How to Set the width of the TextView, in XML
android:layout_width was added in API Level 1LayoutParams
Specifies the basic width of the TextView. This is a required attribute for any view inside of a containing layout manager.
1. Add a TextView in your main.xml file.
2. In the main.xml file, edit the code below. Using wrap_content the TextView will be only wide enough to enclose its content (plus padding).
<TextView
...
android:layout_width = "wrap_content"
/>
3. At this point, the code will work. But, to easier see the defines lines of the TextView, let's change the background color of the TextView to Gray. Hex: #808080
5. Changing the android:width to match_parent will extend the width of the TextView to the end of its parent View (minus padding). (API 8 or greater)
6. If using API 7 or less, use fill_parent to yield the same results as match_parent.
This will fill as much horizontal space as it can, up to its parent. It should make the width as wide as it can be within the parent.
android:layout_width = "fill_parent"
Related Articles:
Resources:
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/ViewGroup.LayoutParams.html#attr_android:layout_width
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/R.attr.html#layout_width
