How to create different layout for Galaxy S3 and Nexus 7?

Question

I have created an android application which works properly for nexus 7. Inside resources folder, I have created two folders, layout, layout-land for Nexus 7" tab. Everything was working fine till date. Now I want to create a different layout for Samsung Galaxy S3. For that, I have created a folders inside resources with layout-large & layout-large-land. But, here is the problem. Now, for Nexus 7 also, the layout defined in layout-large folder is getting loaded. How to stop that? How can I create different layout for Nexus 7" tab & Galaxy S3 mobile? I have read Supporting Multiple Screens documentation. But I couldn't understand as the screen size for Nexus 7 is 1204 X 800 & screen size for samsung galaxy S3 is 720 X 1280.

How to create different layouts for different devices with different screen resolutions & display sizes? Also, based on device size, I want to change few values in my application. How to do that one?

Solution

According to the Supporting Multiple Screens

Qualifiers like small, normal, large and xlarge is for Screen Sizes, which means Nexus 7 will use the resources with large qualifier, if you provide. Therefore before you create the folder with large qualifier, Nexus 7 will load the resources from default layout folder. As for ldpi, mdpi, hdpi and xhdpi is for the screen density.

To solve your problem, you need:

1. put the layout definitions for Galaxy S3 into layout, and layout-sw600dp for Nexus 7. Please refer to Android Developers Blog: Getting Your App Ready for Jelly Bean and Nexus 7

2. put the resources (images or drawable stuff) for Galaxy S3 into drawable-xhdpi, and drawable-tvdpi or drawable-hdpi for Nexus 7.

Hope it could help you, and please let me know if you have any other problems :)

Here are some useful references:

What layout is suitable for 720x1280 Android devices?

Screen Width Qualifier

Comments

[stuckedoverflow]

Yes this is the main disadvantages of Android. Too many vendors doing their own sizes. You might want to have a look on my previous similar questions about multiple screens on stackoverflow.com/questions/11584107/… or stackoverflow.com/questions/11008199/… or stackoverflow.com/questions/10992764/how-android-manages-scr‌​een

[Bharath]

Even after putting my layout definations for s3 in layout, layout-large is getting loaded

[Bharath]

@Andres.. I dint get you here. for which one should I use xlarge. I have created such layout. Even then layout-large is getting loaded for both S3 & Nexus 7

[dumbfingers]

Then please try put definitions for s3 in layout, and put those for Nexus in layout-sw600dp according to Android Developers Blog. Meanwhile I also updated my answer to include this comment.

[Bharath]

No. thats ok. It is working fine now when I have implemented your previous comment. Thats why I have deleted that comment. My mistake was, emulator configuration for s3 was not correct. thats why. Anyways, thanks for your effort. +25

[dumbfingers]

Glad 2 hear that u've solved this. I've added more reference to my answer to help others.

[CorayThan]

layout-sw360dp is a good option if you want a Galaxy S3 specific layout that's different from a default layout for smaller, more normally sized phones. layout-sw600dp is definitely what you want for the Nexus 7.