Android: Vertical alignment for multi line EditText (Text area)

Question

I want to have 5 lines for the height of the text area. I am using the following code.

<EditText
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:singleLine="false"
    android:lines="5"
    android:layout_marginLeft="10dip"
    android:layout_marginRight="10dip" />

The text area looks fine, but the problem is that the cursor is blinking in the middle of the text field. I want it to blink at first line, at the first character of the text field.

try to remove your gravity "center", might be the problem – Sephy Mar 15 '10 at 11:11 — Sephy, Mar 15 '10 at 11:11

score 380 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 15 '10 at 13:01

380

Use android:gravity="top"

answered Mar 15 '10 at 13:01

CommonsWare

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score 103 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 27 '19 at 07:42

103

This is similar to CommonsWare answer but with a minor tweak: android:gravity="top|start". Complete code example:

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/EditText02"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:lines="5"
    android:gravity="top|start"
    android:inputType="textMultiLine"
    android:scrollHorizontally="false" 
/>

edited Dec 27 '19 at 07:42

Gibolt

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answered May 30 '11 at 05:46

Nandagopal T

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8

Do not use `top|left` unless you know you can control all the languages in your app, there are a lot of right-to-left languages out there (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-left) Keep it localization-friendly – MariusBudin Jan 17 '14 at 08:44
2

@MariusBudin Presumably, `top|start` would be the correct alternative? – ban-geoengineering Oct 12 '19 at 10:10

score 19 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 11 '13 at 04:47

19

U can use this Edittext....This will help you.

<EditText
android:id="@+id/EditText02"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:lines="5"
android:gravity="top|left"
android:inputType="textMultiLine" />

answered Sep 11 '13 at 04:47

Denny Sharma

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score 9 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 17 '12 at 22:01

9

Use this:

android:gravity="top"

or

android:gravity="top|left"

edited Apr 17 '12 at 22:01

answered Apr 17 '12 at 09:06

Samir Mangroliya

39,918
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score 6 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 29 '12 at 07:48

<EditText android:id="@+id/EditText02" android:layout_width="120dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:lines="5" android:layout_centerInParent="true"
    android:gravity="top|left" android:inputType="textMultiLine"
    android:scrollHorizontally="false" android:minWidth="10.0dip"
    android:maxWidth="180dip" />

it will work

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered May 28 '18 at 12:35

3

Now a day use of gravity start is best choise:

android:gravity="start"

For EditText (textarea):

<EditText
    android:id="@+id/EditText02"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:lines="5"
    android:gravity="start"
    android:inputType="textMultiLine"
/>

answered May 28 '18 at 12:35

Sheikh Hasib

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Can you shed some light on why this works? I would have expected `start` to have worked like `left` (for Western languages) - i.e., only affect the horizontal gravity, but it also seems to do the job of `top`, too. – ban-geoengineering Oct 12 '19 at 10:20
Yes, you are right. We are mainly use this for support RTL. Like in Arabic language, it's go to Right, instead of Left. And It's also go to `top` that you already asked. In generally we start writing from Top-Left side, that's why this `START` also show same characteristics. @ban-geoengineering – Sheikh Hasib Oct 12 '19 at 11:24

score 2 · Answer 7 · answered May 22 '12 at 03:27

2

I think you can use layout:weight = 5 instead android:lines = 5 because when you port your app to smaller device - it does it nicely.. well, both attributes will accomplish your job..

answered May 22 '12 at 03:27

Sanjay Herle

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Android: Vertical alignment for multi line EditText (Text area)

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