Help with creating a panel?

[Dwayne Barsotta]

How can I design a scrollable panel as a separate file or entity using Eclipse windowsbuilder?  I have a tabbed pane.  The first tab is generic and is automatic when the window is open.  When the window is called it will be passed an object.  That object will contain several other objects.  There will be a list of a specific object.  The window will iterate and build a tab and add it to the tabbed pane.  Since there is no actual max of tabs (theoretically).

I tried doing it through "New" -> "Other" -> "JPane" but then realized I needed a panel not a pane to add a tab.

Have an idea how to do it in code but honestly, I suck at layout and GUI with code.  I would much rather build it with windowbuilder then modify the code later to populate the components.  I was hoping I could have a separate java file with the Jpane in it and call it as I need it.  Right now I am going to build a second tab to the tabbed pane, design it as I need it then, copy and paste the code into a seperate method.  then use a foreach loop to iterate the list and build add the panel.

Just for background; the application is a Repair Shop technicians management software.  It will allow the technician to monitor, manage and complete tasks all in one organized place.  I have been a technician for 20+ years, I have yet to see a program that fits the needs.  Most of the 3rd party software are written by non-technicians.  I feel as having expert knowledge in the field I probably could do a better job (feature wise).  I'm not saying the guys who wrote the ones I have seen are bad, but they are given direction from shop managers who themselves don't know either!

With the background in mind, I have the main program that contains the RepairOrder (RO) object (basically, when the vehicle is brought in an RO is made to document and trace the repairs from customer drop off to billing.  An RO can have an unlimited number of complaints. For example C1 - Engine noise, C2 - Wipers INOP, C3-DOT insspection.  Since each complaint themselves have several different components (Description, technician assigned, date opened, customer, tech diagnostics, tech recommended repairs, warranty/customer pay, SRT's and values for estimate, SRT's and values for final bill, Final repair storey and a lot of other things) I decided the complaint should also be its own object.  Since each RO can have multiple complaints I need a way to build a tab in code for each complaint!

As I said I would love to have a seperate JPanel file in the program structure, that I design with windowbuilder.

Just had a thought.  As I said earlier can I design the tab in the RO window with windowbuilder --> Then create a pnlComplaint.java file in the program structure --> Copy and paste the code from the RO tab to pnlComplaint.java --> use code like below to add the new panel?

         for(complaint com: Complaints){
                  JPanel complaint = new pnlComplaint(objComplaint);
                  tabbedPane.addTab(complaint.getLineNumber, null, complaint, null);
}

On that note I would like each complaint panel to have a sperate name not all of them:
              JPanel complaint = new pnlComplaint(objComplaint);

Since I am using a list of Complaints could I possible use:

         for(complaint com: Complaints){
                  JPanel com.getNumber() = new pnlComplaint(objComplaint);
                  tabbedPane.addTab(com.getNumber(), null, complaint, null);
}

After all the name "complaint" in the line "JPanel complaint = new pnlComplaint(objComplaint);" is just a String data type at this point right? So as long as com.getNumer returns a string like "One". then it should work???

Any suggestions on better ways to solve any this will be appreciated.  I am about to start doing some testing myself!

Thank You All  

[Dwayne Barsotta]

I found a way to do it,  But is this the most effective?  Can anyone suggest a better one??  I am guessing I could move the "addTab(Person per)" to another class, import that class and get same result  but that would be ludicrous unless I had a ton of different things to do that was similar.

For the test project I borrowed a "Person" class from my main project (keep in mind it's. not done yet, it is just operational):

package test;

public class Person {
	private String firstName;
	private String lastName;
	private String phoneNumber;
	private String email;
	private String position;
	//private Customer company;
	
	public Person() {
		super();
	}
	
	public Person(String firstName, String lastName, String phoneNumber, String email, String position) {
		super();
		this.firstName = firstName;
		this.lastName = lastName;
		this.phoneNumber = phoneNumber;
		this.email = email;
		this.position = position;
		//this.company = company;
	}

	public Person(String firstName, String lastName) {
		super();
		this.firstName = firstName;
		this.lastName = lastName;
	}

	public String getFirstName() {
		return firstName;
	}

	public void setFirstName(String firstName) {
		this.firstName = firstName;
	}

	public String getLastName() {
		return lastName;
	}

	public void setLastName(String lastName) {
		this.lastName = lastName;
	}

	public String getPhoneNumber() {
		return phoneNumber;
	}

	public void setPhoneNumber(String phoneNumber) {
		this.phoneNumber = phoneNumber;
	}

	public String getEmail() {
		return email;
	}

	public void setEmail(String email) {
		this.email = email;
	}

	public String getPosition() {
		return position;
	}

	public void setPosition(String position) {
		this.position = position;
	}

Now for the code that makes the window and adds the tabs.  The final will loop through a list, Not make each object "Person here" individually.  Also I wrote it fast the code maybe a little diry.  Please critique away if you want!

package test;

import java.awt.EventQueue;

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.border.EmptyBorder;
import net.miginfocom.swing.MigLayout;
import javax.swing.JTabbedPane;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import java.awt.Font;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;

public class TestingMain extends JFrame {

	private JPanel contentPane;
	private JTextField txtFName;
	private JTextField txtLName;
	private JTextField txtPhone;
	private JTextField txtEmail;
	private JTextField txtPosition;
	private Person MikeGeorge = new Person("Mike","George","123-123-1234","[e-mail]","Owner");
	private Person RachelHurt = new Person("Rachel","Hurt","123-123-1234","[e-mail]","Owner Wife");
	private Person ToddBrown = new Person("Todd","Brown","123-123-1234","[e-mail]","Technician");
	private Person BellaHurt = new Person("Bella","Hurt","123-123-1234","[e-mail]","Dog");

	/**
	 * Launch the application.
	 */
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
			public void run() {
				try {
					TestingMain frame = new TestingMain();
					frame.setVisible(true);
				} catch (Exception e) {
					e.printStackTrace();
				}
			}
		});
	}

	/**
	 * Create the frame.
	 */
	public TestingMain() {
		setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
		setBounds(100, 100, 522, 417);
		contentPane = new JPanel();
		contentPane.setBorder(new EmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5));
		setContentPane(contentPane);
		contentPane.setLayout(new MigLayout("", "[grow]", "[grow]"));
		
		JTabbedPane tabbedPane = new JTabbedPane(JTabbedPane.TOP);
		contentPane.add(tabbedPane, "cell 0 0,grow");
		
		JPanel First = new JPanel();
		tabbedPane.addTab("testing", null, First, null);
		tabbedPane.addTab(MikeGeorge.getFirstName() + " " +MikeGeorge.getFirstName(), null, addTab(MikeGeorge), null);
		tabbedPane.addTab(RachelHurt.getFirstName() + " " +RachelHurt.getFirstName(), null, addTab(RachelHurt), null);
		tabbedPane.addTab(ToddBrown.getFirstName() + " " +ToddBrown.getFirstName(), null, addTab(ToddBrown), null);
		tabbedPane.addTab(BellaHurt.getFirstName() + " " +BellaHurt.getFirstName(), null, addTab(BellaHurt), null);
		
		
		
		
	}
	//returns a scrollpane to add as a tab
	public JScrollPane addTab(Person per){
		
		JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane();
		JPanel pnlPerson = new JPanel();
		scrollPane.setViewportView(pnlPerson);
		pnlPerson.setLayout(new MigLayout("", "[][][grow]", "[][][][][][][][][]"));
		
		JLabel lblFirstName = new JLabel("First Name:");
		lblFirstName.setFont(new Font("AR ESSENCE", Font.PLAIN, 15));
		pnlPerson.add(lblFirstName, "cell 1 0,alignx trailing");
		
		txtFName = new JTextField();
		txtFName.setText(per.getFirstName());
		pnlPerson.add(txtFName, "cell 2 0,growx,aligny top");
		txtFName.setColumns(10);
		
		JLabel lblNewLabel = new JLabel("Last Name:");
		lblNewLabel.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.PLAIN, 13));
		pnlPerson.add(lblNewLabel, "cell 1 2,alignx trailing");
		
		txtLName = new JTextField();
		txtLName.setText(per.getLastName());
		pnlPerson.add(txtLName, "cell 2 2,growx");
		txtLName.setColumns(10);
		
		JLabel lblNewLabel_1 = new JLabel("Phone:");
		lblNewLabel_1.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.PLAIN, 13));
		pnlPerson.add(lblNewLabel_1, "cell 1 4,alignx trailing");
		
		txtPhone = new JTextField();
		txtPhone.setText(per.getPhoneNumber());
		pnlPerson.add(txtPhone, "cell 2 4,growx,aligny top");
		txtPhone.setColumns(10);
		
		JLabel lblEmail = new JLabel("Email:");
		lblEmail.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.PLAIN, 13));
		pnlPerson.add(lblEmail, "cell 1 6,alignx trailing");
		
		txtEmail = new JTextField();
		txtEmail.setText(per.getEmail());
		pnlPerson.add(txtEmail, "cell 2 6,growx");
		txtEmail.setColumns(10);
		
		JLabel lblPosition = new JLabel("Position:");
		lblPosition.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.PLAIN, 13));
		pnlPerson.add(lblPosition, "cell 1 8,alignx trailing");
		
		txtPosition = new JTextField();
		txtPosition.setText(per.getPosition());
		pnlPerson.add(txtPosition, "cell 2 8,growx,aligny top");
		txtPosition.setColumns(10);
		
		return scrollPane; 
	}
	
	

}

PLEASE if there is an easier way I am missing, please advise.  Also even though I wrote this in bed, after taking pills and being yelled at by the wife.  I know the code maybe messy or against "best practice".   If you feel so - point it out.  That way if there is something I didn't actually know I can fix it.

Thank You all.....  BTW I have shoulders like a tout all the shit/shad you send slips off so say as you wish in the name of helping a newby!!!

[Campbell Ritchie]

Dwayne Barsotta wrote:. . . Eclipse windowsbuilder? . . . I tried doing it through "New" -> "Other" -> "JPane" . . . I suck at layout and GUI with code.  I would much rather build it with windowbuilder  . . .

Unfortunately that is exactly what you shouldn't do. You shou‍ld get used to writing your own code because that is the only way you will learn anything.
Please explain how much of that code you wrote and how much was generated automatically.
There is no such thing as a scrollable panel. There is scrolling and there are panels. Fortunately, it is quite easy to create a scrolling pane and add a panel to it. Start reading here in the Java™ Tutorials.

But if you are feeling ill, don't do anything until you get better. And get better soon

[Dwayne Barsotta]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:Unfortunately that is exactly what you shouldn't do. You shou‍ld get used to writing your own code because that is the only way you will learn anything.
Please explain how much of that code you wrote and how much was generated automatically.
There is no such thing as a scrollable panel. There is scrolling and there are panels. Fortunately, it is quite easy to create a scrolling pane and add a panel to it. Start reading here in the Java™ Tutorials.

But if you are feeling ill, don't do anything until you get better. And get better soon

I do totally agree that I should learn it by hand coding it.  I have a few issues.  First the company I work for as a technician does not have anything like what I'm working on.  So this project, even though it is a learning process does have a practical end point (at least for me).  GUI design is not my strong suit to start with.  Let alone doing it blind through code.  For this reason I have been doing this project through windowbuilder.  I have another (a lot smaller) project in mind next that I totally intend to concentrate on pure code designing.

On that note, my second set of code above actually did work.  Unless I can find another way of it that is better.  I did how ever get the idea of panel and pane reversed.