Custom view from resource: 

```
// Set up the action bar.
final ActionBar actionBar = getActionBar();
actionBar.setNavigationMode(ActionBar.NAVIGATION_MODE_STANDARD);
actionBar.setCustomView(R.layout.custom_action_bar);
actionBar.setDisplayOptions(ActionBar.DISPLAY_SHOW_CUSTOM);

```

the result is:  

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uW6O3.png)

Custom view manually inflated: 

```
// Set up the action bar.
final ActionBar actionBar = getActionBar();
actionBar.setNavigationMode(ActionBar.NAVIGATION_MODE_STANDARD);
LayoutInflater inflater = (LayoutInflater) this .getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
View view = inflater.inflate(R.layout.custom_action_bar, null);
actionBar.setCustomView(view);
actionBar.setDisplayOptions(ActionBar.DISPLAY_SHOW_CUSTOM);

```

the result is:  

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yyIWA.png)

custom\_action\_bar.xml:

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="horizontal" 
    android:weightSum="3">

    <TextView 
        android:id="@+id/bar_title1"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:textColor="@color/White"
        android:text="title1"/>
    <TextView 
        android:id="@+id/bar_title2"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:textColor="@color/White"
        android:text="title2"/>
    <TextView 
        android:id="@+id/bar_title3"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_weight="1"
        android:textColor="@color/White"
        android:text="title3"/>

</LinearLayout>

```

The first layout shown here is the correct one, because it has weights on its widgets. The second attempt should produce the same result, but it does not.