Resizing a JFrame to fit added components - java

I'm making a program for fun, it's basically a computer navigation GUI, details not required :)
Anyway, so far, I have a button called "new button" that, when clicked, it creates a new button named "test", to an infinite amount. Right now, i have my GUI set up like this:
Class Main extends JPanel (the main panel that holds everything in it, size set as)
Dimension size = new Dimension(300, 200);
setPreferredSize(size);
JFrame holding the Main JPanel, called like:
panel.frame = new JFrame();
panel.frame.setResizable(false);
panel.frame.setTitle(panel.title);
panel.frame.add(panel);
panel.frame.pack();
panel.frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
panel.frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
panel.frame.setVisible(true);
So, how would i have the JFrame/JPanel set their size based on the components inside it? I've tried to use panel.frame.pack(); but i get an error most of the time, and the other times it doesnt wrap, it is just a staight line. I want it to resize in the form of a square. Any ideas? Sorry if my question isnt clear/poorly phrased, i've always had issues articulating questions online, much better in person cause i can use my hands! :) Thanks in advance!

Class Main extends JPanel (the main panel that holds everything in it, size set as) Dimension size = new Dimension(300, 200); setPreferredSize(size);
Don't set the preferred size of the panel. The layout manager will determine the preferred size based on the components that you add to the panel.
and the other times it doesnt wrap,
The default layout manager for a JPanel is a FlowLayout. It is not designed to wrap automatically. Maybe use a different layout manager. Or you can try the Wrap Layout which extends FlowLayout to provide dynamic wrapping.
I've tried to use panel.frame.pack(); but i get an error most of the time
What error. I've never seen an error when using the pack() method.
Post a proper SSCCE if you need more help.

Related

JFrame and JPanel sizing

I have a JFrame and a few JPanels that are displayed depending on where the user goes (to login, homepage etc), is there a way to set all JPanels to the same size without having to manually specify?
public mainApp() {
main = new JFrame("Application");
main.setSize(640, 480);
main.setVisible(true);
}
private JPanel loginScreen() {
login = new JPanel(null);
login.setSize(640, 480);
login.setVisible(true);
}
For example I have 5 different JPanels, and have to specify the size in each, is there a way to set a default size that is the same as the JFrame?
You have different valid options here. Knowing that you want to change from one view to another and keep the same size, it sounds like the best option would be to use a CardLayout allowing you to change between the different views without having to worry about repainting and revalidating stuff (this tutorial from Oracle helped me a lot back when I was learning to use this layout: Oracle - How to use CardLayout.
However, as usual with Swing/AWT this is not the only valid option. For example, you could also use the BorderLayout that is applied by default to the ContentPane from the JFrame and add the desired JPanel to the Center of that BorderLayout. However, you would have to manage the view-changing process in this case.

Elements don't appear in a Panel with a GridLayout or FlowLayout, but with a setBounds they do

I'm doing a program that is composed by multiple panels in a JFrame.
I need to do every elements in differents classes (It's because in my school, we need to have every elements separeated in different classes for clean code), but every example that I see with my kind of problem, they do everything in one class.
And I think that my problem comes from having multile classes so I show you my classes.
I have a panel in wich I need to put 2 panel, here is the code :
public class Inscription extends JPanel{
private PanneauBoutons panneauBoutons = new PanneauBoutons();
private PanneauFormulaire panneauFormulaire = new PanneauFormulaire();
public Inscription(){
this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
this.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.RED, 2));
this.add(panneauFormulaire,BorderLayout.CENTER);
this.add(panneauBoutons,BorderLayout.SOUTH);
this.setVisible(true);
}
}
And here is the Panel panneauFormulaire :
public class PanneauFormulaire extends JPanel{
private JLabel labelMatricule;
private JTextField zoneTexteMatricule;
public PanneauFormulaire(){
this.setLayout(new GridLayout(8,2,10,10));
this.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.black));
labelMatricule = new JLabel("Matricule : ");
this.add(labelMatricule);
zoneTexteMatricule = new JTextField(30);
this.add(zoneTexteMatricule);
this.setVisible(true);
}
So the problem Inscription don't appear on the main Frame if I don't do setBounds, but I want a BorderLayout...
(I tested and with a set bounds I can see the borders, so I think that it means the panel are really added to the Frame so why without setBounds I see anything?).
And the other problem is that the panel PanneauFormulaire don't appear on the Inscription panel...
So if I miss something, can you help me? thank you
And here it is the class that extends JFrame :
public class FenetrePrincipale extends JFrame {
private Container cont;
private Inscription inscriptionForm;
public FenetrePrincipale(){
super("IESN");
setBounds(100,100,1200,960);
getContentPane().setLayout(null);
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
setResizable(false);
...
inscription.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
cont.removeAll();
inscriptionForm = new Inscription();
inscriptionForm.setOpaque(true);
cont.add(inscriptionForm);
invalidate();
repaint();
}
});
You should NOT be using a null layout and setBounds(). Swing was designed to be used with layout managers.
but when I click on an option in the menu, the current panel need to be change by another one,
Then you should be using a CardLayout.
Read the section from the Swing tutorial on How to Use CardLayout for working examples. So download the example and use it as the starting point of your project. The code will be better structured then what you currently have and it is easier to change working code than it is to fix broken code.
so why without setBounds I see anything?
That is because you set your layout to null in getContentPane().setLayout(null);.
Java containers comes with a default layout which you are allowed to set to a different one. How the components are arranged in the container are dependent on the layout you use. The layout will directly affects the location, alignment, spacing, dimension, preferredSize of the components.
However, if you choose not to use any layout (.setLayout(null)). Swing will not know how you want the components to be arranged, hence you see nothing in your content pane.
Since you wanted "absolute control" over the components, you will be expected to set the bounds (location and dimension) of each added component manually by yourself. This is why you are not seeing any components (even if you already added it) until you set the bounds for them.
Java, elements don't appear in a Panel with a GridLayout or FlowLayout, but with a setBounds they do
Every layout has their own characteristics and for some of them the order of your codes does makes a difference. Hence, I will advise you to go through what each layout can do for you. Then, depending on your needs, choose one (or a combination of a few) and study how to use it.
And here it is the class that extends JFrame :
You probably won't want to extends to a JFrame. You can always make a customized Container like JPanel and add it to the frame.
(Why would you want to paint your paintings on a frame instead of a piece of paper?)

Java - jframe does not fit set dimensions

I've used methods in JFrame:
setSize(600, 600);
setResizable(true);
Next I've created a JButton, and set it's bounds to 0,0,600,600.
I've found that the button is a bit (~40) bigger than the window. It made me some problems when I tried to put a few components exactly where I wanted to. I am using null layout. How to fix it and make my frame exactly 600x600?
The obvious answer is to get rid of the null layout and use a LayoutManager instead. If you want a component to take all available space, use a BorderLayout and put the component in the BorderLayout.CENTER.
To answer your specific question: the size of the JFrame is 600 by 600, but that is not the size of its content pane. The JFrame also contains window decorations which take up some of the size.
You could try to remove those decorations, or simply make your JFrame bigger. Or start wondering about your requirement to have a JFrame with a content pane of exactly 600 by 600 while it is still resizable by the user.

How can I determine the midpoint of the users display?

I've written a Swing application. I want to set the JFrame to be centred in the user's screen. I can set it to the approximate center of my screen using:
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test Frame");
Rectangle r = new Rectangle(600, 300, 400, 400);
frame.setBounds(r);
Is there a way to define the Rectangle r such that the center of it is at the center of any screen?
Is setBounds() the wrong method for varying the frame position dynamically?
Do you want to center a JFrame in the screen? If so then simply call setLocationRelativeTo(null) on the JFrame after calling pack(). You really don't want to set the size of the JFrame if you can avoid it, but instead have your layout managers do the size setting for you. The pack() method will ask the containers' layout managers to lay out their components and set the best sizes for their components.
Edit
Regarding your question:
Thanks, that's great. Any chance you could tell me where I could find the method details within docs.oracle
Since this method can be called on a JFrame, simply go to the JFrame API. If this is a method of a parent class, the API will tell you and provide the link to the parent class and its method.

JAVA: Ways to fill a Frame. add(), setContentPane(), getContentPane()

I found three ways to fill my JFrame frame = new JFrame("...")
createContentPanel returns a JPanel and createToolBar returns a ToolBar.
frame.add(this.createToolBar(), BorderLayout.PAGE_START); //this works and puts the ToolBar above and the ContentPanel under it<br>
frame.add(this.createContentPanel(), BorderLayout.CENTER);
frame.setContentPane(this.createContentPanel()); //this lets the JToolBar hover over the ContentPanel
frame.getContentPane().add(this.createToolBar());
frame.getContentPane().add(this.createContentPanel()); //this only puts the last one into the JFrame
frame.getContentPane().add(this.createToolBar());
And now I am wondering why should i use the getContentPane()/setContentPane() method if i could just use a simple frame.add(...) to fill my frame.
You are right that it doesn't matter which you use (JFrame#add(...) vs. JFrame#getContentPane().add(...)) since they both essentially call the same code, however there will be times in the future when you'll need access to the contentPane itself, such as if you want to change its border, set its background color or determine its dimensions, and so you'll likely use getContentPane() at some point, and thus getting to know it and be familiar with it would be helpful.
//this only puts the last one into the JFrame
You need to understand how layout managers work. The default content pane is a JPanel that uses a BorderLayout. When you add a component and don't specify a constraint, then it defaults to the CENTER. However you can only has a single component in the center so the layout manager only knows about the last one added. When the layout manager is invoked it sets the size() and location() of that component. The other component has a size of 0, so it is never painted.
In Java 1.6, you can just use the add method of JFrame:
http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/javax/swing/JFrame.html
(It will be delegated to the contentPane.)
http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/api/javax/swing/JFrame.html
Which says:
The JFrame class is slightly
incompatible with Frame. Like all
other JFC/Swing top-level containers,
a JFrame contains a JRootPane as its
only child. The content pane provided
by the root pane should, as a rule,
contain all the non-menu components
displayed by the JFrame. This is
different from the AWT Frame case. For
example, to add a child to an AWT
frame you'd write:
frame.add(child);
However using JFrame you need to add the child
to the JFrame's content pane instead:
frame.getContentPane().add(child);
The same is true for setting layout
managers, removing components, listing
children, and so on. All these methods
should normally be sent to the content
pane instead of the JFrame itself. The
content pane will always be non-null.
Attempting to set it to null will
cause the JFrame to throw an
exception. The default content pane
will have a BorderLayout manager set
on it.

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