FILL_PARENT allows FILL_PARENT to do all the free space. Weight makes you take a relative amount. Example: let's say you have two boxes, A and B, added to the horizontal LinearLayout in this order. If A is set to WRAP_CONTENT and B is set to FILL_PARENT , your layout
[A] [B +++++ +++++]
If you instead have a weight set to 2 and a weight B set to 2, you get
[++, A ++] [++ B ++]
If you have set weight 2 and weight B set to 4, you get
[+ A +] [+++ +++ B]
and etc.
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