So I am a computer science student and I've finished my first year. I wanted to create a simple program and I realized that I am so tired of using no layout;
this.setLayout(null);
It is so tiresome to add bounds to every single component. Well, I have been using JPanel components and GridLayout a lot, which have made my work a bit easier. But I am tired of it.
I care very much about the look of the GUI I make and use almost half the time programming to make the GUI look good before I start adding the functionality of the code. By not using a layout and adding bounds I am forced to setResizable(false) because it looks bad if I change the size of the JFrame.
I've been searching a bit, and I know of BorderLayout, and FlowLayout, but I don't like them. Is there any Layout that keeps the relative size of the components with respect to the size of the window?
For example I want to make a simple program that looks like this: (Quick sketch in Photoshop)
I can easily make this with 3 panels, but as I said, if I change the size of the frame everything stays in place instead of being relative to the window-size.
Can you guys help me?
This design looks for me to fit the BorderLayout, where in the NORTH you have the values that changes the CENTER you have the main part, and the SOUTH you have the buttons.
Link to the Oracle Border Layout
You can apply this BorderLayout to the JFrame, then create 3 JPanels for each of the NORTH,CENTER and SOUTH sections. If you want to use responsive design for the components and panels, take a look at GridBagLayout which is much more flexible than the GridLayout
Layout management is a very complex problem, I don't think people really appreciate just how complex it really is.
No one layout is ever going to achieve everything your want, in most cases, you will need to resort to two or more layouts, especially as your requirements become more complex.
For example, the following is simply a BorderLayout at the base and the buttons on a JPanel using a FlowLayout
Which is achieved by using
JList listOfThings = new JList(...);
JTextField tf = new JTextField();
JButton add = new JButton("Add");
JButton delete = new JButton("Delete");
JButton go = new JButton("Go...");
JPanel buttons = new JPanel();
buttons.add(add);
buttons.add(delete);
buttons.add(go);
add(new BorderLayout());
add(tf, BorderLayout.NORTH);
add(new JScrollPane(listOfThings));
add(buttons, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
For more complex layouts, I would consider using something like GridBagLayout. You may also want to consider MigLayout as an alternative
Take a look at Laying Out Components Within a Container for more details about using layout managers
I'd like to use the combination of BorderLayout and BoxLayout. BorderLayout let me put the component based on their relative location's relation and BoxLayout let me manage the subtle distance ( create some white space). You can use component.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(top, left, bottom, right)); to achieve this goal too.
Here is a demo and hope it can help you.
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.Box;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JList;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionEvent;
import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionListener;
public class LayoutTest{
private JTextField jTextField;
public void createUI(){
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Layout Test");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setResizable(true);
JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel();
mainPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5));
mainPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(mainPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
mainPanel.add(new TextFieldPanel());
mainPanel.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(8));
mainPanel.add(new ListPanel());
mainPanel.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(8));
mainPanel.add(new ButtonPanel());
frame.add(mainPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
LayoutTest layoutTest = new LayoutTest();
layoutTest.createUI();
}
#SuppressWarnings("serial")
class TextFieldPanel extends JPanel{
public TextFieldPanel(){
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
jTextField = new JTextField();
jTextField.setEditable(false);
add(jTextField,BorderLayout.CENTER);
}
}
#SuppressWarnings("serial")
class ListPanel extends JPanel implements ListSelectionListener{
private JList<String> list;
public ListPanel(){
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
String stringArr[] = new String[30];
for (int i = 0; i < 30; i++) {
stringArr[i] = "JList :This line is item" + i;
}
list = new JList<String>(stringArr);
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(list);
add(scrollPane,BorderLayout.CENTER);
setBackground(new Color(211,211,211));
list.addListSelectionListener(this);
}
#Override
public void valueChanged(ListSelectionEvent e) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
jTextField.setText(list.getSelectedValue());
}
}
#SuppressWarnings("serial")
class ButtonPanel extends JPanel{
public ButtonPanel(){
JButton button1 = new JButton("Button1");
JButton button2 = new JButton("Button2");
JButton button3 = new JButton("Button3");
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
add(button1,BorderLayout.WEST);
add(button2,BorderLayout.CENTER);
add(button3,BorderLayout.EAST);
}
}
}
Here is the effect:
You can use BoxLayout for ButtonPanel if you don't want to let the button's size change.
#SuppressWarnings("serial")
class ButtonPanel extends JPanel{
public ButtonPanel(){
JButton button1 = new JButton("Button1");
JButton button2 = new JButton("Button2");
JButton button3 = new JButton("Button3");
setLayout(new BoxLayout(this, BoxLayout.X_AXIS));
add(button1);
add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(8));
add(button2);
add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(8));
add(button3);
}
}
And the effect is like this:
For more infomation about using BoxLayout to generate whitespace, you can refer to https://stackoverflow.com/a/22525005/3378204
Try GridBagLayout.
Your sketch is actually quite close to the one of the examples in the official tutorial.
HVLayout keeps the relative size of the components with respect to the size of the window, that is, if you configure components to have a relative size (e.g. buttons usually do not grow or shrink - they stick to their preferred size). This SO question was one of the motivations for me to push HVLayout to a release and a screenshot is included (showing big window size, smalll size and preferred "default" size):
Source code for the window is in RelativeToWindowSize.java
A number of helper-classes from HVLayout are used to build the window, so I don't think it will be of much use here, but to get an impression, the "build window" part shown below:
public RelativeToWindowSize build() {
CSize cs = new CSize();
CForm form = new CForm(new VBox(new Insets(2, 4, 2, 4)), cs);
addTitledBorder(form.get(), "Vertical box", Color.BLACK);
form.add(new JScrollPane(
tfield = new JTextArea("Value that changes with value choosen from list.\nhttp://stackoverflow.com/questions/24462297/layout-relative-to-screensize/")
)).csize().setAreaSize(1.0f, 2.5f).fixedMinHeight().setMaxHeight(4.0f);
// tfield shows mono-spaced font by default.
tfield.setFont(SwingUtils.getUIFont());
form.add(new JScrollPane(vlist = new JList<String>(getListValues())))
.csize().setAreaSize(1.0f, 5.0f);
form.addChild(new HBox());
addTitledBorder(form.get(), "Horizontal box", Color.RED);
form.addChild(new HBox(SwingConstants.CENTER));
addTitledBorder(form.get(), "Centered box.", Color.BLUE);
form.add(createButton(cs, "Add"));
form.add(createButton(cs, "Modify"));
form.up();
form.addChild(new HBox(SwingConstants.TRAILING));
addTitledBorder(form.get(), "Trailing box", Color.GREEN);
form.add(createButton(cs, "Delete"));
setContentPane(form.getRoot());
pack();
setLocationByPlatform(true);
//applyComponentOrientation(ComponentOrientation.RIGHT_TO_LEFT);
vlist.addListSelectionListener(this);
log.debug(getClass().getName() + " build.");
return this;
}
private Component createButton(CSize cs, String text) {
// For purpose of demo, let button shrink in width.
return cs.set(new TButton(text)).setFixed().shrinkWidth(0.33f).get();
}
Related
Well, actually I have a Layout problem in java Swing. I simply want to add a JPanel on the bottom of a Frame - a coding snipplet that might be done with every web based language in about 5 Minutes. Not so in Java. I tried to add a jPanel to a jFrame, that Contains a jContentPane, set the size of the jPanel to what I need and to repaint and revalidate the jFrame, as well as setting the LayOutManager to null.
Java shows me in this case a full-width jPanel, that fills my whole jFrame.
Therefore I tried another approach: I divided my jPanel in a fully transparent jPanel on top and a 20%opaque jPanel on the bottom. Still it didn't work out as expected.
Since then I tried to resize the child jPanels of my new Panel and the Panel as well and tried to repaint and revalidate the jFrame. Without any effect.
Despite of my efforts, java still shows me a full sized 20%opaque jPanel on the whole jFrame, that now contains another 20%opaque jPanel on Top.
I know that this whole problem is caused by the LayoutManager, Java useless per Default. However, it is not an option to set the LayoutManager to null or even change the LayoutManager of our jFrame, because that would lead us to refactor the whole functionality of our tiny app we worked on for several weeks.
public void showUndoPanel() {
System .out.println("Show Undo Panel");
JPanel myPanel = new JPanel(null);
JPanel glassPanel = new JPanel();
JPanel ContentPanel = new JPanel();
JLabel myJLabel = new JLabel("Great Job!");
myPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,100));
glassPanel.setSize(650, 550);
glassPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,100));
myPanel.add(glassPanel);
ContentPanel.setSize(650, 30);
ContentPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,20));
ContentPanel.add(myJLabel);
myPanel.revalidate();
myPanel.repaint();
undoPanel = myPanel;
myJFrame.add(undoPanel);
myJFrame.revalidate();
}
What I expected:
What it actually does:
Well, I solved the problem by using a BoxLayoutManager and a RigidArea. In case if anyone else may encounter that problem again in the future, I decided to provide the code for this simple solution.
public void showUndoPanel() {
System .out.println("Show Undo Panel");
JPanel myPanel = new JPanel(null);
JPanel glassPanel = new JPanel();
JPanel ContentPanel = new JPanel();
JLabel myJLabel = new JLabel("Great Job!");
myPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,255,255,0));
myPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(myPanel, BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));
glassPanel.setSize(650, 650);
glassPanel.setBounds(0,0,650,550);
glassPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,0));
myPanel.add(glassPanel);
myPanel.add(Box.createRigidArea(new Dimension(0,450)));
ContentPanel.setSize(650, 30);
ContentPanel.setBounds(0,750,650,30);
ContentPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,20));
ContentPanel.add(myJLabel);
myPanel.add(ContentPanel);
myPanel.revalidate();
myPanel.repaint();
undoPanel = myPanel;
myJFrame.add(undoPanel);
myJFrame.revalidate();
}
Now it behaves as expected:
BorderLyout would make it easier to implement.
Note the comments in the following mre:
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
public class Main {
private static JFrame myJFrame;
public static void main(String[] args) {
myJFrame = new JFrame();
myJFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
myJFrame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
showUndoPanel();
myJFrame.pack();
myJFrame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void showUndoPanel() {
JPanel myPanel = new JPanel();
myPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,255,255,0));
myPanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JPanel glassPanel = new JPanel(); //uses FlowLayout by default
//glassPanel.setSize(650, 650); //use preferred size
glassPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(650, 650));
//glassPanel.setBounds(0,0,650,550); //no need to set bounds. bounds are set by the layout manager
glassPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,0));
myPanel.add(glassPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
JPanel contentPanel = new JPanel(); //uses FlowLayout by default
//contentPanel.setSize(650, 30);//use preferred size
contentPanel.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(650, 30));
//contentPanel.setBounds(0,750,650,30); //no need to set bounds. bounds are set by the layout manager
contentPanel.setBackground(new Color(255,122,122,20));
JLabel myJLabel = new JLabel("Great Job!");
contentPanel.add(myJLabel);
myPanel.add(contentPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
myJFrame.add(myPanel);
}
}
I wanted components deployment like this picture:
I wrote a code that makes two JPanel in a JFrame and puts components JPanel on left side. I set Frame Layout to BorderLayout and Each panel's Layout to FlowLayout. However, result was not what I wanted. Even List is not appear.
Result picture:
Can you tell me what to do?
There is a code below.
package com.java.APISearch;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
public class MainFrame extends JFrame {
JPanel search;
JPanel result;
JLabel ksLb;
JTextField ksTf;
JButton ksOK;
JCheckBox choicePackage;
JCheckBox choiceClass;
JCheckBox choiceFunc;
JTextField dsTf;
JButton dsOK;
JLabel rcLb;
JList<String> rcList;
JTextField resultTf;
Container contentPane;
public MainFrame(String title) {
super(title);
Toolkit tk = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();
Dimension screenSize = tk.getScreenSize();
setLocation(screenSize.width/2 - 300, screenSize.height/2 - 200);
setSize(new Dimension(600, 400));
setResizable(false);
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
search = new JPanel();
result = new JPanel();
search.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT));
search.setSize(new Dimension(300,400));
result.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
result.setSize(new Dimension(300,400));
contentPane = getContentPane();
contentPane.add(search, BorderLayout.WEST);
contentPane.add(result, BorderLayout.EAST);
ksLb = new JLabel("키워드 검색");
ksTf = new JTextField(20);
ksOK = new JButton("검색");
search.add(ksLb);
search.add(ksTf);
search.add(ksOK);
choicePackage = new JCheckBox("package");
choiceClass = new JCheckBox("class");
choiceFunc = new JCheckBox("function");
dsTf = new JTextField(20);
dsOK = new JButton("검색");
search.add(choicePackage);
search.add(choiceClass);
search.add(choiceFunc);
search.add(dsTf);
search.add(dsOK);
rcLb = new JLabel("recent search");
rcList = new JList<String>();
search.add(rcLb);
search.add(rcList);
}
}
The common strategy to solve complex computing tasks, is to break them into small, well defined manageable tasks. Divide and conquer.
This also applies to gui: break the design into small, easy to layout containers.In this case, for example start by dividing the design into two areas:
Serach panel added to JFrame's NORTH, and a main panel added to JFrame's CENTER. The main panel is a container for all other gui components. See more info in the code.
Here is a skeleton to demonstrate the strategy. Note the comments :
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
public class MainFrame extends JFrame {
public MainFrame(String title) {
super(title);
setSize(new Dimension(600, 400));
setResizable(false);
//setLayout(new BorderLayout());// no need. its the default for JFrame
JPanel search = new JPanel();
search.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT));
//search.setSize(new Dimension(300,400)); //let layout manager set size
//set preferred size if needed
JLabel ksLb = new JLabel("Search:");
JTextField ksTf = new JTextField(20);
JButton ksOK = new JButton("Click Me");
search.add(ksLb);
search.add(ksTf);
search.add(ksOK);
add(search, BorderLayout.NORTH); //add search to content pane
//construct a container to hold all the rest
//set border layout to it
JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
//add content to mainPanel:
//add result to NORTH
//add a JPanel to hold list and label to CENTER
add(mainPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);//main to content pane
setVisible(true);
}
}
More examples of applying this strategy: 1 2 and 3
To make thing like this, use NetBeans (or some other tool that will help you create layout).
In NetBeans, getting something like you want takes ~5 minutes. It's really easier comparing to writing code for yourself.
In my personal opinion, GridBagLayout is the best thing when it comes to most of Swing based components. You can easily take control over each and every cell (whether it should grow or not, how anchors should behave, whether components should fill cell or not, etc.).
Take a look here: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/layout/gridbag.html
If you don't know which layout would suit you best, you can always take a look here:
https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/layout/visual.html
For NetBeans tutorial, take a look here: https://netbeans.org/kb/docs/java/quickstart-gui.html
The useless Layout Manager guy is back again, I just can't seem to get my head around these darn layouts and make them work the way I want.
Anyway, I want to have a JFrame which has one large panel at the top (I call it a header) which runs from the left to right side of the frame at the north part of the frame, then four panels below it, two just below the header and two below those, and finally a "footer" panel, basically the same as the header panel, only at the south part of the frame.
Like this:
I had code which had the four middle panels working fine, but the header panel just messed everything up, and I have since been testing with the demo layout manager code for GridBagLayout, GridLayout again and BoxLayout. I can't getting any to work as I want.
For the aware of you here, you will probably notice I've already had a question related to this, and if having two similar questions are not allowed, please make me aware and I will move this to my previous question and this can be closed.
public Shop() {
shopUI = new JFrame("Shop Menu");
shopUI.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
shopUI.setBounds(100, 100, 700, 500);
shopUI.setResizable(false);
allPanels = new JPanel();
headerPanel = new JPanel();
headerPanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
headerPanel.setBackground(Color.cyan);
mainPanel = new JPanel();
mainPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2));
topLeft = new JPanel();
topLeft.setBackground(Color.pink);
topRight = new JPanel();
topRight.setBackground(Color.black);
bottomLeft = new JPanel();
bottomLeft.setBackground(Color.green);
bottomRight = new JPanel();
bottomRight.setBackground(Color.blue);
footerPanel = new JPanel();
footerPanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
footerPanel.setBackground(Color.magenta);
mainPanel.add(topLeft);
mainPanel.add(topRight);
mainPanel.add(bottomLeft);
mainPanel.add(bottomRight);
allPanels.add(headerPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
allPanels.add(footerPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
allPanels.add(mainPanel);
shopUI.add(allPanels);
shopUI.setVisible(true);
}
I suggest learning about border layout.
for what you want, put the header in the NORTH of the border panel, and the footer in the SOUTH. How you do your other panels depends a bit on what you want them to do; if you always want them to be the same size as each other, you can use a gridlayout for them; if not, you can use boxlayout to lay either the two pairs horizontally or the two pairs vertically, again depending on what you want them to do when the frame resizes.
I think using layout managers is simplified by deciding what you want to happen in the first place, including what happens when the frame is resized. That's a large part of what layouts are all about, anyway -- what stretches, what lines up, etc.
Anyway. what you have there looks like classic BorderLayout to me. Let us know if you need further help. Incidentally, BorderLayout is default for JFrame...
edit...
this will get more interesting when you put something in the panels...
package simpleborderlayout;
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
public class Main
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
Main main = new Main(args);
main.go();
}
public Main(String ... args)
{}
public void go()
{
JPanel headerPanel = getPanel(Color.RED);
JPanel footerPanel = getPanel(Color.BLUE);
JPanel p1 = getPanel(Color.GRAY);
JPanel p2 = getPanel(Color.GRAY);
JPanel p3 = getPanel(Color.GRAY);
JPanel p4 = getPanel(Color.GRAY);
GridLayout gridLayout = new GridLayout(2,2);
JPanel middlePanel = new JPanel(gridLayout);
middlePanel.add(p1);
middlePanel.add(p2);
middlePanel.add(p3);
middlePanel.add(p4);
JFrame mainFrame = new JFrame();
mainFrame.add(headerPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
mainFrame.add(middlePanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
mainFrame.add(footerPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
mainFrame.pack();
mainFrame.setVisible(true);
}
private JPanel getPanel(Color c)
{
JPanel result = new JPanel();
result.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(c));
return result;
}
}
I have a Java program where i would prefer if i could get a very specific layout.
This is what I get:
JLabel JToggleButon JLabel JToggleButon
This is what I want:
JLabel JToggleButon
JLabel JToggleButon
This is the code:
package Main;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
public class SystemWindow {
static JFrame window = new JFrame("System statistics");
static JToggleButton button = new JToggleButton("Push me");
static JLabel status = new JLabel("Status: ");
static JLabel status2 = new JLabel("Status: ");
static JToggleButton button2 = new JToggleButton("Push me");
static FlowLayout layout = new FlowLayout();
public static void openWindow(){
window.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
window.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
window.add(status);
window.add(button);
window.add(status2);
window.add(button2);
window.setSize(100, 100);
window.pack();
window.setSize(200,70);
window.setVisible(true);
while(true){
status.setText("Status: "+button.isSelected());
status2.setText("Status: "+button2.isSelected());
}
}
}
p.s: Wrote the code in eclipse.
you can use GridLayout where you can specify rows, columns and spacings
i.e. add a jpanel with gridlayout and add these elements inside this panel
new JPanel(new GridLayout(2,2,5,5));
first parameter is the rows, second the columns and the others are the horizontal and vertical spacing between controls
I guess this works
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(2,2,5,5));
window.add(panel);
panel.add(status);
panel.add(button);
panel.add(status2);
panel.add(button2);
The behaviour you are getting is the default behaviour for FlowLayout. Read more about it here. Read morea bout layouts here and choose what you prefer.
As you are using GridBayLayout you have to provide some position constraints when adding controls to container. Here you have complete guide. 3rd party layout manager as MigLayout should suit your needs too.
while(true){
status.setText("Status: "+button.isSelected());
status2.setText("Status: "+button2.isSelected());
}
your computer is going to explode thanks to that code :)
I have some troubles with positioning my label/password field.
With this code they both get positioned in the center next to each other, while I actually want them in the middle of my panel on top of each other.
Does anyone know how I should do that?
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JPasswordField;
public class Paneel_Pincode extends JPanel {
Paneel_Pincode() {
setLayout(new FlowLayout());
JPasswordField pincode = new JPasswordField(15);
pincode.setLocation(500, 500);
JLabel pinInvoer = new JLabel();
ImageIcon pin1 = new ImageIcon("images/voerPincodeIn.jpg");
pinInvoer.setIcon(pin1);
pinInvoer.setLocation(500,700);
add(pincode);
add(pinInvoer);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame f = new JFrame();
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
f.setSize(1000,1000);
f.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
f.add(new Paneel_Pincode());
f.setVisible(true);
}
}
To get the hang of layouts, I'd recommend reading my article on them (http://java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/GUI/AWTLayoutMgr/). It's old, but the concepts and how FlowLayout works are detailed.
What do you mean by "on top of each other"?
If you mean like
Password
<field>
EDIT: I REMEMBERED AN EASIER WAY TO DO THIS (completely in the JDK/JRE)...
(This is similar to what I'm doing with the BoxBeans below, but you don't need the BoxBeans. I created BoxBeans to be able to use BoxLayout in a UI builder a long time ago...)
JLabel label = new JLabel("Password") {
#Override public Dimension getMaximumSize() {
return super.getPreferredSize();
}
};
JPasswordField field = new JPasswordField() {
#Override public Dimension getMaximumSize() {
return super.getPreferredSize();
}
};
field.setColumns(10);
Box verticalBox = Box.createVerticalBox();
verticalBox.add(Box.createVerticalGlue());
verticalBox.add(label);
verticalBox.add(field);
verticalBox.add(Box.createVerticalGlue());
//
Box horizontalBox = Box.createHorizontalBox();
horizontalBox.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
horizontalBox.add(verticalBox);
horizontalBox.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
add(horizontalBox);
Previous answer for reference...
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING BUT IT MAY HELP OTHER READERS WITH IDEAS
You can do something like
setLayout(FlowLayout());
JPanel group = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
group.add(new JLabel("Password"), BorderLayout.NORTH);
group.add(passwordField, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
add(group);
This will create a little panel in the top-center of the overall UI that contains the Password and field.
Note that the nested BorderLayout ensures that the label and field each get their preferred size. You'll need to call setColumns on the field to the number of chars you'd like displayed.
If you want to center the label/field vertically as well, you could do the following
setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
//
add(new JLabel("Password"),
new GridBagConstraints(0,0,1,1,1,1,
GridBagConstraints.SOUTH,GridBagConstraints.NONE,
new Insets(3,3,3,3), 0,0));
field.setColumns(10);
add(field, new GridBagConstraints(0,1,1,1,1,1,
GridBagConstraints.NORTH,GridBagConstraints.NONE,
new Insets(3,3,3,3), 0,0));
I hate using GridBagLayout in general, so I'll add a version using BoxLayout (but it's a bit trickier due to the preferred size settings)
JFrame f = new JFrame();
f.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
//
JPanel stuffH = new JPanel();
f.add(stuffH, BorderLayout.CENTER);
stuffH.setLayout(new BoxLayout(stuffH, BoxLayout.X_AXIS));
//
JPanel stuffV = new JPanel();
stuffV.setLayout(new BoxLayout(stuffV, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
//
JLabel label = new JLabel("Password");
BoxAdapter labelAdapter = new BoxAdapter();
labelAdapter.add(label);
JPasswordField field = new JPasswordField();
field.setColumns(10);
BoxAdapter fieldAdapter = new BoxAdapter();
fieldAdapter.add(field);
//
stuffV.add(new VerticalGlue()); // for vertical spacing
stuffV.add(labelAdapter);
stuffV.add(fieldAdapter);
stuffV.add(new VerticalGlue()); // for vertical spacing
//
stuffH.add(new HorizontalGlue()); // for horizontal spacing
stuffH.add(stuffV);
stuffH.add(new HorizontalGlue()); // for horizontal spacing
//
f.setVisible(true);
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
A few notes on this:
I'm using my BoxBeans helper classes - see http://javadude.com/tools/boxbeans. This page is based on VisualAge for Java, but the jar at the bottom of the page can be used outside VAJ. I just tried it in eclipse, for example.
AFAICS, you cannot set a jframe's layout directly to BoxLayout, so I added an extra panel in between. There's a check in BoxLayout that has trouble with the automatic indirection of the content pane.
I nested the BoxLayouts so there's horizontal centering (the stuffH panel) containing a vertical centering (the stuffV panel). They are centered by surrounding them with "Glue" components, which are simply components that allow themselves to expand.
I had to put the label and field in a BoxAdapter which limits their maximum size to their preferred size. If you don't want to use BoxAdapter, you can acheive the same effect by using the following for the field and label:
JLabel label = new JLabel("Password") {
#Override public Dimension getMaximumSize() {
return super.getPreferredSize();
}
};
JPasswordField field = new JPasswordField() {
#Override public Dimension getMaximumSize() {
return super.getPreferredSize();
}
};
Hope this proves helpful to you and anyone else!
-- Scott
I would recommend the JGoodies FormLayout. Once you learn it, it's quite powerful and easy to do by hand coding.