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Java Layout for scrollable panels

I am trying to create a JPanel that is resizable & scrollable and contains x smaller inner panels. Each inner panel can be as wide as it wants/needs. BUT the depth should be a preferred size.
Like:
So far my code is:
public class TestSize {
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame F = new JFrame();
F.setVisible(true);
JPanel P = new JPanel();
P.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(P);
scrollPane.setHorizontalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED);
scrollPane.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED);
scrollPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(900,900));//.setBounds(50, 30, 300, 50);
JPanel S = new JPanel();
S.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
S.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(900,200));
JPanel S2 = new JPanel();
S2.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
S2.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(900,200));
P.add(S,BorderLayout.NORTH);
P.add(S2,BorderLayout.NORTH);
F.add(scrollPane);
F.pack();
F.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
}
}
But when I have added a single inner panel it fills all the space vertically - which is not what I want:

//P.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
Why did you set the layout to a BorderLayout? You can only add 1 component to the NORTH. Is that what you want? Read the section from the Swing tutorial on Using Layout Managers and pick a more appropriate layout manager. Bookmark the tutorial link as it provides the basics for Swing programming.
scrollPane.setHorizontalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED);
scrollPane.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED);
Why did you set these properties? These are the default values.
scrollPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(900,900));
Why would you set the height to be 900. You only want the scrollpane to contain components of height 200? In general you should NOT be setting the preferred size. Let the frame.pack() method do its job.
S.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
Why would you set the background color of both panels to be the same. How can you tell if the two panels get added? Make them different color for an easy visual.

In BoxLayout, there are different methods of using invisible components as filler. I don't think you will want to use a "rigid area", since I think you want to have a variable number of inner panels. You may want to try using vertical glue or custom Box.Filler.
Another solution might be to put a JPanel between your JFrame and your ScrollPane that uses a BorderLayout, and put the scrollpane in the BorderLayout.NORTH of that panel. Components in BorderLayout.NORTH get resized horizontally, but they do not get resized vertically. Essentially, they just get pushed to the top of the panel.
Edit:
I think you will want something like this:
JFrame F = new JFrame();
F.setVisible(true);
F.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JPanel P = new JPanel(new BoxLayout(P, BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(P);
JPanel S = new JPanel();
S.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
JPanel S2 = new JPanel();
S2.setBackground(Color.BLUE);
P.add(S);
P.add(S2);
F.add(scrollPane, BorderLayout.NORTH);
F.pack();
F.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
You said you want it resizeable, so I don't see why you would set the preferred size of the frame. This way it will just fit to the panels inside.

how to make a java swing JFrame resize correctly

I'm wondering why I can't resize my Frame below and have all of the components resize smaller and bigger as I resize frame. Thank you!!!
public class TPASimulatorGUI extends JFrame{
JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel();
BoxLayout layout = new BoxLayout(mainPanel,BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
mainPanel.setLayout(layout);
// add things to main panel
JPanel it = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEADING));
it.add(mainPanel);
this.getContentPane().add(it);
this.setSize(new Dimension(1190,770));
this.setVisible(true);
}

JPanel it = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEADING));
it.add(mainPanel);
A FlowLayout always respects the preferred size of the components added to it.
Get rid of the "it" panel and try just using
//this.getContentPane().add(it);
add(mainPanel);
The default layout for a frame is a BorderLayout which will try to increase/decrease the size of all components added to it.

JTabbedPane in JPanel?

I have a simple problem when I want to add tabs in my jpanel. The alignment of the tabs get horizontal instead of vertical, wich looks like crap =/.
It looks like this:
If I discard the panel instead and add the tabbedPane directly to the frame, everything works fine.
If you uncomment the three lines of code and remove the getContentPane().add(jtp); you can reproduce my probleme.
working Code:
public class TabbedPane extends JFrame
{
public TabbedPane()
{
setTitle("Tabbed Pane");
setSize(300, 300); // set size so the user can "see" it
JTabbedPane jtp = new JTabbedPane();
// JPanel panel = new JPanel();//uncomment all three lines
// panel.add(jtp);
// getContentPane().add(panel);
getContentPane().add(jtp);//remove me
JPanel jp1 = new JPanel();// This will create the first tab
JPanel jp2 = new JPanel();// This will create the second tab
JLabel label1 = new JLabel();
label1.setText("This is Tab 1");
jp1.add(label1);
jtp.addTab("Tab1", jp1);
jtp.addTab("Tab2", jp2);
JButton test = new JButton("Press");
jp2.add(test);
setVisible(true); // otherwise you won't "see" it
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
TabbedPane tab = new TabbedPane();
}
}
Thanks a lot!

If I discard the panel instead and add the tabbedPane directly to the frame, everything works fine.
The default layout of JPanel is FlowLayout, which "lets each component assume its natural (preferred) size." The default layout of JFrame is BorderLayout, the CENTER of which ignores preferred size. In either case, invoking setSize() precludes the layout from functioning initially; re-size the frame to see the effect. Instead, use pack(), which "Causes this Window to be sized to fit the preferred size and layouts of its subcomponents."
setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
pack();
setVisible(true); // otherwise you won't "see" it

There are many things I would change in that code, starting with the recommendations of #trashgod. OTOH this is the minimal change needed in order to stretch the tabbed pane to the width/height of the parent container.
// give the panel a layout that will stretch components to available space
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new GridLayout());//uncomment all three lines
panel.add(jtp);
getContentPane().add(panel);
//getContentPane().add(jtp);//remove me
For more details see this answer.

Well firstly you can try this:
JPanel panel = new JPanel();//uncomment all three lines
panel.setLayout(new GridLayout());
JPanel jp1 = new JPanel();// This will create the first tab
JPanel jp2 = new JPanel();// This will create the second tab
JLabel label1 = new JLabel();
label1.setText("This is Tab 1");
jp1.add(label1);
jtp.addTab("Tab1", jp1);
jtp.addTab("Tab2", jp2);
JButton test = new JButton("Press");
jp2.add(test);
getContentPane().add(jtp);
and in the main:
TabbedPane tab = new TabbedPane();
tab.pack();
tab.setVisible(true);
May I suggest using MigLayout to set layouts, it will make your life easier. Hope it helps.

Try GridbagLayout. Once you have mastered it, you can design UI of any sort with this layout.

I agree with prasanth regarding the use of GridBagLayout
I have gone through this problem once and I solved it by adding the JTabbedPaneto the panel via GridBagLayout, make sure you add the JTabbedPane using the ipadx and ipady according to your requirements in your GridBagConstraints object
e.g.
JPanel myPanel=new JPanel();
myPanel.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
JTabbedPane jTP=new JTabbedPane();
jTP.add("Tab1",new JPanel());//substitute your component instead of "new JPanel"
GridBagConstraints myConstraints=new GridBagConstraints();
myConstraints.ipadx=400;//streches the component being added along x axis - 200 px on both sides
myConstraints.ipady=600;//streches the component being added along y axis - 200 px on both sides
myPanel.add(jTP,myConstraints);
You can adjust both these properties according to what is perfect for your need

JScrollPane add to frame issue

I currently have multiple jpanels on a jframe. I can add all of the jpanels fine to the jframe but when I try and add a jscrollpane, nothing shows up. Essentially I just want a jscrollbar/pane on the jframe so that I can scroll down as the size of the jpanels goes off screen. This is the main code that I used:
JPanel Jpanel = new JPanel();
JScrollPane Jpane = new JScrollPane();
frame.getContentPane().add(Jpanel);
frame.getContentPane().add(Jpane);
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

1) code that you posted caused that (JFrame has implemented by default BorderLayout, and there only one JComponent can to fill concrete area or layst added JComponent), only frame.getContentPane().add(Jpane); is possible to dispay on the screen
2) you have to accept that you can put to the JScrollPane only one JComponent
3) JScrollPane works correctly if is there used proper LayoutManager (not AbsoluteLayout) and in the case that Dimmension of JComponent is wider that JViewport from JScrollPane

This has already been answered with the correct way to do it. The only thing I can think of that you might have done wrong (since it's not working), is that you're adding the panels to the jframe.
When you put a panel inside a scrollpane, you need to add the scrollpane to the JFrame, and not add the panel to the JFrame:
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(panel);
add(scrollPane); // or if you have a panel inside a panel, add the pane to that panel. ie west.add(scrollPane);

You need to add the JPanel to the scroll pane, then add the scrollpane to the frame.
One of the way of doing it is when creating the JScrollPane, with the constructor :
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(panel);

What you could do is this:
JPanel Jpanel = new JPanel();
JScrollPane Jpane = new JScrollPane(Jpanel);
frame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
frame.add(Jpane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
The reason your panels aren't showing is beacause your frame doesn't know where to put them. It needs a layoutmanager.
Here you can find some basic layoutmanagers:
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/layout/using.html

Automatically size JPanel inside JFrame

I have a JPanel subclass on which I add buttons, labels, tables, etc. To show on screen it I use JFrame:
MainPanel mainPanel = new MainPanel(); //JPanel subclass
JFrame mainFrame = new JFrame();
mainFrame.setTitle("main window title");
mainFrame.getContentPane().add(mainPanel);
mainFrame.setLocation(100, 100);
mainFrame.pack();
mainFrame.setVisible(true);
mainFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
But when I size the window, size of panel don't change. How to make size of panel to be the same as the size of window even if it was resized?

You can set a layout manager like BorderLayout and then define more specifically, where your panel should go:
MainPanel mainPanel = new MainPanel();
JFrame mainFrame = new JFrame();
mainFrame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
mainFrame.add(mainPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
mainFrame.pack();
mainFrame.setVisible(true);
This puts the panel into the center area of the frame and lets it grow automatically when resizing the frame.

You need to set a layout manager for the JFrame to use - This deals with how components are positioned. A useful one is the BorderLayout manager.
Simply adding the following line of code should fix your problems:
mainFrame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
(Do this before adding components to the JFrame)

If the BorderLayout option provided by our friends doesnot work, try adding ComponentListerner to the JFrame and implement the componentResized(event) method. When the JFrame object will be resized, this method will be called. So if you write the the code to set the size of the JPanel in this method, you will achieve the intended result.
Ya, I know this 'solution' is not good but use it as a safety net.
;)

From my experience, I used GridLayout.
thePanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(a,b,c,d));
a = row number, b = column number, c = horizontal gap, d = vertical gap.
For example, if I want to create panel with:
unlimited row (set a = 0)
1 column (set b = 1)
vertical gap= 3 (set d = 3)
The code is below:
thePanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(0,1,0,3));
This method is useful when you want to add JScrollPane to your JPanel. Size of the JPanel inside JScrollPane will automatically changes when you add some components on it, so the JScrollPane will automatically reset the scroll bar.

As other posters have said, you need to change the LayoutManager being used. I always preferred using a GridLayout so your code would become:
MainPanel mainPanel = new MainPanel();
JFrame mainFrame = new JFrame();
mainFrame.setLayout(new GridLayout());
mainFrame.pack();
mainFrame.setVisible(true);
GridLayout seems more conceptually correct to me when you want your panel to take up the entire screen.