OldFashionedAdapter.java

  @Override
  public RecyclerView.ViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup viewGroup, int viewType) {

      RecyclerView.ViewHolder viewHolder;
      LayoutInflater inflater = LayoutInflater.from(viewGroup.getContext());

      switch (viewType) {
          case USER:
              View v1 = inflater.inflate(R.layout.layout_viewholder1, viewGroup, false);
              viewHolder = new ViewHolder1(v1);
              break;
          case IMAGE:
              View v2 = inflater.inflate(R.layout.layout_viewholder2, viewGroup, false);
              viewHolder = new ViewHolder2(v2);
              break;
          ...
      }
      return viewHolder;
  }

 @Override
  public void onBindViewHolder(RecyclerView.ViewHolder viewHolder, int position) {
      switch (viewHolder.getItemViewType()) {
          case USER:
              ViewHolder1 vh1 = (ViewHolder1) viewHolder;
              configureViewHolder1(vh1, position);
              break;
          case IMAGE:
              ViewHolder2 vh2 = (ViewHolder2) viewHolder;
              configureViewHolder2(vh2, position);
              break;
          .....
      }
  }

  //Returns the view type of the item at position for the purposes of view recycling.
  @Override
  public int getItemViewType(int position) {
      if (items.get(position) instanceof User) {
          return USER;
      } else if (items.get(position) instanceof String) {
          return IMAGE;
      }
      return -1;
  }