ViewBinding - how to get binding for included layouts?

While working with ViewBinding I came across a few undocumented cases.

First: How to get binding for included generic view layout parts, main binding see only items in main layout?

Second: How to get binding for included merge type layout parts, again main binding see only items in main layout?

In case of:

1. Include with generic layout (not merge node), we need to assign ID to included part, this way in binding we will have access to included sub part

<include
    android:id="@+id/your_id"
    layout="@layout/some_layout" />

This way in your activity code:

private lateinit var exampleBinding: ActivityExampleBinding  //activity_example.xml layout

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    exampleBinding = ActivityExampleBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
    setContentView(exampleBinding.root)
    //we will be able to access included layouts view like this
    val includedView: View = exampleBinding.yourId.idOfIncludedView
//[...]
}

2. Include with merge block in external layout. We can't add ID to it because merge block is not a view. Let's say we have such eternal merge layout (merge_layout.xm):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<merge xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    tools:showIn="@layout/activity_example">
    
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/some_view"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Hello World" />
</merge>

To properly bind such merge layout we need to:

In your activity code:

private lateinit var exampleBinding: ActivityExampleBinding  //activity_example.xml layout
private lateinit var mergeBinding: MergeLayoutBinding  //merge_layout.xml layout

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    exampleBinding = ActivityExampleBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
    //we need to bind the root layout with our binder for external layout
    mergeBinding = MergeLayoutBinding.bind(exampleBinding.root)
    setContentView(exampleBinding.root)
    //we will be able to access included in merge layout views like this
    val mergedView: View = mergeBinding.someView
//[...]
}

Your first question, that is working with an included layout using ViewBinding can be solved so easily.

Here is a sample main_fragment.xml file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <androidx.recyclerview.widget.RecyclerView
        android:id="@+id/recycler_view_main"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_weight="1" />

    <include
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        layout="@layout/toolbar" />

</LinearLayout>

And MainFragment.java can be like this

public class MeaningFragment extends Fragment {

    private MainFragmentBinding binding;
    private ToolbarBinding toolbarBinding;

    @Nullable
    @Override
    public View onCreateView(@NonNull LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                         Bundle savedInstanceState) {

        binding = MainFragmentBinding.inflate(inflater, container, false);
        toolbarBinding = binding.toolbar;

        return binding.getRoot();
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();

        toolbarBinding = null;
        binding = null;
    }
}

Now, you have two bindings. one of them is the default and the next one is from the included layout.

If you want to bind included layout then,

For Activity

YourMainLayoutBinding mainLayoutBinding = MainLayoutBinding.inflate(getLayoutInflater);

View view = mainLayoutBinding.getRoot();

YourIncludedLayoutBinding includedLayoutBinding = YourIncludedLayoutBinding.bind(View);

For Fragment

YourMainLayoutBinding mainLayoutBinding = MainLayoutBinding.inflate(inflater,container,false);

View view = mainLayoutBinding.getRoot();

YourIncludedLayoutBinding includedLayoutBinding = YourIncludedLayoutBinding.bind(View);

> Make Sure if your main layout binding parent root is LinearLayout then, > includedLayoutBinding parent layout also be a linear layout

Suppose I included a layout in my activity_main.xml file as follows:

<include
    android:id="@+id/ll_layout1"
    layout="@layout/layout1"
    android:visibility="gone" />

And suppose I wanted to change its visibility. I can do so as follows:

activityMainBinding.llLayout1.root.visibility = View.VISIBLE

Follow steps:-

1. private val binding : FragmentBinding by viewBinding(FragmentBinding::bind)

2. make sure to do the following in "onViewCreated(view: View, savedInstanceState: Bundle?)"

    val binding2 = binding.root.include_layout_id
   

e.g. val binding2 = binding.root.tool_bar_layout

Now access your include layout, views here. e.g.

binding2.textView.text = "your text"

In the include layout you must create a Container layout and put here the id.

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">

    <androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
        android:id="@+id/example"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent">
    </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

Using the data binding library. Then wrap your XML layout with <layout> tag

activity_main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layout>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    ... 

    <include 
      android:id="@+id/toolbar"
      layout="@layout/toolbar" />
    
    ...

</LinearLayout>
</layout>

toolbar.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical">

    <ImageView 
        android:id="@+id/ivImage"
        ... />

    <TextView 
        android:id="@+id/tvTitle"
        ... />


</LinearLayout>

MainActivity.kt

private lateinit var binding: ActivityMainBinding  

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    binding = DataBindingUtil.setContentView(this, R.layout.activity_main)

    // Access include layout views
    binding.toolbar.rootView.ivImage.setImageResource(R.drawable.ic_back_arrow)
    binding.toolbar.rootView.tvTitle.text = getString(R.string.home)
   
    ...
}