Can't align image view to the left edge

Question

I want to align the lower views to the left edge of the top view

enter the image description here

but they go away like this:

enter image description here

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:layout_marginStart="56dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="24dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code" />

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteX="56dp"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="174dp" />

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteX="56dp"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="333dp" />

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteX="56dp"
        tools:layout_editor_absoluteY="501dp" />


</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

I have done it many times but it keeps doing this.

Answer 1

The constraint layout you posted is not accurate and correct. all the views are not constrained to each other Here is how we do it ->

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".MainActivity"
    android:paddingStart="56dp"> // this alligns all the child views to 56 dp from the Start

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="24dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code" />

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton1"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="30dp" // add the required dp for gap between 2nd and 1st image
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/imageButton" />

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton2"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="30dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/imageButton1" />

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton3"
        android:layout_width="120dp"
        android:layout_height="120dp"
        android:layout_marginTop="30dp"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_code"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/imageButton2" />


</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

Please contraint your child views as per your requirement , constraint layout gives a vast variety of constrainting options , i suggest you to refer to the documention of android : https://developer.android.com/develop/ui/views/layout/constraint-layout