Why does the GUI created using Swing look different on different platforms?

[Judy YU]

I created a GUI applet using Java Swing and using the MotifLookAndFeel. The applet looks great on Solaris 8 platform,
but the size of TextArea changes on Windows which ruins the look of the GUI.
Can anyone give a clue about what might cause the problem?
Judy

[John Zukowski]

Layout management issues probably.
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John Zukowski Author of "Definitive Guide to Swing for Java 2" and "Java Collections"

[Stanley Tan]

The default look and feel for Swing - Metal - would look the same across *all* platforms. Am I correct on this?

[Manfred Leonhardt]

Hi Judy,
IMOP it could be that you are not specifying a font. JVM only specifies that font types be available and not that all sizes be the same on all platforms (e.g. 12 on Unix <> 12 on PC).
As stated by John, you usually use a layout manager to make sure your objects don't move. From your explanation, I gather you probably are using a null layout... GridBagLayout gives the programmer the most control over how extra space is used and what happens when things are resized.
Regards,
Manfred.