I am trying to recreate the Skype handles instant messaging using Swing components. I am using JList with a custom ListCellRenderer to render each cell in the list. The ListCellRenderer extends a JPanel, the JPanel simply contains a label (where I will put the username) and a JTextArea which is where the users' messages will go. The JTextArea is what Im having problems with.
Here's an image of what I have a the moment -
Ive removed the scrollpane that automatically comes with the textarea in netbeans.
I am showing the Navigator, the Design view and the actual program (the list has two elements) in this image.
The the text in textarea is actually much longer than in this image but it is not word wrapping. I have set lineWrap and wrapStyleWord to true in the properties box for this textarea but it doesn't seem to take any effect. I then tried to set maximum size using the properties box and that doesn't have any effect either.
Is there any way to control the padding/margins around components with netbeans gui designer. The automatic placement it gives me for spacing between components is either several pixels too small or two large. I need exact placement on the list's cell components.
For reference here is how skype's convesation panel looks (ive added in the red "Brian cs"'s as thats how I will be doing it in my program). As you can see the sentences wrap and there is an appropriate amount of space between cells. So anyone know how to achieve this using Swing?
The JTextarea is not the problem. The JList sets the heigth for each row. See JList.setFixedCellHeigth or setPrototypeCellValue
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I have written a Swing UI that has a JPanel with numerous controls and on the right hand side a few columns of JCheckBoxes. This is all handled by making the JPanel use a GridLayout. The problem I am having is that a given checkbox toggles it's selection status no matter where in it's grid "cell" you click in. Note, I am not using a JTable approach. The "cell" is just the rectangular area of the screen the GridLayout gave to the checkbox. It can be much bigger than the checkbox. I can't figure out how to make sure the checkboxes are only selectable when you click in the tiny box of the drawn control (not the big box of the "cell" that the checkbox is basically centered in). I've googled a lot and everyone talks about JTables. Again, I am not using a JTable. This issue is causing headaches for my users as they click on the application window and accidentally select an option!
The GridLayout forces all UI components to fill their cell completely, so the actual checkbox only gives the illusion that it's smaller than the cell it occupies. The solution here, as with many other more complex UI designs, is to use multiple layouts nested inside one another.
In your case, try putting all your check boxes inside a BoxLayout and using glue to space them as needed. This BoxLayout should be placed side by side with your GridLayout in another enclosing container (either a JPanel or your ContentPane -- I can't say for sure because you only gave a brief description of your UI with no code or illustration).
Play around with the idea of nesting layouts until you get something you like, and don't forget to try resizing your window to see what the layout manager does under the circumstances. The final appearance isn't always exactly what you imagine it will be.
I'm designing GUI using java swing with the help of windowbuilder. I found that in any layout it's not possible to resize components by using mouse drags (even though it shows points to pick and drag to resize). Specifically reducing size is what most important to do.
Resizing is allowed only in two layouts: one in Absolute Layout (which is not at all good for practical purpose, considering different screen-sizes with which GUI should be better displayed) and another is Group Layout (which is also not a good for design due to it's complex code).
Following is the sample where I have placed two JLabels and now trying to add JComboBox at the location indicated by Green box.
But when I place the JComboBox it's default size is to fill horizontally. Even if I change fill to 'None' and try to resize, I'm unable to resize it. Following is the result after addition of JComboBox:
In the Background there is JPanel with GridBagLayout with following properties:
I found that changing values in columnWidths and rowHeights properties of GridBagLayout, the size of grid columns/rows can be controlled. But I'm unable to understand Size of which columns/rows all those values represents?. (I found no direct relation between number of those values and number of columns/rows displayed on Panel)
Is there any way out to resize components? And can anybody explain what those values in columnWidths and rowHeights properties of GridBagLayout represent?
It's simple, you need to add grow in you WindowBuilder. It looks like this:
picture
Click on this with your right mouse button and click on 'grow':
picture
Only objects with 'grow' are resizable.
I want to make an account screen for a project, but I'm still new to GUI's. This is my first time working with a JComboBox and I'm having a bit of trouble. I want to basically place the JComboBox inside a box, which will be part of my background image. I tried using BorderLayout, but that just made a giant combobox that took up my entire screen. I have my code here and a drawing which illustrates my goal below:
See this answer for 2 layouts that can easily center the panel containing the combo box.
Use borders and layout padding within that panel for the white space required.
I'm trying to provide a progress report for a slow operation, in the form of text scrolling up from the bottom of the screen with details on what's going on - it's an effect you may have seen a few times in video games when they're loading maps, making network connections and suchlike.
Glass pane seems to be the way to get the text overlay, that much I have working. My problem is exactly what component to use for the actual text display.
JTextArea can display text, but as far as I can see, it can only do it from the top of the screen down - is there a way to make it scroll text up from the bottom of the screen?
JLabel by contrast can align the first line of text to the bottom of the screen, and even take appended text on that line, but when I add more lines separated by newline characters, it just seems to swallow them up even after calling repaint and validate. Is there a way to make it scroll up with the new text?
Or is there another component I should be using instead?
I really like JXLayer for effects layered over Swing components. JXLayer was at one point scheduled to be included in Java 7. Unfortunately the moving around that has been going on Java.net lost all the good content that the author had. There are still some other great resources around (Java 7 required for this one) on the web. I use JXLayer to provide panels with a busy state having a web-like spinner and greyed out appearance.
Another alternative (not as capable as JXLayer IMHO) is MigLayout has absolute positioning, which is maybe easier than the GlassPane.
JLabel would be the easiest. Otherwise you will have to override paintComponent to do anything fancy like animating the text movement.
The code pretty huge and involves a lot of different class/methods:
But here is the gist:
There is a main frame : A_Main
Selecting something in the main frame A: opens a JDialog B_Dialog
This B_Dialog has a JPanel on it: C_Panel
This C_Panel comprises of a textfield and a button
On clicking on the textfield/button: opens a tooltip and another JPanel: D_Panel
Now, the problem is:
1) The tooltip overflows the size of B_Dialog and therefore gets truncated
2) D_Panel however; even if its outside the boundary of B_Dialog gets displayed fully
2.1) There are some texfields and drop down menus in this D_Panel
2.2) The mouse events function correctly in this D_Panel items (drop down menus)
2.3) But Keyboard events do not function correct (Textfield)
I would be glad if you could help!
Thanks!
This can only be done in newer versions of the JDK.
See, Mixing Heavyweight and Lightweight Components.
Now, when I try to enter something in the JAR JPanel's text field, I am not able to do so as this pops out of the border of the main JDialog that contains it.
Add a JScrollPane around the JPanel, and allow it to expand both horizontally and vertically. If this doesn't work, you may need a customized Layout Manager, or use one of the default ones like GridBagLayout.
Also, you'll need to gain focus before you can enter text, but that doesn't seem to be the problem here.