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Adding JScrollPane to GridBagLayout

Everytime I click a button in my program, I add 5 new rows to the JPanel. Eventually, the rows overflow and I would like to add a JScrollPane so I can scroll down and see the new rows.
I know how to get it working for a TextArea but I can't seem to figure out how to make it work when I have a GridBagLayout. Below, I will attach the code for setting up my panels.
JPanel panelMain = new JPanel();
getContentPane().add(panelMain);
JPanel panelForm = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
panelMain.add(panelForm);
JScrollPane scrollpane = new JScrollPane(panelForm);
panelMain.add(scrollpane);
When I run, my code I get a box enclosing the GridBagLayout, but the scrollpane is nowhere to be seen.

JPanel panelMain = new JPanel();
getContentPane().add(panelMain);
You would typically add the scroll pane directly to the frame. There is no need for the "panelMain".
panelMain.add(panelForm);
That line is not needed. A component can only belong to a single parent. You later add "panelForm" to the scrollpane.
So the basic code would be:
JPanel panelForm = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
JScrollPane scrollpane = new JScrollPane(panelForm);
frame.add(scrollpane);
but the scrollpane is nowhere to be seen.
The scrollbars only appear when needed by default. Adding empty panels will not cause the scrollbar to be displayed. Click on your button a few times and add your child components to the "panelForm" using the appropriate GridBagConstraints. You will then need to use:
panelForm.revalidate();
panelForm.repaint();
The revalidate() causes the layout manager to be invoked so the scrollpane can determine is scrollbars are required or not.

Border layout doesn't work as intended

I would like to achieve the below layout.
There are 6 panels. The 4 buttons at the top are one panel, and the 3 buttons at the right side of the image are also in one panel. Apart from those two there are 4 other panels as indicated by the borders. I tried the below code but displays everything in a scattered way.
mainPanel.add(topToolBarPanel,BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
mainPanel.add(lefsideToolBarPanel,BorderLayout.LINE_START);
mainPanel.add(descriptionPanel,BorderLayout.LEFT);
mainPanel.add(mapPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
mainPanel.add(propertiesPanel,BorderLayout.EAST);
mainPanel.add(tablePanel,BorderLayout.PAGE_END);
How can I achieve the design as shown in the image? I need all the panels to be arranged inside that mainPanel. I cannot use null layout though. Please advice.
After trashgod's answer :
JPanel gridPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 0));
gridPanel.add(jInternalFrame1);
gridPanel.add(descriptionPanel);
mainPanel.add(gridPanel, BorderLayout.LINE_START);
mainPanel.add(topToolBarPanel,BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
mainPanel.add(tablePanel,BorderLayout.PAGE_END);
mainPanel.add(mapPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
mainPanel.add(PropertiesPanel,BorderLayout.LINE_END);
What I get :

Add lefsideToolBarPanel and descriptionPanel to a panel having GridLayout; add the new panel to the BorderLayout.
Panel p new Panel(new GridLayout(1, 0));
p.add(lefsideToolBarPanel);
p.add(descriptionPanel);
//mainPanel.add(lefsideToolBarPanel, BorderLayout.LINE_START);
//mainPanel.add(descriptionPanel, BorderLayout.LEFT);
mainPanel.add(p, BorderLayout.LINE_START);
There is no BorderLayout.LEFT. See also A Visual Guide to Layout Managers.
Addendum: Your updated question shows elements of topToolBarPanel, which should be added to PAGE_START, rather than LINE_START.
//mainPanel.add(topToolBarPanel,BorderLayout.LINE_START);
mainPanel.add(topToolBarPanel,BorderLayout. PAGE_START);
The width of the propertiesPanel and height of the tablePanel need to be increased. I used setSize()…
For the propertiesPanel, you can override getPreferredSize(), as discussed here. For the tablePanel, override getPreferredScrollableViewportSize() to customize the size of the table's enclosing JScrollPane, for example.

I suggest using a JLabel as your "layout" to use exact positioning of yout objects with setBounds(x, y, width, height). It would look similar to this :
JButton button = new JButton("Text or Image");
JLabel backgr = new JLabel();
JFrame frame = new JFrame("JLabel as Layout");
button.setBounds(100, 200, 340, 40);
backgr.add(button);
frame.add(backgr);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setSize(600, 600);
frame.setLocation(40, 40);
frame.validate();
frame.setVisible(true);
I know that this is just a quick example for you, but I think it should do for explanation... so just add everything on the backgr JLabeland your good to go. Quick and dirty example but the a way to go.

center a panel in a box layout row in java

I have this code below to create a page inside of a tab.
I want each layout in one row of the overall box layout but i want the elements to stay in their original size and not expand to fill the width of the overall window. does anyone know what lines of code i need to change or what is the best way of doing this?! The image attached shows what it looks like at the moment
public void createPage4() {
panel4 = new JPanel();
panel4.setLayout(new BoxLayout(panel4, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
navigatePanel = new JPanel();
navigatePanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(navigatePanel, BoxLayout.X_AXIS));
previousButton.setText("Previous");
previousButton.setEnabled(false);
navigatePanel.add(previousButton);
navigatePanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
indexTextField.setHorizontalAlignment(JTextField.CENTER);
navigatePanel.add(indexTextField);
navigatePanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
ofLabel.setText("of");
navigatePanel.add(ofLabel);
navigatePanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
maxTextField.setHorizontalAlignment(JTextField.CENTER);
maxTextField.setEditable(false);
navigatePanel.add(maxTextField);
navigatePanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
nextButton.setText("Next");
nextButton.setEnabled(false);
navigatePanel.add(nextButton);
panel4.add(navigatePanel);
displayPanel = new JPanel();
displayPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(5, 2, 4, 4));
firstNameLabel.setText("First Name:");
displayPanel.add(firstNameLabel);
displayPanel.add(firstNameTextField);
lastNameLabel.setText("Last Name:");
displayPanel.add(lastNameLabel);
displayPanel.add(lastNameTextField);
panel4.add(displayPanel);
}
image

BoxLayout accepting Min, Max and PreferredSize that came from JComponents
I want each layout in one row of the overall box layout but i want the elements to stay in their original size and not expand to fill the width of the overall window
I'd be to use proper LayoutManager, FlowLayout accepting only PreferredSize, and/or all JComponents layed by GridBagLayout without defininitions of GridBagConstraints stays unchanged on containers resize
doesn't make me sence (my view) for why reason (sure this is your job), but for better help sooner post an SSCCE

The easiest way is to add your panel4 to an other panel that uses GridBagLayout and then add that panel to the container. Then it will be centered and nothing will stretch on resize.
JPanel centeredPanel = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
centeredPanel.add(panel4); // add this panel to the container
You should also construct the textfields with a specified number of columns, like
indexTextField = new JTextField(20);

scrollpane blocks buttons in BorderLayout?

I have a really weird problem with a JScrollPane and a BorderLayout. For short explaination: i have a JTable which is inside the JScrollPane and this is with a JPanel and the JTableHeader on a JTabbedPane. Very Simple Layout. If i add just the JTable to my JPanel, the buttons are working. If i add the JScrollPane, the Buttons are not working anymore, so i cant click them! The ActionLister is never reached and i cant see the click-animation.
Some Sample code to explain:
d_pane = new JPanel();
d_button = new JPanel();
d_pane.add(table.getTableHeader(), BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
dl_scroll = new JScrollPane(table);
d_pane.add(dl_scroll, BorderLayout.CENTER);
// d_button is ridLayouted with 3 Buttons in there
d_pane.add(d_button, BorderLayout.PAGE_END);

1) The JScrollPane takes care of the table header itself. Don't add it to the pane.
2) the button does not seem to get the mouse events, probably because another component is above it - do you have other components/code in the setup?

Java layouts, how to max a fixed height pane and one that fills the rest of the screen!

Simply put, I would like to make java do what I want but I can not get my head around the layout manages for anything other that auto resizing to what it feels like doing.
All I would like is a fixed height "footer" and the top "main" area to auto resize in height to whatever the window is.
With the horizontal for both having a min size but no max size.
Is it possible (I know it is but it feels like it isn't atm!)
Please help!
many thanks
Edit: Updated with advice from below:
public JPanel getPanDescription()
{
JPanel masterPane = new JPanel();
masterPane.setMaximumSize(new Dimension(999999,400));
masterPane.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(100,400));
<snip>
return masterPane;
}
this.panDescription = getPanDescription();
this.panPage = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
this.panPage.add(this.searchPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
this.panPage.add(this.panDescription, BorderLayout.PAGE_END);
Works just fine, but depending on the content of panDescription, depends on its size.
It still just resizes to the content :S

Use a BorderLayout. Add your footer to the bottom location. Set the max size of the footer to the fixed height you want and a width bigger than your window will ever be.
JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel();
JPanel footerPanel = new JPanel();
this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
this.add(mainPanel);
this.add(footerPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
footerPanel.setMaximumSize(new Dimension(10000, 100));
footerPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(600, 100));
footerPanel.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(1, 100));