GridBagLayout Not Working Properly?

Question

I am using a GridBagLayout for my components in a JFrame. I just started using it, and I keep confusing myself. What I want is; Patch notes in the top left, buttons (vertical) on the right, play button on the bottom. I'm not sure what the issue really is, but can you please help me organize this?

Here's my code:

package counter.main;

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.Insets;
import java.awt.Toolkit;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.IOException;

import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.SwingConstants;

public class HomeFrame {

private static JPanel panel;
private static JButton play = new JButton("Play");
private static JPanel p;
File patch = new File(Main.class.getResource("/counter/res/ResourceCounterPatchNotes.txt").getFile());

//private static JLabel text;
public static JLabel greet = new JLabel("", SwingConstants.CENTER);

static JFrame frame = new JFrame("Resource Counter - Home"); {
    frame.setSize(800, 500);
    frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    frame.setResizable(false);
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    frame.repaint();
    frame.revalidate();

    createView();
}

private void createView() {
    setIcon();

    panel = new JPanel();
    frame.getContentPane().add(panel);
    p = new JPanel();
    frame.getContentPane().add(p);
    p.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER, 400, 360));
    play.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(200, 70));
    p.add(play);
    JPanel p2 = new JPanel();
    frame.getContentPane().add(p2);
    p2.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());

    JButton button = new JButton("         Button         ");

    play.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            try {
                Thread.sleep(500);   
            } catch(InterruptedException ex) {
                Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
            }
            SelectionFrame.frame1.setVisible(true);
            frame.setVisible(false);
        }

    });

    JTextArea ta = new JTextArea();
    p2.setBackground(Color.BLACK);
    ta.setForeground(Color.WHITE);
    ta.setFont(new Font("Lucida Sans", Font.PLAIN, 12));

    GridBagConstraints gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
    gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.NORTHWEST;
    gbc.insets = new Insets(-150, 5, 5, 30);
    gbc.gridx = 0;
    gbc.gridy = 0;
    p2.add(ta, gbc);
    gbc.gridx = 1;
    gbc.gridy = 0;
    p2.add(button, gbc);
    /*gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.SOUTH;
    gbc.gridx = 0;
    gbc.gridy = 2;
    p2.add(play, gbc);*/

    try {
        ta.read(new FileReader(patch), null);
        ta.setEditable(false);
        //p2.add(ta, BorderLayout.WEST);
    } catch (FileNotFoundException e1) {
        e1.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e1) {
        e1.printStackTrace();
    }


    greet.setFont(new Font( "Dialog", Font.BOLD, 20));
    frame.getContentPane().add(greet, BorderLayout.NORTH);

}

    public void setIcon() {
        frame.setIconImage(Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getImage(Main.class.getResource("/counter/res/Iron-Pickaxe-icon.png")));
    }
}

Here is what I get:

Answer 1

Your code is a mess (sorry), I could spent a lot of time trying to unravel your compound layouts, but it would be easier to just start again. Not saying that you might not consider using a compound layout concept, but I think that's what's got you into such a mess to start with...

So I've basically create a simplified example of what I "guess" your description is asking for...

import java.awt.EventQueue;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.UIManager;
import javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException;

public class Test {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new Test();
    }

    public Test() {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException | InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException | UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
                    ex.printStackTrace();
                }

                JFrame frame = new JFrame("Testing");
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.add(new TestPane());
                frame.pack();
                frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
                frame.setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }

    public class TestPane extends JPanel {

        public TestPane() {

            setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
            GridBagConstraints gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
            gbc.gridx = 0;
            gbc.gridy = 0;
            gbc.gridheight = gbc.REMAINDER;
            gbc.weightx = 1;
            gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;

            JTextArea patch = new JTextArea(10, 20);

            add(new JScrollPane(patch), gbc);

            gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
            gbc.gridx = 1;
            gbc.gridy = 0;
            gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
            for (int index = 0; index < 6; index++) {
                add(new JButton("Button #" + index), gbc);
                gbc.gridy++;
            }

            gbc.gridx = 1;
            gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.SOUTH;
            gbc.weighty = 1;
            gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
            add(new JButton("Play >"), gbc);


        }

    }

}

With layouts, it's best to start with pen and paper, group the elements you need to together (like the buttons down the right side for example) and devise a plan for how you might lay them out and prototype of view ideas...

Updated

1) How can I have it so that there is space between the TextArea and the buttons, and vertical space on the buttons? I tried using the Insets but I haven't arranged the numbers in a correct way yet.

insets is the correct way to go...

gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
gbc.gridx = 1;
gbc.gridy = 0;
gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
gbc.insets = new Insets(2, 8, 2, 4);
gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.NORTH;
for (int index = 0; index < 6; index++) {
    core.add(new JButton("Button #" + index), gbc);
    gbc.gridy++;
}

2) I would like the "Play" button at the center-bottom of the screen, and have it be larger

You "could" do this with GridBagLayout, but I decided not to, as it can cause some issues if you're not careful with how your setup the constraints for the other components, so instead, I used a combination of BorderLayout and GridBagLayout.

To make the "play" button larger, you could modify the font or adjust the button's margins...

playButton.setMargin(new Insets(12, 12, 12, 12));

depending on the effect you're after

public class TestPane extends JPanel {

    public TestPane() {

        setLayout(new BorderLayout(0, 4));

        JPanel core = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());

        GridBagConstraints gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
        gbc.gridx = 0;
        gbc.gridy = 0;
        gbc.gridheight = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER;
        gbc.weightx = 1;
        gbc.weighty = 1;
        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;

        JTextArea patch = new JTextArea(10, 20);

        core.add(new JScrollPane(patch), gbc);

        gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
        gbc.gridx = 1;
        gbc.gridy = 0;
        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
        gbc.insets = new Insets(2, 8, 2, 4);
        gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.NORTH;
        for (int index = 0; index < 6; index++) {
            core.add(new JButton("Button #" + index), gbc);
            gbc.gridy++;
        }

        add(core);
        JButton playButton = new JButton("Play >");
        playButton.setMargin(new Insets(12, 12, 12, 12));
        add(playButton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

    }

}