JComponent Placement

[llemes4011]

Hi. When I add a JComponent to my JFrame, it isn't the size of the remaining space in the frame. I want it to work in a way so that when i add a JComponent, it (and it's contents) stretches to fill the remaining space in the screen... Is there anyway to do that?

[VernonDozier]

Hi. When I add a JComponent to my JFrame, it isn't the size of the remaining space in the frame. I want it to work in a way so that when i add a JComponent, it (and it's contents) stretches to fill the remaining space in the screen... Is there anyway to do that?

This will depend on your LayoutManager. What LayoutManager are you using?

[llemes4011]

I'm not... But I found a way that works. I have a thread that has static copies of the JFrame and the JComponent, and is always watching to see if the height or width is changing, then resizes the JComponent. I don't know it that is the way it's supposed to be done (probably not), but it is working. I only have 2 Components in the frame, so i think this way should be fine....

[kvprajapati]

VernonDozier>What LayoutManager are you using?
llemes4011>I'm not... But I found a way that works.
Can I see the way you have used?
Do you know BorderLayout, GridBagLayout & GridBagConstraints?

[llemes4011]

VernonDozier>What LayoutManager are you using?
llemes4011>I'm not... But I found a way that works.
Can I see the way you have used?
Do you know BorderLayout, GridBagLayout & GridBagConstraints?

Yeah here's the code:

package JEmail.util;

import java.util.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class FrameResizeHandler extends Thread
{
    //consists of 2 JSplitPanes (one nested)
    private static ContentViewer cv;
    //components to resize
    private static ArrayList<JComponent> components;
    // JFrame to resize to
    private static JFrame watching; 
    
    private static int width;  // JFrame width to check against
    private static int height; // JFrame height to check against
    
    /**
     * I used an ArrayList and JComponents because I want to 
     * get it so that it can deal with multiple resizings at once
     */
    public FrameResizeHandler(JFrame jf, JComponent jc){
        watching = jf;
        components = new ArrayList<JComponent>();
        components.add(jc);
        width = watching.getWidth();
        height = watching.getHeight();
    }
    
    public void run(){
        while(true){
            if(width!=watching.getWidth() || height!=watching.getHeight()){
                if(components.get(0) instanceof ContentViewer){
			  // I know what the first element is so that's why it looks like this
                    cv = (ContentViewer)components.get(0); 
                    // adjust the JComponents' size
                    cv.setNewSize(watching.getWidth()-watching.getInsets().left-watching.getInsets().right, 
                                  watching.getHeight()-watching.getInsets().top-watching.getInsets().bottom-57);
                }
                width = watching.getWidth();  // re-adjust the dimensions to check against
                height = watching.getHeight();
            }
        }
    }
}

Note that this is still VERY sloppy. It doesn't completely work (It doesn't fix the size when the MAXIMIZE button is pressed), and is slow. I need to put in checks to determine when the thread actually goes through its loop so it doesn't eat up processor space (WHICH IT DOES! >=[ )

But Yes. I do know about BorderLayout, and I hate GridBagLayout. It's a total pain in the butt. But it does have its perks. I used it in another section of my program and it worked well there. I couldn't get it to work here.

[kvprajapati]

Use BorderLayout and add a component with CENTER position. Do not forget to issue validate() method of container after component has been added to that container.

[llemes4011]

I tried that and it didn't resize it. ( I tried it as a JPanel too...)

[kvprajapati]

Please post complete code with bb code tags.

[llemes4011]

Okay, Here's what I have:

package JEmail.util;

import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class ContentViewer extends JPanel
{
    public ContentViewer(){
        createAndShowGUI();
    }
    
    public void createAndShowGUI(){
        
        WindowComponents.vertSplitPane = new JSplitPane(JSplitPane.VERTICAL_SPLIT);
        WindowComponents.horiSplitPane = new JSplitPane(JSplitPane.HORIZONTAL_SPLIT);
        WindowComponents.files = new JTree();
        WindowComponents.tabs = new JTabbedPane();
        WindowComponents.display = new JPanel();
        WindowComponents.tabs.add(new InboxTab(), "Inbox");
        WindowComponents.tabs.add(new ContactsTab(), "Contacts");
        WindowComponents.tabs.add(new NotesTab(), "Notes");
        
        WindowComponents.vertSplitPane.setTopComponent(WindowComponents.tabs);
        WindowComponents.vertSplitPane.setBottomComponent(WindowComponents.display);
        WindowComponents.vertSplitPane.setDividerLocation(.5);
        WindowComponents.horiSplitPane.setLeftComponent(WindowComponents.files);
        WindowComponents.horiSplitPane.setRightComponent(WindowComponents.vertSplitPane);
                
        this.add(WindowComponents.horiSplitPane);
        
    }
}

package JEmail;
import JEmail.util.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
/**
 * Write a description of class JMail_Runner here.
 * 
 * @author (your name) 
 * @version (a version number or a date)
 */
public class JMail_Runner{

    private static final int PWIDTH = 600;
    private static final int PHEIGHT = 500;

    JFrame jMailWindow;
    JEmailMenuBar menuBar;
    ContentViewer content;
    FrameResizeHandler frh;
    
    Insets windowInsets;
    
    public JMail_Runner(){
        createAndShowGUI();
    }
    
    public void createAndShowGUI(){
        try{ // Set the L&F to match the System - will have option to change later.
            UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
        }catch(Exception e){
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        jMailWindow = new JFrame("JEmail");
        jMailWindow.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(PWIDTH, PHEIGHT));
        jMailWindow.setLocation(150,100);
        jMailWindow.setSize(PWIDTH, PHEIGHT);
        
        Container pane = jMailWindow.getContentPane();
        pane.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        
        menuBar = new JEmailMenuBar();
        content = new ContentViewer();
        
        // The MenuBar stretches fine... just not the content object
        pane.add(menuBar, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        pane.validate();
        pane.add(content, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        pane.validate();
        
        jMailWindow.setVisible(true);
    }
    
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        //Schedule a job for the event-dispatching thread:
        //creating and showing this application's GUI.
        javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                new JMail_Runner();
            }
        });
    }
}

[kvprajapati]

As per your post I did't find any ambiguity in your code. I have added JMenuBar and ContentView and some components into ContentView - There is no problem.

I am not sure about JEmailMenuBar class. If it is JMenuBar then use setJMenuBar method of JFrame.

[llemes4011]

huh. I tried it without the JEmailMenuBar (It has a JMenuBar and a JToolbar in it arranged with a GridBagLayout) and it still doesn't work for me....

Are there any methods that I'm forgetting to call, or something like that?

[kvprajapati]

Use setJMenuBar method: It has a seperate layer.

setJMenuBar(menuBar);

[llemes4011]

Ok, I changed my JEmailMenuBar to extend the JMenuBar class, ad added it through the setJMenuBar() method, but it didn't help the contentViever's sizing problems....

[kvprajapati]

What is the current size of contentViever? Size of contentViever will be grows or shrink with frame.

[llemes4011]

contentViewer's size is the size of the Frame. however. the JSplitFrame has a size of (0,0)

[kvprajapati]

If you want to change the size of any control use setPreferredSize() method.

[llemes4011]

YAY! I got it, Thanks so much for your help =D It ended up that It was the placement of some static variables. I was trying it access them from another package and I think some how it was throwing it off somehow... the whole static thing is still kind of new to me O.o but very useful.