Android ActionBar custom layout styling

you're not getting your result because:

u need to:

1. if you use AppCompat theme

2. add to your activity layout

3. in code eg. in onCreate() set a toolbar to replace the action bar.

try change the root layout into relative layout

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_gravity="fill_horizontal"
android:orientation="horizontal">

<TextView
    android:text="left text"
    android:layout_toLeftOf="@+id/icon"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
    android:id="@+id/text_left"
    android:gravity="left"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:paddingLeft="5dp"/>

<ImageView
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
    android:id="@+id/icon"
    android:layout_width="10dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:src="@drawable/bg_sunrise"
    android:layout_gravity="center"/>

<TextView
    android:text="Right txt"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/icon"
    android:id="@+id/text_right"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:gravity="right"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="right"
    android:paddingRight="5dp"/> </RelativeLayout>