import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class Calculator extends JFrame implements ActionListener{
JButton[] nums;
JButton eq, mult, div, clr, clrEnt, sub, add, dot;
JTextArea txtArea = new JTextArea();
public Calculator() {
super("Calculator");
setVisible(true);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
JPanel pane = new JPanel(new GridLayout(6, 1, 0, 5));
add(pane);
JPanel paneSecond = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5));
JPanel paneThird = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5));
JPanel paneFourth = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5));
JPanel paneFifth = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5));
JPanel paneSixth = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5));
JPanel paneSeventh = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 3, 5, 5));
nums = new JButton[11];
//add = new JButton();
addOpButton(eq, "=");
addOpButton(mult, "x");
addOpButton(div, "/");
addOpButton(clr, "C");
addOpButton(clrEnt, "CE");
addOpButton(sub, "-");
addOpButton(add, "+");
addOpButton(dot, ".");
for (int i = 0; i < nums.length; i++) {
nums[i] = new JButton("" + i);
nums[i].setActionCommand(nums[i].toString());
nums[i].addActionListener(this);
}
addPanel(paneSecond, 1, 4);
addPanel(paneThird, 4, 7);
addPanel(paneFourth, 7, 10);
//addButtons(paneFifth, add, nums[0], sub);
pane.add(paneSecond);
pane.add(paneThird);
pane.add(paneFourth);
pane.add(paneFifth);
pane.add(paneSixth);
pane.add(paneSeventh);
pack();
}
void addPanel(JComponent pane, int start, int condition) {
for (int i = start; i < condition; i++) {
pane.add(nums[i]);
}
}
void addButtons(JComponent pane, JButton btn1, JButton btn2, JButton btn3) {
pane.add(btn1);
pane.add(btn2);
pane.add(btn3);
}
void addOpButton(JButton btn, String op) {
btn = new JButton(op);
btn.setActionCommand(op);
btn.addActionListener(this);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Calculator calc = new Calculator();
}
}
In the addOpButton method none of my buttons are being initialized. I am not sure why though. The string is being passed and used but not the button. Even after initializing one of the buttons (the "add" button in the constructor with the removal of the comment) the button is still null in the method. I cannot figure out why. Any help is appreciated.
Java is "pass by value". That means that if you try to pass a reference, the reference is copied and then passed.
In practices this means that the btn parameter you give to addOpButton is a copy, and the other copy is held by whoever called the method. When you then do btn = new you're assigning something to the copy, giving it a command and an actionlistener, and then it's discarded. The caller still has a reference to his own copy.
Related
I'm new to using Java Swing and am looking to produce a GUI that resembles something like this:
I am pretty close but having an issue where a JLabel pushes up on the grid design like so:
How can I avoid this happening? I place the grid into a GridBagLayout panel and the JLabel into another GridBag panel(plan on putting a JToolbar here too), then add them to the main frame.
GridBagLayout tileLayout = new GridBagLayout();
GridBagConstraints tileLayoutConstraints = new GridBagConstraints();
JPanel tilePanel = new JPanel(tileLayout);
JPanel selectionPanel = new JPanel(tileLayout);
TileButton[][] tileAccessMatrix = new TileButton[4][4];
public BoardUILayer() {
setSize(1920, 1080);
buildBoardTiles();
buildResourcePrompt();
add(selectionPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
add(tilePanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
}
private void buildBoardTiles() {
for (int r = 0; r < tileAccessMatrix.length; r++) {
for (int c = 0; c < tileAccessMatrix[r].length; c++) {
TileButton temp = new TileButton(r, c);
tileAccessMatrix[r][c] = temp;
tileLayoutConstraints.ipadx = 115;
tileLayoutConstraints.ipady = 115;
tileLayoutConstraints.gridx = r;
tileLayoutConstraints.gridy = c;
temp.addActionListener(temp);
tilePanel.add(temp, tileLayoutConstraints);
}
}
}
public void buildResourcePrompt() {
final JLabel resourceTextLabel = new JLabel("What resource would you like?");
tileLayoutConstraints.ipadx = 0;
tileLayoutConstraints.ipady = 400;
tileLayoutConstraints.gridx = 50;
tileLayoutConstraints.gridy = 50;
selectionPanel.add(resourceTextLabel, tileLayoutConstraints);
}
I created a GUI based on your drawing. This was one of the most complex GUI's I have ever created in Swing. The challenge was keeping the JButton sizes constant.
Maybe a MigLayout would work better for you.
Oracle has a helpful tutorial, Creating a GUI With Swing. Skip the Netbeans section.
I created 11 inner JPanels to construct this GUI.
JFrame
main JPanel
inner JPanel
turnButton JPanel
turn JPanel
buttonGrid JPanel
resource JPanel
resourceLabel JPanel
resourceButton JPanel
manual JPanel
outerEastButton JPanel
eastButton JPanel
Here's the complete runnable code.
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
public class RandomGameView implements Runnable {
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new RandomGameView());
}
#Override
public void run() {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Random Game");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.add(createMainPanel(), BorderLayout.CENTER);
frame.add(createManualPanel(), BorderLayout.EAST);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
private JPanel createMainPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
JPanel upperPanel = createTurnButtonPanel();
JPanel lowerPanel = createResourcePanel();
JPanel innerPanel = createUpperPanel(upperPanel, lowerPanel);
panel.add(innerPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
panel.add(lowerPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createUpperPanel(JPanel upperPanel, JPanel lowerPanel) {
Dimension upperSize = upperPanel.getPreferredSize();
Dimension lowerSize = lowerPanel.getPreferredSize();
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER, 0, 0));
int difference = lowerSize.width - upperSize.width;
int left = difference / 2;
int right = difference - left;
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(0, left, 0, right));
panel.add(upperPanel);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createTurnButtonPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
panel.add(createTurnPanel(), BorderLayout.NORTH);
panel.add(createButtonGrid(), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createTurnPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout());
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5));
Font font = panel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, 36f);
JLabel playerLabel = new JLabel("Player's Turn");
playerLabel.setFont(font);
panel.add(playerLabel);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createButtonGrid() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 4, 2, 2));
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(2, 2, 2, 2));
JButton[] buttonArray = new JButton[16];
Dimension buttonSize = new Dimension(100, 100);
for (int index = 0; index < buttonArray.length; index++) {
buttonArray[index] = new JButton("Empty");
buttonArray[index].setPreferredSize(buttonSize);
panel.add(buttonArray[index]);
}
return panel;
}
private JPanel createResourcePanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
panel.add(createResourceLabelPanel(), BorderLayout.NORTH);
panel.add(createResourceButtonPanel(), BorderLayout.CENTER);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createResourceLabelPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout());
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5));
Font font = panel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, 36f);
JLabel label = new JLabel("Select a Resource");
label.setFont(font);
panel.add(label);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createResourceButtonPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER, 30, 5));
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5));
JButton[] resourceButton = new JButton[5];
Dimension buttonSize = new Dimension(100, 100);
for (int index = 0; index < resourceButton.length; index++) {
resourceButton[index] = new JButton("Empty");
resourceButton[index].setPreferredSize(buttonSize);
panel.add(resourceButton[index]);
}
return panel;
}
private JPanel createManualPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(10, 20, 300, 20));
Font font = panel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, 36f);
JLabel label = new JLabel("Manual");
label.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
label.setFont(font);
panel.add(label, BorderLayout.NORTH);
JTextArea textArea = new JTextArea(5, 20);
panel.add(textArea, BorderLayout.CENTER);
JPanel eastButtonPanel = createEastButtonPanel();
JPanel innerPanel = createOuterEastButtonPanel(textArea, eastButtonPanel);
panel.add(innerPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createOuterEastButtonPanel(JTextArea textArea,
JPanel eastButtonPanel) {
Dimension eastButtonPanelSize = eastButtonPanel.getPreferredSize();
Dimension textAreaSize = textArea.getPreferredSize();
int difference = textAreaSize.width = eastButtonPanelSize.width;
int left = difference / 2;
int right = difference - left;
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER, 0, 0));
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(0, left, 0, right));
panel.add(eastButtonPanel);
return panel;
}
private JPanel createEastButtonPanel() {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 2, 2, 2));
panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(2, 2, 2, 2));
JButton[] resourceButton = new JButton[4];
Dimension buttonSize = new Dimension(50, 50);
for (int index = 0; index < resourceButton.length; index++) {
resourceButton[index] = new JButton();
resourceButton[index].setPreferredSize(buttonSize);
panel.add(resourceButton[index]);
}
return panel;
}
}
You can do it with MigLayout and multiple JPanel.
MigLayout is very easy to use.
Firstly, create a JPanel and add your components to that JPanel.
Secondly, create another JPanel and add your other components to that JPanel.
MigLayout has rows and columns.
new MigLayout("","[][][]"/*for ex: 3 columns*/,"[][]" /*for ex 2 rows*/)
this.add(aComponent, "cell 2 1" /*for ex: that component added to third column and second row.*/);
For more information: http://www.miglayout.com/whitepaper.html
Why GridLayot not working in Swing Java?
I need to place element at concrete cell, but they placing wrong (picture)
How to place elements to concrete cell in Java Swing with grid layout?
My code:
package com.KvaksManYT;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
public class GUI extends JFrame {
public GUI() {
super("Test");
setBounds(100, 100, 250, 100);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
Container container = this.getContentPane();
container.setLayout(new GridLayout(3, 2, 2, 2));
container.add(but1, onPosition(1, 2));
container.add(but2, onPosition(2, 2));
container.add(but3, onPosition(1, 1));
container.add(but4, onPosition(2, 1));
}
private JButton but1 = new JButton("Press 1");
private JButton but2 = new JButton("Press 2");
private JButton but3 = new JButton("Press 3");
private JButton but4 = new JButton("Press 4");
private GridBagConstraints onPosition(int x, int y) {
GridBagConstraints layConstraints = new GridBagConstraints();
layConstraints.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
layConstraints.gridx = x;
layConstraints.gridy = y;
return layConstraints;
}
}
The GridBagConstraints is used for Grid Bag Layout, rather than Grid Layout.
You have to start counting at 0 too:
public class GUI extends JFrame {
public GUI() {
super("Test");
setBounds(100, 100, 250, 100);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
GridBagConstraints layConstraints = new GridBagConstraints();
layConstraints.fill = GridBagConstraints.NONE;
layConstraints.insets = new Insets(3, 2, 2, 2);
Container container = this.getContentPane();
container.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
container.add(but1, onPosition(0, 1, layConstraints));
container.add(but2, onPosition(1, 1, layConstraints));
container.add(but3, onPosition(0, 0, layConstraints));
container.add(but4, onPosition(1, 0, layConstraints));
}
Hi I am creating a hangman game with GUI in Java and I had a problem when I added the JButtons for the letters to the GUI because they were not appearing. Not sure why. The code where I start adding the buttons is in the is in the GamePanel class and the Game, GameWord, GameMain and GameFrame classes and parts of the GamePanel class are not shown because they are not needed to understand and answer the question.
GamePanel class:
//some imports were omitted because they are irrelevant to the post
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JButton;
public class GamePanel extends JPanel implements ActionListener
{
//some declarations were omitted because they are irrelevant to the post
private JButton a;
private JButton b;
private JButton c;
private JButton d;
private JButton e;
private JButton f;
private JButton g;
private JButton h;
private JButton i;
private JButton j;
private JButton k;
private JButton l;
private JButton m;
private JButton n;
private JButton o;
private JButton p;
private JButton q;
private JButton r;
private JButton s;
private JButton t;
private JButton u;
private JButton v;
private JButton w;
private JButton x;
private JButton y;
private JButton z;
public GamePanel(Game aGame)
{
// certain initialization's were omitted because they are irrelevant
this.addLetters();
}
public void paint(Graphics g)
{
//paint code goes here some parts were omitted as they are irrelevant to the post
repaint();
}
public void addLetters()
{
a = new JButton("A");
b = new JButton("B");
c = new JButton("C");
d = new JButton("D");
e = new JButton("E");
f = new JButton("F");
g = new JButton("G");
h = new JButton("H");
i = new JButton("I");
j = new JButton("J");
k = new JButton("K");
l = new JButton("L");
m = new JButton("M");
n = new JButton("N");
o = new JButton("O");
p = new JButton("P");
q = new JButton("Q");
r = new JButton("R");
s = new JButton("S");
t = new JButton("T");
u = new JButton("U");
v = new JButton("V");
w = new JButton("W");
x = new JButton("X");
y = new JButton("Y");
z = new JButton("Z");
a.addActionListener(this);
b.addActionListener(this);
c.addActionListener(this);
d.addActionListener(this);
e.addActionListener(this);
f.addActionListener(this);
g.addActionListener(this);
h.addActionListener(this);
i.addActionListener(this);
j.addActionListener(this);
k.addActionListener(this);
l.addActionListener(this);
m.addActionListener(this);
n.addActionListener(this);
o.addActionListener(this);
p.addActionListener(this);
q.addActionListener(this);
r.addActionListener(this);
s.addActionListener(this);
t.addActionListener(this);
u.addActionListener(this);
v.addActionListener(this);
w.addActionListener(this);
x.addActionListener(this);
y.addActionListener(this);
z.addActionListener(this);
a.setBounds(340, 250, 5, 5);
b.setBounds(350, 250, 5, 5);
c.setBounds(360, 250, 5, 5);
d.setBounds(370, 250, 5, 5);
e.setBounds(380, 250, 5, 5);
f.setBounds(390, 250, 5, 5);
g.setBounds(400, 250, 5, 5);
h.setBounds(410, 250, 5, 5);
i.setBounds(420, 250, 5, 5);
j.setBounds(430, 250, 5, 5);
k.setBounds(440, 250, 5, 5);
l.setBounds(450, 250, 5, 5);
m.setBounds(460, 250, 5, 5);
n.setBounds(340, 350, 5, 5);
o.setBounds(350, 350, 5, 5);
p.setBounds(360, 350, 5, 5);
q.setBounds(370, 350, 5, 5);
r.setBounds(380, 350, 5, 5);
s.setBounds(390, 350, 5, 5);
t.setBounds(400, 350, 5, 5);
u.setBounds(410, 350, 5, 5);
v.setBounds(420, 350, 5, 5);
w.setBounds(430, 350, 5, 5);
x.setBounds(440, 350, 5, 5);
y.setBounds(450, 350, 5, 5);
z.setBounds(460, 350, 5, 5);
a.setVisible(true);
b.setVisible(true);
c.setVisible(true);
d.setVisible(true);
e.setVisible(true);
f.setVisible(true);
g.setVisible(true);
h.setVisible(true);
i.setVisible(true);
j.setVisible(true);
k.setVisible(true);
l.setVisible(true);
m.setVisible(true);
n.setVisible(true);
o.setVisible(true);
p.setVisible(true);
q.setVisible(true);
r.setVisible(true);
s.setVisible(true);
t.setVisible(true);
u.setVisible(true);
v.setVisible(true);
w.setVisible(true);
x.setVisible(true);
y.setVisible(true);
z.setVisible(true);
this.add(a);
this.add(b);
this.add(c);
this.add(d);
this.add(e);
this.add(f);
this.add(g);
this.add(h);
this.add(i);
this.add(j);
this.add(k);
this.add(l);
this.add(m);
this.add(n);
this.add(o);
this.add(p);
this.add(q);
this.add(r);
this.add(s);
this.add(t);
this.add(u);
this.add(v);
this.add(w);
this.add(x);
this.add(y);
this.add(z);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
//actionPerformed code omitted because it is irrelevant
}
}
(Not actually an answer; just to show you how much easier it is to implement the existing logic with a loop)
int x = 340;
for (char c = 'A'; c <= 'Z'; ++c, x += 10) {
JButton button = new JButton(Character.toString(c));
final char lower = Character.toLowercase(c);
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
game.checkGuess(lower);
}
});
button.setBounds(x, 250, 5, 5);
button.setVisible(true);
this.add(button);
}
Note that I have defined an anonymous per-button ActionListener, so there is no need to keep the references to the buttons in an array.
I figured it out you must call super.paint(g); it order to make the buttons appear and than in void addLetters() you must call this.setLayout(null); which will allow you to set the size and location of the button. I also added the buttons via a loop to get rid of unnecessary repetition. my paint() and addLetters() methods are below
paint() method
/**
* paint the graphics to the screen
*/
public void paint(Graphics g)
{
//paint code goes here some parts were omitted as they are irrelevant to the post
super.paint(g);
repaint();
}
addLetters() method
/**
* add the letter buttons to the screen
*/
public void addLetters()
{
int x = (this.getWidth()/2)-60;
int y = 300;
int btnSize =20;
int btnsAdded = 0;
for (Character c : game.getAlphabet())
{
this.setLayout(null);
JButton letter = new JButton(Character.toString(c).toUpperCase());
letter.setLayout(null);
letter.setSize(btnSize, btnSize);
letter.setLocation(x,y);
letter.setFont(new Font("Calibri",Font.PLAIN,10));
letter.setMargin(new Insets(0,0,0,0));
letter.setVisible(true);
this.add(letter);
char guess = Character.toLowerCase(c);
letter.addActionListener(new ActionListener()
{
#Override public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
//actionPerformed code omitted because it is irrelevant
}
});
x += 25;
btnsAdded++;
if(btnsAdded == 13)
{
x=(this.getWidth()/2)-60;
y+=50;
}
}
}
I second what Andy Turner mentioned in comment: your code has much unnecessary repetition because you are not using arrays and/or collections such as ArrayLists, but as he noted, that's not the cause of your trouble.
One problem is that you're using setBounds(...) on components but forgetting that layout managers usually ignore bounds, location and size properties. Remember that JPanels use FlowLayout by default and so will place and size components based on this layout manager and the component's preferred size and will ignore your bounds. One solution is to use null layouts, but this leads to ugly GUI's that look terrible on all but one platform and are difficult to debug and maintain. No, learn to use and then use the layout managers. Remember that you can nest JPanels, each using its own layout and thereby achieve complex layouts with simple layout managers.
Also you're overriding JPanel's paint method but not calling the super's method, something that can cause serious side effects. Instead override paintComponent, not paint, and call the super's method in your override.
Note on testing your code, calling super.paint(g); as the first line of the paint method showed the buttons, though in the wrong place.
Note that rather than painting directly on the JPanel, one option instead is to create BufferedImages with your hangman on it, create ImageIcons of the images, and then draw them in a JLabel by calling setIcon(...) on the JLabel.
For example you could hold the buttons in a GridLayout-using JPanel:
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import javax.swing.*;
public class Hangman2 extends JPanel {
private static final int GAP = 5;
// best to create ImageIcons where you draw your Hangman in, and
// then display it in a JLabel by calling setIcon(...) on the label.
private JLabel imageLabel = new JLabel();
private List<Icon> iconList = createIcons();
public Hangman2() {
JLabel titleLabel = new JLabel("Welcome to Hangman", SwingConstants.CENTER);
titleLabel.setFont(titleLabel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, 40f));
JPanel buttonPanel = createButtonPanel();
setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(GAP, GAP, GAP, GAP));
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
add(titleLabel, BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.PAGE_END);
// placeholder component just to show something in the center of the GUI
add(Box.createRigidArea(new Dimension(200, 200)), BorderLayout.CENTER);
}
private List<Icon> createIcons() {
List<Icon> iconList = new ArrayList<>();
// TODO: create hangman drawing icons and place into array
return iconList;
}
private JPanel createButtonPanel() {
int rows = 2;
int cols = 16;
JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(rows, cols, GAP, GAP));
// number of empty JLabels in the beginning and end of the bottom row
int labelCount = (2 * 16 - ('Z' - 'A' + 1)) / 2;
for (char c = 'A'; c <= 'Z'; c++) {
if (c - 'A' == cols) { // at 2nd row, add empty JLabels
for (int i = 0; i < labelCount; i++) {
buttonPanel.add(new JLabel());
}
}
JButton button = new JButton("" + c);
buttonPanel.add(button);
}
for (int i = 0; i < labelCount; i++) {
buttonPanel.add(new JLabel());
}
return buttonPanel;
}
private static void createAndShowGui() {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Hangman");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.getContentPane().add(new Hangman2());
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> createAndShowGui());
}
}
A GUI with no white space appears 'crowded'. How can I provide white space without resorting to explicitly setting the position or size of components?
Using various LayoutManagers one can provide spacing between various components.
1.) BorderLayout :
Overloaded Constructor : BorderLayout(int horizontalGap, int verticalGap)
Getter and setter methods
For Horizontal Spacing : BorderLayout.getHgap() and BorderLayout.setHgap(int hgap)
For Vertical Spacing : BorderLayout.getVgap() and BorderLayout.setVgap()
2.) FlowLayout :
Overloaded Constructor : FlowLayout(int align, int hgap, int vgap)
Getter and setter methods
For Horizontal Spacing : FlowLayout.getHgap() and FlowLayout.setHgap(int hgap)
For Vertical Spacing : FlowLayout.getVgap() and FlowLayout.setVgap()
3.) GridLayout :
Overloaded Constructor : GridLayout(int rows, int columns, int hgap, int vgap)
Getter and setter methods
For Horizontal Spacing : GridLayout.getHgap() and GridLayout.setHgap(int hgap)
For Vertical Spacing : GridLayout.getVgap() and GridLayout.setVgap()
4.) GridBagLayout :
GridBagConstraints.insets
5.) CardLayout (example) :
CardLayout(int hGap, int vGap)
Example to display all constructors in action :
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class LayoutExample {
private final int hGap = 5;
private final int vGap = 5;
private String[] borderConstraints = {
BorderLayout.PAGE_START,
BorderLayout.LINE_START,
BorderLayout.CENTER,
BorderLayout.LINE_END,
BorderLayout.PAGE_END
};
private JButton[] buttons;
private GridBagConstraints gbc;
private JPanel borderPanel;
private JPanel flowPanel;
private JPanel gridPanel;
private JPanel gridBagPanel;
private JPanel cardPanel;
public LayoutExample() {
buttons = new JButton[16];
gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.FIRST_LINE_START;
gbc.insets = new Insets(hGap, vGap, hGap, vGap);
}
private void displayGUI() {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Layout Example");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
JPanel contentPane = new JPanel(
new GridLayout(0, 1, hGap, vGap));
contentPane.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(hGap, vGap, hGap, vGap));
borderPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout(hGap, vGap));
borderPanel.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("BorderLayout"));
borderPanel.setOpaque(true);
borderPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
buttons[i] = new JButton(borderConstraints[i]);
borderPanel.add(buttons[i], borderConstraints[i]);
}
contentPane.add(borderPanel);
flowPanel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(
FlowLayout.CENTER, hGap, vGap));
flowPanel.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("FlowLayout"));
flowPanel.setOpaque(true);
flowPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
for (int i = 5; i < 8; i++) {
buttons[i] = new JButton(Integer.toString(i));
flowPanel.add(buttons[i]);
}
contentPane.add(flowPanel);
gridPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(2, 2, hGap, vGap));
gridPanel.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("GridLayout"));
gridPanel.setOpaque(true);
gridPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
for (int i = 8; i < 12; i++) {
buttons[i] = new JButton(Integer.toString(i));
gridPanel.add(buttons[i]);
}
contentPane.add(gridPanel);
gridBagPanel = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
gridBagPanel.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("GridBagLayout"));
gridBagPanel.setOpaque(true);
gridBagPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
buttons[12] = new JButton(Integer.toString(12));
addComp(gridBagPanel, buttons[12], 0, 0, 1, 1
, GridBagConstraints.BOTH, 0.33, 0.5);
buttons[13] = new JButton(Integer.toString(13));
addComp(gridBagPanel, buttons[13], 1, 0, 1, 1
, GridBagConstraints.BOTH, 0.33, 0.5);
buttons[14] = new JButton(Integer.toString(14));
addComp(gridBagPanel, buttons[14], 0, 1, 2, 1
, GridBagConstraints.BOTH, 0.66, 0.5);
buttons[15] = new JButton(Integer.toString(15));
addComp(gridBagPanel, buttons[15], 2, 0, 1, 2
, GridBagConstraints.BOTH, 0.33, 1.0);
contentPane.add(gridBagPanel);
cardPanel = new JPanel(new CardLayout(hGap, vGap));
cardPanel.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("CardLayout"));
cardPanel.setOpaque(true);
cardPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
cardPanel.add(getPanel(Color.BLUE));
cardPanel.add(getPanel(Color.GREEN));
contentPane.add(cardPanel);
frame.setContentPane(contentPane);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
private JPanel getPanel(Color bColor) {
JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(
FlowLayout.CENTER, hGap, vGap));
panel.setOpaque(true);
panel.setBackground(bColor.darker().darker());
JButton swapperButton = new JButton("Next");
swapperButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
CardLayout cardLayout = (CardLayout) cardPanel.getLayout();
cardLayout.next(cardPanel);
}
});
panel.add(swapperButton);
return panel;
}
private void addComp(JPanel panel, JComponent comp
, int x, int y, int gWidth
, int gHeight, int fill
, double weightx, double weighty) {
gbc.gridx = x;
gbc.gridy = y;
gbc.gridwidth = gWidth;
gbc.gridheight = gHeight;
gbc.fill = fill;
gbc.weightx = weightx;
gbc.weighty = weighty;
panel.add(comp, gbc);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Runnable runnable = new Runnable(){
#Override
public void run() {
new LayoutExample().displayGUI();
}
};
EventQueue.invokeLater(runnable);
}
}
OUTPUT :
There are a number of ways in a Swing GUI to provide a separation between components, and white space around components:
JToolBar has the methods addSeparator() & addSeparator(Dimension).
JMenu uses a spacing component better suited to menus, available through addSeparator().
But more generally, look to:
The spacing as can be defined in the layout constructors.
Borders.
Here is an example of using the layout separator hGap & vGap values & borders (specifically an EmptyBorder) to provide 'white' (actually shown as red to make it very obvious) space. Adjust the spinners to see the result.
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.border.EmptyBorder;
import javax.swing.event.*;
public class WhiteSpace {
private JPanel gui = null;
private BorderLayout mainLayout =
new BorderLayout(0, 0);
private final FlowLayout buttonLayout =
new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER, 0, 0);
private final JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel(buttonLayout);
private final SpinnerNumberModel hModel =
new SpinnerNumberModel(0, 0, 15, 1);
private final SpinnerNumberModel vModel =
new SpinnerNumberModel(0, 0, 15, 1);
private final SpinnerNumberModel hBorderModel =
new SpinnerNumberModel(0, 0, 15, 1);
private final SpinnerNumberModel vBorderModel =
new SpinnerNumberModel(0, 0, 15, 1);
private ChangeListener changeListener;
public Container getGui() {
if (gui == null) {
gui = new JPanel(mainLayout);
gui.setBackground(Color.RED);
JTree tree = new JTree();
tree.setVisibleRowCount(10);
for (int ii = tree.getRowCount(); ii > -1; ii--) {
tree.expandRow(ii);
}
gui.add(new JScrollPane(
tree,
JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS,
JScrollPane.HORIZONTAL_SCROLLBAR_NEVER),
BorderLayout.LINE_START);
gui.add(new JScrollPane(new JTextArea(10, 30)));
gui.add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
changeListener = (ChangeEvent e) -> {
int hGap = hModel.getNumber().intValue();
int vGap = vModel.getNumber().intValue();
int hBorder = hBorderModel.getNumber().intValue();
int vBorder = vBorderModel.getNumber().intValue();
adjustWhiteSpace(hGap, vGap, hBorder, vBorder);
};
addModel("H Gap", hModel);
addModel("V Gap", vModel);
addModel("H Border", hBorderModel);
addModel("V Border", vBorderModel);
}
return gui;
}
private void addModel(String label, SpinnerNumberModel model) {
buttonPanel.add(new JLabel(label));
final JSpinner spinner = new JSpinner(model);
spinner.addChangeListener(changeListener);
buttonPanel.add(spinner);
}
private void adjustWhiteSpace(
int hGap, int vGap, int hBorder, int vBorder) {
mainLayout.setHgap(hGap);
mainLayout.setVgap(vGap);
buttonLayout.setHgap(hGap);
gui.setBorder(new EmptyBorder
(vBorder, hBorder, vBorder, hBorder));
Container c = gui.getTopLevelAncestor();
if (c instanceof Window) {
Window w = (Window) c;
w.pack();
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Runnable r = () -> {
WhiteSpace ws = new WhiteSpace();
Container gui1 = ws.getGui();
JFrame f = new JFrame("White (OK Red) Space");
f.add(gui1);
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
f.setLocationByPlatform(true);
f.setResizable(false);
f.pack();
f.setVisible(true);
};
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(r);
}
}
When you use BoxLayout, Box.createVerticalGlue() method can help you to make some white space.
Another method is BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(int top, int left, int bottom, int right). It can help you to make some white space around component.
Thanks for Andrew Thompson's remind.I've revised BoxLayout in recent days and I find that Box.createVerticalGlue() can add some white space depend on the panel's size and you can not set the explicit pixel value of the length of white space.But Box.createVerticalStrut() can do that. Here is a MCTaRE and show the effect of those two methods.
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.border.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
public class WhiteSpace extends JFrame{
static WhiteSpace whiteSpace;
DemoPanel demoPanel;
boolean withGlue;
JSpinner spinner;
public WhiteSpace(){
initialWindow();
demoPanel = new DemoPanel();
ActionPanel actionPanel = new ActionPanel();
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
getContentPane().add(actionPanel,BorderLayout.NORTH);
getContentPane().add(demoPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
setVisible(true);
}
public void initialWindow(){
setSize(220, 300);
setTitle("White Space");
setResizable(false);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
//Show the window in the middle of the screen
}
/**
* #param args
*/
public static void main(String[] args) {
Runnable runnable = new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
whiteSpace = new WhiteSpace();
}
};
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(runnable);
}
class DemoPanel extends JPanel{
//Show the vertical white space between label1 and label2
JLabel label1;
JLabel label2;
public void initialDemoPanel(){
setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder(getBorder(), "DemoPanel", TitledBorder.LEADING, TitledBorder.TOP, new Font("Default",Font.PLAIN,10), Color.gray));
setLayout(new BoxLayout(this, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
label1 = new JLabel("This is first line");
label2 = new JLabel("This is second line");
}
public DemoPanel(){
initialDemoPanel();
add(label1);
if(withGlue){
add(Box.createVerticalGlue());
}
add(label2);
}
public DemoPanel(int strutValue){
initialDemoPanel();
add(label1);
add(Box.createVerticalStrut(strutValue));
add(label2);
}
}
class ActionPanel extends JPanel{
public ActionPanel(){
setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder(getBorder(), "ActionPanel", TitledBorder.LEADING, TitledBorder.TOP, new Font("Default",Font.PLAIN,10), Color.gray));
setLayout(new BoxLayout(this,BoxLayout.X_AXIS));
JRadioButton glueButton = new JRadioButton("With Glue");
glueButton.addActionListener(new glueButtonListener());
add(glueButton);
add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
//To create horizontal white space
JLabel strutLabel = new JLabel("Strut Value");
add(strutLabel);
spinner = new JSpinner(new SpinnerNumberModel(0,0,50,1));
spinner.addChangeListener(new spinnerListener());
add(spinner);
//public SpinnerNumberModel(Number value,Comparable minimum,Comparable maximum,Number stepSize)
}
}
class glueButtonListener implements ActionListener{
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
spinner.setValue(new Integer(0));
withGlue = (withGlue == true ? false:true);
whiteSpace.getContentPane().remove(demoPanel);
demoPanel = new DemoPanel();
whiteSpace.getContentPane().add(demoPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
whiteSpace.getContentPane().validate();
}
}
class spinnerListener implements ChangeListener{
#Override
public void stateChanged(ChangeEvent e) {
int strutValue = (Integer) spinner.getValue();
whiteSpace.getContentPane().remove(demoPanel);
demoPanel = new DemoPanel(strutValue);
whiteSpace.getContentPane().add(demoPanel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
whiteSpace.getContentPane().validate();
}
}
}
Box.createHorizontalGlue() and Box.createHorizontalStrut(int height) can be used too. Besides, Box.createRigidArea(Dimension d) has the ability too create white space too.
MigLayout has multiple ways of creating space. (A space is called a gap in this layout.)
Gaps can be created at the highest level with layout constraints, it is possible to
create gaps between rows and column and gaps can be also set between individual
components with component constraints. There are also specific gaps around the borders
of a container called insets which have their own specific keyword to be set.
The following example creates all these kinds of gaps:
package com.zetcode;
import java.awt.EventQueue;
import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import net.miginfocom.swing.MigLayout;
public class MigLayoutGaps2 extends JFrame {
public MigLayoutGaps2() {
initUI();
setTitle("Gaps");
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
}
private void initUI() {
JPanel base = new JPanel(new MigLayout("flowy, ins 30, gap 15"));
setContentPane(base);
JPanel pnl1 = new JPanel();
pnl1.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Grid gaps")
);
pnl1.setLayout(new MigLayout("gap 5 5, ins 10, wrap 3"));
pnl1.add(new JButton("1"));
pnl1.add(new JButton("2"));
pnl1.add(new JButton("3"));
pnl1.add(new JButton("4"));
pnl1.add(new JButton("5"));
pnl1.add(new JButton("6"));
JPanel pnl2 = new JPanel();
pnl2.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Column gaps")
);
pnl2.setLayout(new MigLayout("wrap 3", "[]10[]"));
JLabel lbl1 = new JLabel();
lbl1.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()
);
JLabel lbl2 = new JLabel();
lbl2.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()
);
JLabel lbl3 = new JLabel();
lbl3.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()
);
pnl2.add(lbl1, "w 40, h 110");
pnl2.add(lbl2, "w 40, h 110");
pnl2.add(lbl3, "w 40, h 110");
JPanel pnl3 = new JPanel();
pnl3.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Row gaps")
);
pnl3.setLayout(new MigLayout("wrap", "", "[]15[]"));
JLabel lbl4 = new JLabel();
lbl4.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()
);
JLabel lbl5 = new JLabel();
lbl5.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()
);
JLabel lbl6 = new JLabel();
lbl6.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()
);
pnl3.add(lbl4, "w 150, h 20");
pnl3.add(lbl5, "w 150, h 20");
pnl3.add(lbl6, "w 150, h 20");
JPanel pnl4 = new JPanel();
pnl4.setBorder(
BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Component gaps")
);
pnl4.setLayout(new MigLayout());
pnl4.add(new JLabel("Name:"), "gapright 5");
pnl4.add(new JTextField(10), "gapbottom 20, gaptop 20");
base.add(pnl1);
base.add(pnl2);
base.add(pnl3);
base.add(pnl4);
pack();
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
MigLayoutGaps2 ex = new MigLayoutGaps2();
ex.setVisible(true);
}
});
}
}
We have four panels in the layout. Each of this panels has a MigLayout manager.
JPanel base = new JPanel(new MigLayout("flowy, ins 30, gap 15"));
This line creates container insets and vertical gaps between panels.
pnl1.setLayout(new MigLayout("gap 5 5, ins 10, wrap 3"));
Here we apply gaps for the whole grid structure and also set container gaps.
pnl2.setLayout(new MigLayout("wrap 3", "[]10[]"));
This line creates gaps between columns.
pnl3.setLayout(new MigLayout("wrap", "", "[]15[]"));
Row gaps are defined with this code.
pnl4.add(new JLabel("Name:"), "gapright 5");
pnl4.add(new JTextField(10), "gapbottom 20, gaptop 20");
Finally, it is possible to create gaps between individual components.
JGoodies FormLayout.
Author Karsten Lentzsch has a collection of presentations on UI design. In particular this PDF speaks to the need for aesthetic whitespace. Adding meaningful space while also paying attention to clutter separates the wheat from the chaff.
Whenever I have this issue, I just use JPanels. For example in a GridLayout:
JFrame frame = new JFrame;
frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 0));
//We want the bottom left to be blank
frame.add(new JLabel("Top Left"));
frame.add(new JLabel("Top Right"));
//This is the position we want empty
frame.add(new JPanel());
//Now we can continue with the rest of the script
In my project, I use Swing controls. I had used a label together with a button group, but there is an unwanted line. Please help. There is a label associated with each radio button group. The unwanted line is there.how to add the labels and corresponding radio button group to the same panel
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
//import java.util.Arrays;
public class Online extends JFrame {
static JRadioButton[] choice = new JRadioButton[6];
JFrame jtfMainFrame, jtfMainFrame1;
public void createWindow() {
jtfMainFrame = new JFrame("Online Examination");
jtfMainFrame.setSize(800, 500);
jtfMainFrame.setLocation(200, 150);
jtfMainFrame.addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
#Override
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
System.exit(0);
}
});
JPanel pa = new JPanel();
JPanel panlabels = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 1, 0, 60));
JPanel pancontrols = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 1, 0, 60));
JPanel panEast = new JPanel();
JPanel pan = new JPanel(new FlowLayout());
JLabel qLabel = new JLabel("Question.");
qLabel.setOpaque(true);
qLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
qLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel aLabel = new JLabel("Question.");
aLabel.setOpaque(true);
aLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
aLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel bLabel = new JLabel("a.");
bLabel.setOpaque(true);
bLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
bLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel cLabel = new JLabel("b.");
cLabel.setOpaque(true);
cLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
cLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel dLabel = new JLabel("c.");
dLabel.setOpaque(true);
dLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
dLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel eLabel = new JLabel("d.");
eLabel.setOpaque(true);
eLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
eLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
panlabels.add(aLabel, BorderLayout.WEST);
panlabels.add(bLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
panlabels.add(cLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
panlabels.add(dLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
panlabels.add(eLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
//panlabels.add(fLabel, BorderLayout.WEST);
//fLabel.setVisible(false);
JLabel ques = new JLabel("q");
ques.setBackground(Color.red);
choice[1] = new JRadioButton("a");
choice[1].setBackground(Color.red);
choice[2] = new JRadioButton("b");
choice[2].setBackground(Color.red);
choice[3] = new JRadioButton("c");
choice[3].setBackground(Color.red);
choice[4] = new JRadioButton("d");
choice[4].setBackground(Color.red);
ButtonGroup bGroup = new ButtonGroup();
pancontrols.add(ques, BorderLayout.WEST);
for (int i = 1; i < 5; i++) {
// pancontrols.add(aLabel,BorderLayout.WEST);
bGroup.add(choice[i]);
pancontrols.add(choice[i], BorderLayout.WEST);
}
choice[4].setVisible(true);
panEast.add("West", panlabels);
panEast.add("West", pancontrols);
pa.add("Center", panEast);
pa.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder(), "Select your answer"));
//getContentPane().add(label);
//to be deleted pa.add("South", pan);
pa.setBackground(Color.pink);
jtfMainFrame.add(pa);
jtfMainFrame.setExtendedState(Frame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
jtfMainFrame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Online r = new Online();
r.createWindow();
}
}
First, your naming convention for the choice labels is off. qLabel="questions", aLabel="questions", bLabel="a", cLabel="b", etc. I would suggest you fix that to eliminate confusion and make your code more readable (ie only have one label that is a question).
Second, your use of panEast.add("West",panlabels); and the other two statements is generally not suggested. Read up on BorderLayout to find the more accepted method of doing this:
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/layout/border.html
As for your problem, I have rewritten your code so things do line up, I will try to point out what I commented out to help:
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
//import java.util.Arrays;
public class Online extends JFrame {
static JRadioButton[] choice = new JRadioButton[6];
JFrame jtfMainFrame, jtfMainFrame1;
public void createWindow() {
jtfMainFrame = new JFrame("Online Examination");
jtfMainFrame.setSize(800, 500);
jtfMainFrame.setLocation(200, 150);
jtfMainFrame.addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
#Override
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
System.exit(0);
}
});
JPanel pa = new JPanel();
//JPanel panlabels = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 1, 0, 60));
JPanel pancontrols = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 2, 0, 60));
JPanel panEast = new JPanel();
JPanel pan = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
JLabel qLabel = new JLabel("Question.");
qLabel.setOpaque(true);
qLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
qLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel aLabel = new JLabel("Question.");
aLabel.setOpaque(true);
aLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
aLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel bLabel = new JLabel("a.");
bLabel.setOpaque(true);
bLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
bLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel cLabel = new JLabel("b.");
cLabel.setOpaque(true);
cLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
cLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel dLabel = new JLabel("c.");
dLabel.setOpaque(true);
dLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
dLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
JLabel eLabel = new JLabel("d.");
eLabel.setOpaque(true);
eLabel.setForeground(Color.blue);
eLabel.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
//panlabels.add(fLabel, BorderLayout.WEST);
//fLabel.setVisible(false);
JLabel ques = new JLabel("q");
ques.setBackground(Color.red);
choice[1] = new JRadioButton("a");
choice[1].setBackground(Color.red);
choice[2] = new JRadioButton("b");
choice[2].setBackground(Color.red);
choice[3] = new JRadioButton("c");
choice[3].setBackground(Color.red);
choice[4] = new JRadioButton("d");
choice[4].setBackground(Color.red);
ButtonGroup bGroup = new ButtonGroup();
//pancontrols.add(new JLabel(""));
pancontrols.add(ques, BorderLayout.WEST);
for (int i = 1; i < 5; i++) {
// pancontrols.add(aLabel,BorderLayout.WEST);
bGroup.add(choice[i]);
}
pancontrols.add(qLabel);
pancontrols.add(ques);
pancontrols.add(bLabel);
pancontrols.add(choice[1]);
pancontrols.add(cLabel);
pancontrols.add(choice[2]);
pancontrols.add(dLabel);
pancontrols.add(choice[3]);
pancontrols.add(eLabel);
pancontrols.add(choice[4]);
pancontrols.setSize(400,200);
choice[4].setVisible(true);
pa.add(pancontrols);
pa.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder(
BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder(), "Select your answer"));
//getContentPane().add(label);
//to be deleted pa.add("South", pan);
pa.setBackground(Color.pink);
jtfMainFrame.add(pa);
jtfMainFrame.setExtendedState(Frame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
jtfMainFrame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Online r = new Online();
r.createWindow();
}
}
Basically, I removed your unnecessary panels. the only panel you add stuff to now is the pancontrols panel. I changed it to new JPanel(new Gridlayout(0,2,0,60)). With the two column GridLayout you will always have things line up bound wise, due to GridLayout making everything the same size.
Lastly I pulled the adding of choices[] from the loop and did that along with the labels to make sure things line up. I removed all the panels being added except the pancontrols being added to pa, which I assume you want to add more question panels to pa in that case. That covers your question in particular, but there is quite a lot of stuff you should do (ie use choice[0] for example, eliminate unused labels and panels, etc.)