingerbread up). I'm concerned because I only have access to one test device and it's a HTC One X handset, and that's obviously an extraordinarily poor choice for getting a handle on how capably most mortal devices can render more complex layouts.

I'd also appreciate any guidance regarding tips for optimising performance... I understand from scouring the community and Android's developer resources that rendering some layout objects is more exhaustive than rendering others, and I should opt for LinearLayout where possible (as opposed to RelativeLayout for example). Is there any definitive resource for comparing the performance of UI options? I'd very much like to spare you the time and effort, and go and acquire the knowledge myself.

Thanks in advance for the time and effort. Cheers.

Edit: I guess I should mention that if necessary, almost none of these views need to be drawn to the screen when the activity is initially loaded (the first time anyway)... If desired, I can initially load only a few views, and the Spinner widget. It'd be like loading 'No option selected' instead of Option 1, by default. The impact on the user may actually be minor if the device is sluggish because their device won't actually have to draw more than a mere handful of view objects when the activity is loaded. At any one point, the device is probably only required to render and subsequently display about 30 view objects at any one time. I guess the critical issue is, "Will the user experience a hang or a delay if their phone is struggling to load a lot of XML, even if it's not displaying it all when the activity is loaded?"

Answer 1

+1 for great effort on the question. My personal suggestion is that you stick with your second theory. Keep your data separate from the views -- store the entered values somewhere such as SharedPreferences or a database -- and have three different layouts (one for each form). On creating your Activity, check each common field for a previously stored value and populate that field if one exists. Trying to do something like the first list, while maybe clever, would hardly be ideal.