changing hbox nodes position

Question

I want to change the location of each buttom in the hbox:

HBox buttom = new HBox();

Button delete_button = new Button("Delete");
Button showAll_button = new Button("Show All");
Button back_button = new Button("Back");

buttomPaneRight_deleteScene.getChildren().addAll(back_button,showAll_button,delete_button);

BorderPane basePane = new BorderPane();
basePane.setButtom(buttomPaneRight_deleteScene):

I want to change each button location for example back_button to be in the left corner and delete_button, showAll_button to be in the right corner. I checked setAlignment(Pos.Value); but this change the whole hbox pos

Answer 1

One solution (there are many) is simply to wrap the buttons you want in the right in another HBox:

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.geometry.Pos;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.HBox;
import javafx.scene.layout.Priority;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class LayoutExample extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
        BorderPane root = new BorderPane();

        HBox hbox = new HBox();

        Button backButton = new Button("Back");
        Button deleteButton = new Button("Delete");
        Button showAllButton = new Button("Show All");

        HBox rightButtons = new HBox(deleteButton, showAllButton);
        rightButtons.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER_RIGHT);

        HBox.setHgrow(rightButtons, Priority.ALWAYS);

        hbox.getChildren().addAll(backButton, rightButtons);
        hbox.setPadding(new Insets(2));

        root.setBottom(hbox);
        Scene scene = new Scene(root, 600, 600);
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);
        primaryStage.show();
    }

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

Another solution is to add a Pane that acts as a spacer, and make it grow as much as it can:

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.HBox;
import javafx.scene.layout.Pane;
import javafx.scene.layout.Priority;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class LayoutExample extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
        BorderPane root = new BorderPane();

        HBox hbox = new HBox();

        Button backButton = new Button("Back");
        Button deleteButton = new Button("Delete");
        Button showAllButton = new Button("Show All");

        Pane spacer = new Pane();

        HBox.setHgrow(spacer, Priority.ALWAYS);

        hbox.getChildren().addAll(backButton, spacer, deleteButton, showAllButton);
        hbox.setPadding(new Insets(2));

        root.setBottom(hbox);
        Scene scene = new Scene(root, 600, 600);
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);
        primaryStage.show();
    }

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

A third solution is to use an AnchorPane instead of a HBox, and wrap the two buttons on the right in a HBox:

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.layout.AnchorPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.HBox;
import javafx.scene.layout.Pane;
import javafx.scene.layout.Priority;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class LayoutExample extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
        BorderPane root = new BorderPane();

        AnchorPane anchorPane = new AnchorPane();

        Button backButton = new Button("Back");
        Button deleteButton = new Button("Delete");
        Button showAllButton = new Button("Show All");

        HBox rightButtons = new HBox(deleteButton, showAllButton);

        anchorPane.getChildren().addAll(backButton, rightButtons);

        AnchorPane.setBottomAnchor(rightButtons, 2.0);
        AnchorPane.setBottomAnchor(backButton, 2.0);

        AnchorPane.setLeftAnchor(backButton, 2.0);
        AnchorPane.setRightAnchor(rightButtons, 2.0);

        root.setBottom(anchorPane);
        Scene scene = new Scene(root, 600, 600);
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);
        primaryStage.show();
    }

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

And a fourth solution is to use a GridPane:

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.ColumnConstraints;
import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.Priority;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class LayoutExample extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
        BorderPane root = new BorderPane();

        GridPane gridPane = new GridPane();


        Button backButton = new Button("Back");
        Button deleteButton = new Button("Delete");
        Button showAllButton = new Button("Show All");

        gridPane.add(backButton, 0, 0);
        gridPane.add(deleteButton, 1, 0);
        gridPane.add(showAllButton, 2, 0);

        ColumnConstraints leftCol = new ColumnConstraints();
        leftCol.setHgrow(Priority.ALWAYS);

        gridPane.getColumnConstraints().addAll(leftCol, new ColumnConstraints(), new ColumnConstraints());

        gridPane.setPadding(new Insets(2));
        root.setBottom(gridPane);
        Scene scene = new Scene(root, 600, 600);
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);
        primaryStage.show();
    }

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

Answer 2

Try using a different Pane option, as I mentioned before, a GridPane should solve your issue, that or nesting another HBox

See this http://docs.oracle.com/javafx/2/layout/builtin_layouts.htm

Answer 3

Basically don't use a HBox. An AnchorPane is more suited to what you want to achieve.

AnchorPane holder = new AnchorPane();

Button delete_button = new Button("Delete");
Button showAll_button = new Button("Show All");
Button back_button = new Button("Back");

// Add buttons to holder
holder.getChildren().add(delete_button);
holder.getChildren().add(showAll_button);
holder.getChildren().add(back_button);

// Delete top left
AnchorPane.setTopAnchor (delete_button, 0.0);
AnchorPane.setLeftAnchor(delete_button, 0.0);

// Show all top right
AnchorPane.setTopAnchor  (showAll_button, 0.0);
AnchorPane.setRightAnchor(showAll_button, 0.0);

// Back bottom right
AnchorPane.setBottomAnchor(back_button, 0.0);
AnchorPane.setRightAnchor (back_button, 0.0);