2 jpanels but dont know how to control them

Question

Hey im trying to make a weather applet but i dont understand j panels every single time the one overlays the other heres what i want it to look like in the end

After i get this part of code i will be making an if else satement that draws an image dependent on "Season"

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.applet.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.*;
public class Test21 extends JApplet
{
    JPanel jPanel1, jPanel2;
    JButton Enter , Exit;
    JTextField location;
    JLabel city;
    JRadioButton time;
    JComboBox Seasons;

    Random rand = new Random ();
    int P = rand.nextInt (100) + 1; //Random Precipitation
    int H = rand.nextInt (50) + 1; //Random Heat

    /** Initializes the applet Test02 */
    public void init ()
    {
                       jPanel2 = new DrawingPanel ();

        getContentPane ().setLayout (null);


        //);

        getContentPane ().add (jPanel2);
        jPanel2.setBounds (20, 20, 320, 240);




        jPanel1 = new DrawingPanel();       

        getContentPane ().setLayout (null);

        jPanel1.setBackground (new java.awt.Color (255, 255, 255));
        //);

        getContentPane ().add (jPanel1);
        jPanel1.setBounds (20, 20, 320, 240);   
        getContentPane() .setLayout (new FlowLayout ());

        Enter =new JButton ("Enter");
        Exit =new JButton ("exit");



        city = new JLabel ("What city?");
        location = new JTextField (20); //location entry field


        Seasons  = new JComboBox ();
        Seasons.addItem ("Summer");
        Seasons.addItem ("Fall");
        Seasons.addItem ("Winter");
        Seasons.addItem ("Spring");


        time = new JRadioButton ("check if night?");


       getContentPane().add (city);
       getContentPane().add (location);
       getContentPane().add (Seasons);
       getContentPane().add (time);


    }     

    public void paintComponent (Graphics g)
    {
        super.paint (g);

        Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;

        g2d.drawLine (10, 70, 70, 10);

    }    

    private class DrawingPanel extends javax.swing.JPanel
    {
        public void paint (Graphics g)
        {
            super.paint (g);

            Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;

            drawBars (g);
        }
    }
    public void drawBars (Graphics g)
    {
        //Precipitation Bar
        g.setColor (Color.black);
        g.drawRect (40, 170, 100, 20); //outline of bar
        g.setColor (Color.blue);
        g.fillRect (40 + 1, 170 + 4, P, 14); //indicator bar (+4 puts space beetween outline bar)

        //Temparature Bar
        g.setColor (Color.red);
        g.fillRect (170 + 4, 50, 14, 100); //Covers in
        g.setColor (Color.black);
        g.drawRect (170, 50, 20, 100); //outline of bar
        g.setColor (Color.white);
        g.fillRect (170 + 4, 50 + 1, 16, 100 - H); //indicator bar (+4 puts space beetween outline bar)
    }



}

this is a big mark in my class please dont give me the why teachers shouldn't teach CS or any of that it dosn't help me i use Ready java while programming also so if you could try to keep same packets i'm very inexperienced and lost but i need this done by monday and have been working on it for a long time

ok so im trying a new file with border layout andill create the classes bellow and try to call them i guess?

    public class Final
{

    JPanel jPanel1, jPanel2;
    JButton Enter, Exit;
    JTextField location;
    JLabel city;
    JRadioButton time;
    JComboBox Seasons;

    Random rand = new Random ();
    int P = rand.nextInt (100) + 1; //Random Precipitation
    int H = rand.nextInt (50) + 1; //Random Heat
    public void init ()
    {
        JPanel contentPane = getContentPane ();




        contentPane.setLayout (new BorderLayout ());
        contentPane.add (locationGui, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        contentPane.add (temp, BorderLayout.EAST);
        contentPane.add (Percip (g), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        contentPane.add (image, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    }


public void drawPercip (Graphics g)
    {
        //Precipitation Bar
        g.setColor (Color.black);
        g.drawRect (40, 170, 100, 20); //outline of bar
        g.setColor (Color.blue);
        g.fillRect (40 + 1, 170 + 4, P, 14); //indicator bar (+4 puts space beetween outline bar)
    }
}

This is now the code im working with i got the location gui parts in but when i trydoing tlabel = new DrawingPanel(); it says it cant be done so how would i bring that graphic in? and im pretty sure ill need to be using actionlistener so ill have to add it in with implements a bit later

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Container;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.applet.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.*;

public class Final2 extends JFrame
{
    //Panels
    JPanel locationGui = new JPanel ();
    JPanel temp = new JPanel ();
    JPanel percip = new JPanel ();
    JPanel image = new JPanel ();
    //Location gui components
    JButton Enter, Exit;
    JTextField location;
    JLabel city;
    JRadioButton time;
    JComboBox Seasons;
    //bar # genertor
    Random rand = new Random ();
    int P = rand.nextInt (100) + 1; //Random Precipitation
    int H = rand.nextInt (50) + 1; //Random Heat
    public Final2 ()
    {
        init ();

    }


    public void init ()
    {
        Font font = new Font ("impact", Font.PLAIN, 20);
        //________________________________________________new panel____________________
        locationGui.setBackground (Color.RED);
        JLabel guiLabel = new JLabel ("");
        guiLabel.setFont (font);

        Enter = new JButton ("Enter");
        Exit = new JButton ("exit");



        city = new JLabel ("What city?");
        location = new JTextField (20); //location entry field


        Seasons = new JComboBox ();
        Seasons.addItem ("Summer");
        Seasons.addItem ("Fall");
        Seasons.addItem ("Winter");
        Seasons.addItem ("Spring");


        time = new JRadioButton ("check if night?");


        locationGui.add (city);
        locationGui.add (location);
        locationGui.add (Seasons);
        locationGui.add (time);



        locationGui.add (guiLabel);


        //________________________________________________new panel____________________
        temp.setBackground (Color.BLUE);
        temp.setLayout (new GridBagLayout ());
        JLabel tempLabel = new JLabel ("Temp");
        tempLabel.setFont (font);
        temp.add (tempLabel);

        //________________________________________________new panel____________________
        percip.setBackground (Color.GREEN);
        JLabel pLabel = new JLabel ("Percip");
        pLabel.setFont (font);
        percip.add (pLabel);

        //________________________________________________new panel____________________
        image.setBackground (Color.ORANGE);
        image.setLayout (new GridBagLayout ());
        JLabel imageLabel = new JLabel ("Image");
        imageLabel.setFont (font);
        image.add (imageLabel);

        Container contentPane = getContentPane ();

        contentPane.setLayout (new BorderLayout ());
        contentPane.add (locationGui, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        contentPane.add (temp, BorderLayout.EAST);
        contentPane.add (percip, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        contentPane.add (image, BorderLayout.CENTER);

        setContentPane (contentPane);
        setDefaultCloseOperation (EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        setSize (400, 400);
        setLocationRelativeTo (null);
        setVisible (true);
    }


    public static void main (String[] args)
    {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater (new Runnable ()
        {

            public void run ()
            {
                new Final2 ();
            }
        }


        );
    }


    private class DrawingPanel extends javax.swing.JPanel
    {
        public void paint (Graphics g)
        {
            super.paint (g);

            Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;

            drawPercip (g);
        }


    }


    public void drawPercip (Graphics g)
    {
        //Precipitation Bar
        g.setColor (Color.black);
        g.drawRect (40, 170, 100, 20); //outline of bar
        g.setColor (Color.blue);
        g.fillRect (40 + 1, 170 + 4, P, 14); //indicator bar (+4 puts space beetween outline bar)
    }


    public void drawTemp (Graphics g)
    {
        //Temparature Bar
        g.setColor (Color.red);
        g.fillRect (170 + 4, 50, 14, 100); //Covers in
        g.setColor (Color.black);
        g.drawRect (170, 50, 20, 100); //outline of bar
        g.setColor (Color.white);
        g.fillRect (170 + 4, 50 + 1, 16, 100 - H); //indicator bar (+4 puts space beetween outline bar)
    }




}

Answer 1

1. JApplet has no paintComponent method, so you're not actually overriding anything. As good practice, you should use the @Override annotation to make cure you are making a valid override. JApplet does have a paint method though.
2. Don't override paint in a JPanel. Instead override paintComponent and call super.paintComponent
3. Don't use null layouts. Swing is made to be used with LayoutManagers. See Laying out components in a Container
4. As @KevinWorkman suggested, the layout you want is BorderLayout

---

UPDATE for your new post

1. getContentPane() return a Container. You can make it = a JPanel
2. You haven't declared any variables we can work with

See the example below to see how BorderLayout would work for your Final class.

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Container;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;

public class Final extends JFrame{

    JPanel locationGui = new JPanel();
    JPanel temp = new JPanel();
    JPanel percip= new JPanel();
    JPanel image = new JPanel();
    public Final() {
        init();

    }

    public void init() {
        Font font = new Font("impact", Font.PLAIN, 20);

        locationGui.setBackground(Color.RED);
        JLabel guiLabel = new JLabel("Location Gui");
        guiLabel.setFont(font);
        locationGui.add(guiLabel);

        temp.setBackground(Color.BLUE);
        temp.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
        JLabel tempLabel = new JLabel("Temp");
        tempLabel.setFont(font);
        temp.add(tempLabel);

        percip.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
        JLabel gLabel = new JLabel("Percip");
        gLabel.setFont(font);
        percip.add(gLabel);

        image.setBackground(Color.ORANGE);
        image.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
        JLabel imageLabel = new JLabel("Image");
        imageLabel.setFont(font);
        image.add(imageLabel);

        Container contentPane = getContentPane();

        contentPane.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        contentPane.add(locationGui, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        contentPane.add(temp, BorderLayout.EAST);
        contentPane.add(percip, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        contentPane.add(image, BorderLayout.CENTER);

        setContentPane(contentPane);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        setSize(400, 400);
        setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable(){
            @Override
            public void run() {
                new Final();
            }
        });
    }
}

---

UPDATE

to your new edit

• When you do temp = new DrawingPanel(), it works, but there are two problems
  1. There is no preffered size to the panel, to the panel will only adhere to the dimension defined in the BorderLayout of the frame. To fix that, override the getPreferredSize of the DrawingPanel
  2. The fillRect doesn't show because it's the same color as the background.

Here are the fixes to your code.

private class DrawingPanel extends javax.swing.JPanel {
    @Override
    public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
        super.paintComponent(g);
        Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;
        drawPercip(g);
    }
    @Override 
    public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
        return new Dimension(200, 400);
    }
}

public void drawPercip(Graphics g) {
    g.setColor(Color.black);
    g.drawRect(40, 170, 100, 20);
    g.setColor(Color.blue);
    g.fillRect(40 + 1, 170 + 4, P, 14); 
}

Answer 2

The image you posted can be achieved using a BorderLayout. Recommended reading: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/layout/border.html

JPanel contentPane = getContentPane();
contentPane.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
contentPane.add(locationGui, BorderLayout.NORTH);
contentPane.add(temp, BorderLayout.EAST);
contentPane.add(percip, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
contentPane.add(image, BorderLayout.CENTER);