ConstraintLayout: The Modern Android Default | Generated by AI
The correct answer is C. ConstraintLayout.
Explanation:
Since 2017, Google has officially recommended ConstraintLayout as the default layout manager for modern Android development. It was made the default in Android Studio’s layout editor starting with Android Studio 2.3 and remains the go-to choice today (2025).
Why ConstraintLayout is preferred:
- Extremely flexible – can replace LinearLayout, RelativeLayout, and even complex nested layouts
- Highly performant – uses a flat view hierarchy (avoids deep nesting, which hurts performance)
- Powerful design-time tools in Android Studio (drag-and-drop, constraints, chains, barriers, guidelines)
- Supports advanced features like percentage-based positioning, aspect ratios, and motion layout integration
Deprecated/legacy alternatives:
- RelativeLayout is now discouraged (Google marked it as “less optimal” and it’s largely superseded)
- LinearLayout is still useful in simple cases (e.g., vertical/horizontal lists), but not ideal for complex UIs
- FrameLayout is mainly for single-child overlays or fragments
Official Google documentation and Android developer training now use ConstraintLayout almost exclusively in new examples.
So for any new project in 2025+: Always start with ConstraintLayout unless you have a specific reason not to.