How to make a simple square on Android?

Question

Can you make a square full of one color without all the complications? I say complications, because the examples I see here on the internet requires you to create another class, inheriting from the View, making the drawRect() in function onDraw() through the Canvas...

In the end, is there such a simple thing:

int width = 10;
GridLayout gl = (GridLayout)findViewById( R.ids.mainGridLayout );
Square s = new Square( width );
gl.addView( s );

Answer 1

As it seems to me you want to add a square to a GridLayout, the simplest solution would be to create a View, set a background color and include it in the GridLayout:

View view = new View(this);
view.setBackgroundColor(Color.GREEN);
gl.addView(view);

But for your information Android allows you to create "shapes" (shapes) as for example rectangles (and so squares) and include them as background of a layout as if it were a drawable. With that your squares can have:

• Customized color and thickness edges
• Rounded edges
• Bottom gradient (in the direction you want)

For example:

res/drawable/meu_rectangle.xml:

<shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shape="rectangle" android:padding="10dp">
    <stroke
         android:width="2dp"
         android:color="#FFFFFFFF"/>
    <gradient
        android:startColor="#DD000000"
        android:endColor="#DD2ECCFA" 
        android:angle="225"/> 
     <corners 
        android:radius="2dp"
        android:bottomRightRadius="0dp"
        android:bottomLeftRadius="0dp"
        android:topLeftRadius="15dp"
        android:topRightRadius="15dp"/>
</shape>

You include in the layout like this:

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@drawable/meu_retangulo" />

Answer 2

If all you want is a square, why not simply use a Linearlayout with a background color?

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

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_centerInParent="true"
        android:background="@android:color/holo_red_dark"
        android:layout_width="200dp"
        android:layout_height="200dp" />

</RelativeLayout>

It is possible to position it where you want even over other views.

Answer 3

You can also create your image and use as a Drawable feature.