What is vlayout?

vlayout is an Android library from Alibaba that solves a specific layout problem: how to display many different types of content arrangements inside a single scrolling list. On a typical app screen like a shopping feed or news page, you might have a banner at the top, then a row of items in a grid, then a horizontal strip, then a linear list, all stacked in one scrollable view. Normally this is difficult to build cleanly on Android. vlayout makes it manageable. The library works as an extension to RecyclerView, which is the standard Android component for displaying scrollable lists. Instead of one layout rule for the whole list, vlayout lets you assign different layout rules to different sections of the same list. Each section is controlled by a layout helper, and the library comes with many built-in helpers out of the box. The built-in helpers cover common patterns: a simple stacked list, a grid, a sticky header that pins to the top of the screen as you scroll past it, a floating view the user can drag around, a fixed overlay that stays in one spot on screen regardless of scrolling, and a waterfall-style staggered grid. You can also write your own layout helpers if none of the defaults fit. To use the library, you swap in a custom layout manager and then attach a delegate adapter that holds multiple sub-adapters, each responsible for its own section of the list with its own layout helper assigned. The README opens with a prominent notice that this project is no longer maintained. It was part of Alibaba's broader Tangram UI system for Android and iOS. Anyone starting new projects should be aware that no further updates are coming.