CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaswingjpanellayout-managerborder-layout
cheese
cheese

Reputation: 41

How to arrange components using BorderLayout?

I'm trying to get my GUI to appear as such: 

Grocery Cart [Refill]
    (TextArea)

I am currently using BorderLayout and I would like to stick with it. How can I get the text area underneath the JLabel and the JButton whilst being in the same JPanel? Here is my code for the specific area:

How do I add the text box underneath the two side by side? Whenever I add it, it just goes next to them.

JPanel newPanel = new JPanel();

JLabel label = new JLabel("Grocery Cart");
label.setFont(new Font("Arial", Font.BOLD, 20));
newPanel.add(label);
contentPane.add(newPanel, BorderLayout.WEST)        ;
JButton btnNewButton = new JButton("Refill");
btnNewButton.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.PLAIN, 20));
btnNewButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
    }
});
newPanel.add(btnNewButton);

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1104

Answers (1)

ATrubka
ATrubka

Reputation: 4004

If my understanding is correct, here's what you need to do:

    JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
    JPanel eastPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
    JTextArea area = new JTextArea("Test content");
    JLabel label = new JLabel("Grocery Cart");
    label.setFont(new Font("Arial", Font.BOLD, 20));

    mainPanel.add(label, BorderLayout.WEST);

    JButton btnNewButton = new JButton("Refill");
    btnNewButton.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.PLAIN, 20));
    btnNewButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
        }
    });

    eastPanel.add(btnNewButton, BorderLayout.WEST);
    eastPanel.add(area, BorderLayout.CENTER);

    mainPanel.add(eastPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);

    contentPane.add(mainPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);

The main idea is that in order to construct complex layouts with simple layout types such as border and flow, you have to use container hierarchy and get creative with a combination of flow and border layouts.

In my example the label and button aren't resizable and always have their widths equal to their preferred widths. The text area, however is resizable and takes up its container's remaining width.

Note, that all components added to mainPanel are resizable vertically. In order to keep mainPanel to its preferred height you place it to the contentPane's BorderLayout.NORTH or SOUTH for that matter.

Upvotes: 1

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