How do you implement a fixed left pane for an Android tablet layout?
android, android-actionbar, android-fragments, android-layout
Solution
It uses a Split View Controller for tablets which in Android lingo allows you to present two Activities side by side simultaneously.
No. In "Android lingo", you cannot "present two Activities side by side simultaneously". You can present two fragments side by side simultaneously.
How would you recommend implementing this in Android?
Use fragments. Use a `FragmentTransaction` to replace the right-hand fragment as needed based on user input. Your overall activity layout could have a horizontal `LinearLayout` (with `android:layout_weight` to control the sizes for the left and right sides), with a `<fragment>` element for the left and a `FrameLayout` for the right.
Should I use a single activity and manually perform transitions between fragments in the right panel?
Yes, to achieve what you ask for.
Problem
I'm porting an iPhone+iPad app to Android. It uses a Split View Controller for tablets which in Android lingo allows you to present two Activities side by side simultaneously (Edit: Android only allows one Activity on screen as mentioned by @commonsware below. The next best thing is to use fragments, but the Action Bar can only exist at the Activity level, meaning it will have to expand the entire width of the screen. It wonder if a Split Activity Controller will be coming to the Android Platform.) The tablet landscape layout has a fixed left pane for statistics that never changes. The right hand pane functions just like the phone version of the app. Transitions occur exclusively on the right hand pane. i.e. the whole screen doesn't slide when changing activities, only the right pane. How would you recommend implementing this in Android? Should I use a single activity and manually perform transitions between fragments in the right panel? This app has 25 screens and will have an alternate layout for phones, so I'm trying to plan ahead and do this right the first time :) Thanks for your help!