Making TextView scrollable on Android

You don't need to use a ScrollView actually.

Just set the

android:scrollbars = "vertical"

properties of your TextView in your layout's xml file.

Then use:

yourTextView.setMovementMethod(new ScrollingMovementMethod());

in your code.

Bingo, it scrolls!

This is how I did it purely in XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">

    <ScrollView
        android:id="@+id/SCROLLER_ID"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:scrollbars="vertical"
        android:fillViewport="true">

        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/TEXT_STATUS_ID"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1.0"/>
    </ScrollView>
</LinearLayout>

NOTES:

1. android:fillViewport="true" combined with android:layout_weight="1.0" will make the textview take up all available space.

2. When defining the Scrollview, DO NOT specify android:layout_height="fill_parent" otherwise the scrollview doesn't work! (this has caused me to waste an hour just now! FFS).

PRO TIP:

To programmatically scroll to the bottom after appending text, use this:

mTextStatus = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.TEXT_STATUS_ID);
mScrollView = (ScrollView) findViewById(R.id.SCROLLER_ID);

private void scrollToBottom()
{
    mScrollView.post(new Runnable()
    {
        public void run()
        {
            mScrollView.smoothScrollTo(0, mTextStatus.getBottom());
        }
    });
}

All that is really necessary is the setMovementMethod(). Here's an example using a LinearLayout.

File main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<TextView
    android:id="@+id/tv1"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:text="@string/hello"
    />
</LinearLayout>

File WordExtractTest.java

public class WordExtractTest extends Activity {

    TextView tv1;

    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);

        tv1 = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.tv1);

        loadDoc();
    }

    private void loadDoc() {

        String s = "";

        for(int x=0; x<=100; x++) {
            s += "Line: " + String.valueOf(x) + "\n";
        }

        tv1.setMovementMethod(new ScrollingMovementMethod());

        tv1.setText(s);
    }
}