Android RecyclerView with multiple different layouts

The main layout, activity_main.xml

RecyclerView row item layout one, list_item_type1.xml

RecyclerView row item layout two, list_item_type2.xml

A dummy model object class, Item.java

public class Item {
    public enum ItemType {
        ONE_ITEM, TWO_ITEM;
    }

    private String name;
    private ItemType type;

    public Item(String n, ItemType type) {
        this.name = n;
        this.type = type;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    public ItemType getType() {
        return type;
    }

    public void setType(ItemType type) {
        this.type = type;
    }
}

The RecyclerView Item adapter, this is where the magic happens for having multiple different layouts in the RecyclerView list item. Pay attention to getItemViewType and onCreateViewHolder.

import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.TextView;

import java.util.ArrayList;

public class ItemArrayAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter {
    private static final int TYPE_ONE = 1;
    private static final int TYPE_TWO = 2;

    private ArrayList itemList;
    // Constructor of the class
    public ItemArrayAdapter(ArrayList itemList) {
        this.itemList = itemList;
    }

    // get the size of the list
    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return itemList == null ? 0 : itemList.size();
    }

    // determine which layout to use for the row
    @Override
    public int getItemViewType(int position) {
        Item item = itemList.get(position);
        if (item.getType() == Item.ItemType.ONE_ITEM) {
            return TYPE_ONE;
        } else if (item.getType() == Item.ItemType.TWO_ITEM) {
            return TYPE_TWO;
        } else {
            return -1;
        }
    }


    // specify the row layout file and click for each row
    @Override
    public RecyclerView.ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
        if (viewType == TYPE_ONE) {
            View view = LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext()).inflate(R.layout.list_item_type1, parent, false);
            return new ViewHolderOne(view);
        } else if (viewType == TYPE_TWO) {
            View view = LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext()).inflate(R.layout.list_item_type2, parent, false);
            return new ViewHolderTwo(view);
        } else {
            throw new RuntimeException("The type has to be ONE or TWO");
        }
    }

    // load data in each row element
    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(RecyclerView.ViewHolder holder, int listPosition) {
        switch (holder.getItemViewType()) {
            case TYPE_ONE:
                initLayoutOne((ViewHolderOne)holder, listPosition);
                break;
            case TYPE_TWO:
                initLayoutTwo((ViewHolderTwo) holder, listPosition);
                break;
            default:
                break;
        }
    }

    private void initLayoutOne(ViewHolderOne holder, int pos) {
        holder.item.setText(itemList.get(pos).getName());
    }

    private void initLayoutTwo(ViewHolderTwo holder, int pos) {
        holder.tvLeft.setText(itemList.get(pos).getName());
        holder.tvRight.setText(itemList.get(pos).getName());
    }


    // Static inner class to initialize the views of rows
    static class ViewHolderOne extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
        public TextView item;
        public ViewHolderOne(View itemView) {
            super(itemView);
            item = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.row_item);
        }
    }

    static class ViewHolderTwo extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
        public TextView tvLeft, tvRight;
        public ViewHolderTwo(View itemView) {
            super(itemView);
            tvLeft = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.row_item_left);
            tvRight = (TextView) itemView.findViewById(R.id.row_item_right);
        }
    }
}

The MainActivity.java

import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.v7.widget.DefaultItemAnimator;
import android.support.v7.widget.LinearLayoutManager;
import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;

import java.util.ArrayList;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    private RecyclerView recyclerView;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        // Initializing list view with the custom adapter
        ArrayList  itemList = new ArrayList();

        ItemArrayAdapter itemArrayAdapter = new ItemArrayAdapter(itemList);
        recyclerView = (RecyclerView) findViewById(R.id.item_list);
        recyclerView.setLayoutManager(new LinearLayoutManager(this));
        recyclerView.setItemAnimator(new DefaultItemAnimator());
        recyclerView.setAdapter(itemArrayAdapter);

        // Populating list items
        for(int i=0; i<100; i++) {
            if (i%2 == 0) {
                itemList.add(new Item("Item " + i, Item.ItemType.ONE_ITEM));
            } else {
                itemList.add(new Item("Item " + i, Item.ItemType.TWO_ITEM));
            }
        }
    }
}

Complete example in Github