Is it possible in android to define constants in XML that vary with configuration

Yes you can do this, we do it all over the place in Android itself :) Just define your constants in res/values/, res/values-land/ etc. For dimensions, use the tag and refer to them using @dimen/my_value in the layout.


Yes. A dimension is an accepted item in a resource file. So create e.g. res/values/dimension.xml and put

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <dimen name="footer_size" >150dp</dimen>
</resources>

I will try to explain it shortly.

First, you may notice that now you should use ConstraintLayout as requested by google (see androix library).

In your android studio projet, you can provide screen-specific layouts by creating additional res/layout/ directories. One for each screen configuration that requires a different layout.

This means you have to use the directory qualifier in both cases :

As a result, here is an exemple :

res/layout/main_activity.xml                # For handsets
res/layout-land/main_activity.xml           # For handsets in landscape
res/layout-sw600dp/main_activity.xml        # For 7” tablets
res/layout-sw600dp-land/main_activity.xml   # For 7” tablets in landscape

You can also use qualifier with res ressources files using dimens.xml.

res/values/dimens.xml                # For handsets
res/values-land/dimens.xml           # For handsets in landscape
res/values-sw600dp/dimens.xml        # For 7” tablets

res/values/dimens.xml

<resources>
    <dimen name="grid_view_item_height">70dp</dimen>
</resources>

res/values-land/dimens.xml

<resources>
    <dimen name="grid_view_item_height">150dp</dimen>
</resources>

your_item_grid_or_list_layout.xml

<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout
        android:id="@+id/constraintlayout"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content

    <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/image"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="@dimen/grid_view_item_height"
            android:layout_marginEnd="8dp"
            android:layout_marginStart="8dp"
            android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
            android:background="@drawable/border"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_menu_slideshow">

</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

Source : https://developer.android.com/training/multiscreen/screensizes