How to Eliminate Padding Around Buttons in Android Layouts?

What are the steps to remove padding around buttons in an Android app layout?

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button_back"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:onClick="CloseActivity"
    android:padding="0dp"
    android:text="@+string/back" />

Padding issues around buttons in Android apps can be common, especially when trying to maximize the button space in a layout. This guide details how to remove any unwanted padding timely for a clean and seamless UI experience.

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:padding="0dp">

    <fragment
        android:id="@+id/map"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        class="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment"/>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button_back"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:onClick="CloseActivity"
        android:padding="0dp"
        android:text="@+string/back" />

</LinearLayout>

Causes

• Default padding settings inherent in various widgets can add unwanted white space around buttons.
• The layout parameters might not be set correctly, leading to unexpected layout behavior.

Solutions

• Set the `android:layout_width` of the Button to `match_parent` to utilize the full width.
• Ensure that you specify `android:padding="0dp"` to eliminate any extra padding from the button itself.
• Check if any parent layout settings are affecting the button's padding. Sometimes, the parent layout may also have padding which affects child views.

Mistake: Neglecting parent layout padding settings when configuring child elements.

Solution: Ensure to define `android:padding="0dp"` in the parent layout if unnecessary padding is being propagated.

Mistake: Using `fill_parent` instead of `match_parent` in layout settings which can lead to deprecated behavior.

Solution: Always use `match_parent` as `fill_parent` is deprecated.