In this chapter, we'll look at the core components of every Android user interface: layouts and views. You'll learn how to add these elements to your Android projects and all the different ways you can customize these UI building blocks to meet your exact design needs. We'll also look at how to enhance our UI using strings, colors resources, and state lists, and we'll begin to look at how we can create a user interface that looks crisp and clear regardless of the screen it's being displayed on.
Although we'll be exploring layouts and views in greater detail throughout this chapter, the two are intrinsically linked. Before you can add a view to your app, you need a layout, and a layout without any views isn't likely to win your app any fans.
So, before we dive into the finer details of UI design, let's get an overview of how views and layouts come together to create an effective Android UI.