I have the following code
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@+id/itemLayoutView"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:paddingLeft="@dimen/list_view_layout_margin"
android:paddingRight="@dimen/list_view_layout_margin"
android:background="@color/yellow">
<LinearLayout
android:id="@+id/itemLinearLayoutView"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView
android:id="@+id/gameNameView"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:textSize="@dimen/game_list_text_size" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/gameCreationDateView"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:textColor="@color/gray"
android:textSize="@dimen/small_text_size"
android:textStyle="italic" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="@+id/LinearLayoutView"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="@color/red"
android:orientation="horizontal" >
<Button
android:id="@+id/infoButton"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="@string/info" />
<Button
android:id="@+id/deleteButton"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="@string/delete" />
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
Your problem lies here:
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
This needs to be changed to "match_parent" in the LinearLayout which you want to be the parent's size. Also, you said
the second linear layout child does not take the height of the parent linear layout
These two layouts are not parents and children to one another. The parent is your RelativeLayout and both of your LinearLayouts are equivalent children of that RelativeLayout. Maybe this will help you debug any further problems you encounter.