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ListView vs. RecyclerView

Question

ListView vs RecyclerView

Short interview answer

RecyclerView is the modern flexible list container: it uses adapters, view holders, and a layout manager to efficiently display and recycle items. ListView is an older, simpler list widget.

Detailed answer

RecyclerView separates item binding from item layout:

recyclerView.SetLayoutManager(new LinearLayoutManager(this));
recyclerView.SetAdapter(new ProductAdapter(products, OnProductSelected));

The adapter creates and binds view holders, while the layout manager chooses list, grid, or custom positioning. Reusing off-screen views improves responsiveness and reduces power use for large data sets. Prefer RecyclerView for new View-based Android lists.

Sources