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For loop to create button array not displaying properly in JPanel

So i'm creating an array of buttons that is supposed to display and 8,8 grid, instead it displays very small buttons spreading across the window (31 buttons in a row for two rows then two more buttons on the third). If I replace:
gamePanel1.add(buttons[a][b]);
with:
frame.add(buttons[a][b]);
... it display correctly but when initialising the array, I have to resize the window to see the buttons as it does not fit to contents.
Here is the code to create the buttons:
contentPane.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JPanel gamePanel1 = new JPanel();
buttons = new JButton[boardsize][boardsize];
mineBoard = new int[9][9];
for (int a = 0; a < boardsize; a++)
for (int b = 0; b < boardsize; b++) {
buttons[a][b] = new JButton("");
buttons[a][b].setBounds(30+gridsize*a,30+gridsize*b,gridsize,gridsize);
gamePanel1.add(buttons[a][b]);
buttons[a][b].addMouseListener(new MouseListener(a,b));
setx(a);
sety(b);
settried(false);
setmine(false);
}
contentPane.add(gamePanel1, BorderLayout.CENTER);
Can anyone tell me how I might fix this or show me how with this code I may use a different layout - i tried grid layout for the buttons but could not get it working at all.

First create a Panel as:
JPanel panel=new JPanel();
Then set the layout as
panel.setLayout(new GridLayout(8,8));
Then using a for loop create and add the buttons and the buttons will be displayed in eight by eight grid. Thanks.

Java Button Action Command

I'm creating a simple Minesweeper game in Java. Size 9x9.
I create an array of JPanels and an array of buttons; I add each button to its respective JPanel. then i add the JPanels to the JFrame.
How do i distinguish between each button on the action event?
Here's some of my code:
int gridx = 9;
int gridy = 9;
JButton[] buttons = new JButton[gridx*gridy];
JPanel[] jpanels = new JPanel[gridx*gridy];
public Minesweeper(){
super("Minesweeper");
setLayout(new GridLayout(9,9));
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
int i = 0;
for(i = 0; i<gridx*gridy; i++){
jpanels[i] = new JPanel();
buttons[i] = new JButton();
buttons[i].addActionListener(buttonEvent);
jpanels[i].setLayout(new GridLayout(1,1));
jpanels[i].add(buttons[i]);
add(jpanels[i]);
}
//buttons[67].setEnabled(false);
setSize(300,300);
setVisible(true);
}
The only way i can think about doing this is adding text to the button like so:
buttons[i] = new JButton(i);
Then calling getActionCommand() but i dont want text to show up on the button. Any other ideas?

You can use AbstractButton#setActionCommand.
In your loop:
buttons[i].setActionCommand(i+"");
Then you'll get i back when you use getActionCommand
Note I did mention in a comment on another answer that I would create a new class Mine which extends JButton which I believe to be a better and more complete solution. This however gets the job done rather quickly.

mixing gridlayout and borderlayout

I was tired but before quitting just stuck in the nearly-last 3 lines in the code snippet below to make a "refresh" button on my tictactoe panel, hoping to get away with it but expecting errors, since it mixes layout managers on a single container.
But it WORKED.
ButtonPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(3, 3));
guiFrame.add(ButtonPanel);
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
button[i][j] = addButton(ButtonPanel, i, j);
}
}
JButton refreshbutton = new JButton("Refresh");
guiFrame.add(refreshbutton, BorderLayout.SOUTH); // ... border layout worked. Hm.
refreshbutton.addActionListener(this);
guiFrame.setVisible(true); }
Should I be surprised? (Keep in mind my newbieness.)
(BOY, did I learn/stumble onto a buncha stuff in writing this silly game's program!!!--for instance, using setActionCommand to "label" each button internally [as 11,12,13,21,...33] so the ONE actionPerformed method could use getActionCommand to correctly label [with X or O] whatever button was pushed by whoever's turn it was.)

guiFrame.add(refreshbutton, BorderLayout.SOUTH); // ... border layout worked. Hm.
Just because you used BorderLayout.SOUTH does not make a panel a BorderLayout. Your code worked because the default layout manager for the content pane of a JFrame (JDialog) is a BorderLayout. So you are just taking advantage of the default layout.
since it mixes layout managers on a single container.
Yes, this is a common practice. In fact it is almost impossible to create a reasonably complex GUI if you don't use different layout managers on different panels that you add to a GUI.

Second row of gridbaglayout scrolling out of container

I am trying to achieve a layout similar to that of a carousel. It needs to have images added horizontally with a checkbox field in the second row. I have a panel within a jscrollpane and individual images are added to the panel as labels. Please see screen shot.
screenshot
When I scroll the pane , the first row containing the images stays well within the panel..but if you notice the second row of checkboxes , it scrolls out of the panel. Here is the code ...
JLabel lab1=new JLabel();
for (int ii=0; ii<imageFiles.length; ii++) {
GridBagConstraints constraint = new GridBagConstraints();
lab1 = new BufferedImage(w,h,BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
constraint.gridx = ii;
constraint.gridy =0;
jPanel9.add(lab1,constraint);
}
for (int ii=0; ii<imageFiles.length; ii++) {
GridBagConstraints constraint1 = new GridBagConstraints();
constraint1.anchor = GridBagConstraints.SOUTH;
chkbox = new Checkbox("asdasdada");
constraint1.gridx = ii;
constraint1.gridy =1;
jPanel9.add(chkbox, constraint1);
}
Not sure what is wrong..Any help is much appreciated..Thanks..

The problem is that you are mixing AWT components (heavyweight) with Swing components (lightweight). I have 2 recommendations:
Don't mix heavyweight and lightweight components
Try to use lightweight components as much as possible
So in your code, replace Checkbox by JCheckbox and it should work just fine.

JScrollPane always clears my Panel

Hy.. I have a JPanel, and in this contentPanel I added some other custom panels and give them locations etc. So now I added a JScrollPane to the contentPanel and always when I scroll down it clears my contentPanel, but the panels are still there but not visible...
How can I make them visible again?
That's my code to add the Panel into the contentPanel. The x,y,j are some settingsstuff for the location because I have an fixed window.
private void reloadContentPanel() {
int x = -200, y = 0, j = 1, row = 4;
EventPanel panel = null;
int i;
for(i=0; i < this.images.size();i++)
{
panel = new EventPanel(this.images.get(i).getAbsolutePath(),
this.images.get(i).getName());
panel.setLocation(x+(j*200), y);
j++;
if(i == row) {
x = -200;
y += 205;
j = 1;
row += 5;
}
this.contentPanel.add(panel);
}
this.repaint();
}
Thanks

it sounds like you are not using a LayoutManager correctly.
after creating your JFrame (i'm guessing within your constructor) add the following (for example):
this.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
this will certainly not be the best layout manager for what you are trying to do but will stop the add calls from overriding the displayed component.
you will need to read further about LayoutManagers
besides this, it's not really advisable to extend JFrame. It's better practice to treat JFrame as a member of your class just like all the other components.

I have the answer! :)
I use a GridLayout not a FlowLayout, so it's fine and it automatically refreshes the panels =)