So difficult to use Layout managers!!!

[Alisha Burke]

Why is it so difficult to use layout managers? All i want is to put all the components in the center. My button "Vote" which is suppose to be centered and just right below the textfield is now on the left side of the label.

I've been seriously contemplating to use absolute positioning but people have been telling me its a very bad idea.

I am currently using border layout and grid layout only.

import java.awt.*;//FOR GRAPHICS CLASS
import java.applet.*;//FOR APPLET CLASS
 

public class Apanel extends Applet  {
 
Label loveLabel;  //Top Label
Label girlsLabel;  //Middle Label 
Label guysLabel;  //Middle Label 
Label showLabel; //Bottom Label for voting results
 
 

TextField girlsField;
TextField guysField;

Button voteButton;

Panel p1;
Panel p2;
Panel p3;

 //INITIALIZE APPLET
 public void init() {
 
  p1 = new Panel ();
  p1.setLayout(new BorderLayout(25,25));
  p2 = new Panel ();
  p2.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2,2,2));
  p3 = new Panel ();
  p3.setLayout(new BorderLayout(25,25));
  
  loveLabel=new Label ("LOVE VOTE");
  p1.add("North",loveLabel);
  loveLabel.setFont(new Font("Peignot Demi",Font.BOLD,14));
  
  girlsLabel=new Label ("Do you love him?  ");
  p2.add(girlsLabel);
  girlsLabel.setFont(new Font("Copperplate Gothic 30AB",Font.BOLD,14));
  
  girlsField=new TextField(9);
  p2.add(girlsField);
  
  guysLabel=new Label ("Do you love her?  ");
  p2.add(guysLabel);
  guysLabel.setFont(new Font("Peignot Demi",Font.BOLD,14));
 
  guysField=new TextField(9);
  p2.add(guysField);
  
  voteButton=new Button ("Vote");
  p3.add("South",voteButton);
  
  showLabel=new Label ("Voting results: ");
  p1.add("South",showLabel);
  showLabel.setFont(new Font("Reporter No.2",Font.PLAIN,25));
  
  p3.add("North",p2);
  p1.add("Center",p2);
  add(p3);
  add(p1);
   
}//END init()
}
 

[Steven Bell]

Get JGoodies Forms. It is so much easier than dealing with other Layout managers.

[Alisha Burke]

U mean i can't do it the traditional way?

[Liam Tiarnach]

while, you can use other library's to make GUI design easier, you can still get the results that you want by using the standard AWT librarys...

import java.awt.*;//FOR GRAPHICS CLASS
import java.applet.*;//FOR APPLET CLASS
 
 
public class Apanel extends Applet  {
 
Label loveLabel;  //Top Label
Label girlsLabel;  //Middle Label 
Label guysLabel;  //Middle Label 
Label showLabel; //Bottom Label for voting results
 
 

TextField girlsField;
TextField guysField;

Button voteButton;

Panel p1;
Panel p2;
Panel p3;
Panel p4; // panel to add our voteButton

 //INITIALIZE APPLET
 public void init() {
 setLayout(new GridLayout(2,1,2,2));
  p1 = new Panel ();
  p1.setLayout(new BorderLayout(25,25));
  p2 = new Panel ();
  p2.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,1,2,2));// we only want one column...
  p3 = new Panel ();
  p3.setLayout(new BorderLayout(25,25));
  p4 = new Panel(); // panel to add voteButton...
  
  loveLabel=new Label ("LOVE VOTE");
  p1.add("North",loveLabel);
  loveLabel.setFont(new Font("Peignot Demi",Font.BOLD,14));
  
  girlsLabel=new Label ("Do you love him?  ");
  p2.add(girlsLabel);
  girlsLabel.setFont(new Font("Copperplate Gothic 30AB",Font.BOLD,14));
  
  girlsField=new TextField(9);
  p2.add(girlsField);
  
  guysLabel=new Label ("Do you love her?  ");
  p2.add(guysLabel);
  guysLabel.setFont(new Font("Peignot Demi",Font.BOLD,14));
 
  guysField=new TextField(9);
  p2.add(guysField);
 
  voteButton=new Button ("Vote");
  p4.add(voteButton); // add voteButton to p4
  p3.add("South",p4); // add p4 to p3
  
  showLabel=new Label ("Voting results: ");
  p1.add("South",showLabel);
  showLabel.setFont(new Font("Reporter No.2",Font.PLAIN,25));
  //p3.add("North",p2); already adding p2 to p1, so this does nothing...
  p1.add("Center",p2);
  add(p1);
  add(p3);
 

}//END init()
}

Here, what I did was first fix the GridLayout to have just one column, second was to create a new Panel to add our button so that the button does not stretch out to fill out the bottom of the applet...

And last, since we already are adding Panel p2 to Panel p1, there is no need to add it to p3. The reason is that when p2 to p3, then adding p2 to p1, p2 get removed from p3 since it can't be two places at once...

So while a little difficult, once you get to know it, it get's easier...

I myself am still learning... but am having fun doing it...

[Alisha Burke]

Hi Liam....

So how do i get the vote button to be just below the textfield/label (that was my main problem actually)....and using the code that you gave me how come the textfields becomes large when i maximize the window(is it suppose to be that way?)

thx

[Liam Tiarnach]

Originally posted by Alisha Burke:
Hi Liam....

So how do i get the vote button to be just below the textfield/label (that was my main problem actually)....and using the code that you gave me how come the textfields becomes large when i maximize the window(is it suppose to be that way?)

thx

The reason is that p2 uses a GridLayout, so all components end up being the same size and also fills out each of thier cells in the grid...

As for a possible solution, you can move the button to be in the same panel as your text fields, and you can also use GridBagLayout with GridBagConstraint classes to have more control over your components in panel2... This is a very simple example, but it will give you the idea...

import java.awt.*;//FOR GRAPHICS CLASS
import java.applet.*;//FOR APPLET CLASS
 
 
public class Apanel2 extends Applet  {
 
Label loveLabel;  //Top Label
Label girlsLabel;  //Middle Label 
Label guysLabel;  //Middle Label 
Label showLabel; //Bottom Label for voting results
 
 

TextField girlsField;
TextField guysField;
 
Button voteButton;
 
Panel p1;
Panel p2;
Panel p3;
Panel p4; // panel to add our voteButton
GridBagLayout gbly;
GridBagConstraints gbcts;
Insets ins;
int gbcRELATIVE = GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE;
int gbcREMAINDER = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER;
int gbcCENTER = GridBagConstraints.CENTER;
int gbcNONE = GridBagConstraints.NONE;
 
 //INITIALIZE APPLET
 public void init() {
 setLayout(new GridLayout(2,1,2,2));
  p1 = new Panel ();
  p1.setLayout(new BorderLayout(25,25));
  p2 = new Panel ();
  ins = new Insets(0,0,0,0);
  gbcts = new GridBagConstraints(gbcRELATIVE,gbcRELATIVE ,gbcREMAINDER,10,0.0,1.0,
                                    gbcCENTER,gbcNONE,ins,0,0);
  gbly = new GridBagLayout();
 
  p2.setLayout(gbly);
  p3 = new Panel ();
  p3.setLayout(new BorderLayout(25,25));
 
  loveLabel=new Label ("LOVE VOTE");
 
  p1.add("North",loveLabel);
  loveLabel.setFont(new Font("Peignot Demi",Font.BOLD,14));
  
  girlsLabel=new Label ("Do you love him?  ");
  gbly.setConstraints(girlsLabel,gbcts);
  p2.add(girlsLabel);
  girlsLabel.setFont(new Font("Copperplate Gothic 30AB",Font.BOLD,14));
  
  girlsField=new TextField(9);
  gbly.setConstraints(girlsField,gbcts);
  p2.add(girlsField);
  
  guysLabel=new Label ("Do you love her?  ");
  gbly.setConstraints(guysLabel,gbcts);
  p2.add(guysLabel);
  guysLabel.setFont(new Font("Peignot Demi",Font.BOLD,14));
 
  guysField=new TextField(9);
  gbly.setConstraints(guysField,gbcts);
  p2.add(guysField);
 
  voteButton=new Button ("Vote");
  gbly.setConstraints(voteButton,gbcts);
  p2.add(voteButton);
  
  showLabel=new Label ("Voting results: ");
  p1.add("South",showLabel);
  showLabel.setFont(new Font("Reporter No.2",Font.PLAIN,25));
  //p3.add("North",p2); already adding p2 to p1, so this does nothing...
  p1.add("Center",p2);
  add(p1);
  add(p3);
 

}//END init()
}

here is used one setting for GridBagConstraints for all components in Panel p2 which is the reason that I did not use the no-arguement constructor for GridBagConstraints...
If you desire, you can change the constraints for each individual component as necessary...

for more info on using GridBagLayout check out this link...
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/layout/gridbag.html

it will give more info on customizing constraints for individual components...

have fun...