Android beginner difference between padding and margin [duplicate]

Answer 1

what is the difference fundamentally between padding and margins ?

For the differences - Rohan Khandwal has shared a very perfect link.

Would the behaviour differ depending on O.S. and devices?

Now If we are talking about the behaviour of the view which has been given diffrent margins & padding. Then It will definitely look diffrent in different devices with diffrent resolutions. Thats why we are given diffrent dimen/values/layout folders which have their own meanings.

Answer 2

The padding is expressed in pixels for the left, top, right, and bottom parts of the view. Padding can be used to offset the content of the view by a specific amount of pixels.

For instance, a left padding of 2 will push the view's content by 2 pixels to the right of the left edge.

Padding can be set using the setPadding(int, int, int, int) method and queried by calling getPaddingLeft(), getPaddingTop(), getPaddingRight(), and getPaddingBottom().

Margins are the spaces outside the border, between the border and the other elements next to this view. Note that, like the padding, the margin goes completely around the content :there are margins on the top, bottom, right, and left sides. Margin can be set using the setMargins(int left, int top, int right, int bottom) method.

Answer 3

Padding is for inside/within components. Eg. TextView , Button, EditText etc.
Eg. space between the Text and Border

Margin is to be applied for the on-outside of the components.
Eg. space between left edge of the screen and border of your component

Visual representation is great in : Difference between a View's Padding and Margin

With Padding, i have seen a difference in 2.2, 2.3 and say 4.3, 4.4
in such cases:

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    tools:context=".MainActivity" >

    <Button
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:text="ASDFGHJKL" />

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:paddingLeft="15dp"
        android:text="@string/hello_world" />

</RelativeLayout>  

Also, check the use of dimens:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/more-resources.html

Answer 4

Margin

Margins make up the vertical and horizontal areas between elements. If elements have no margins around them, they will bump right up against each other. In other words, he space outside of, or between, elements is what comprises the margin areas.

Padding

The padding of an element is the horizontal and vertical space that’s set around the content area of the targeted element. So padding is on the inside of a box, not the outside.

Answer 5

Padding is the space inside the border, between the border and the actual view's content. Note that padding goes completely around the content: there is padding on the top, bottom, right and left sides (which can be independent).

Margins are the spaces outside the border, between the border and the other elements next to this view. In the image, the margin is the grey area outside the entire object. Note that, like the padding, the margin goes completely around the content: there are margins on the top, bottom, right, and left sides.

Padding Increases the size of the view where as margin doesn't because it is outside the view

Answer 6

Margin: Between border and its parent layout

Padding: Between content and border

refer to this