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Class java.awt.GridBagLayout

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----java.awt.GridBagLayout

public class GridBagLayout
extends Object
implements LayoutManager2, Serializable

GridBagLayout is a flexible layout manager that aligns components vertically and horizontally, without requiring that the components be the same size. Each GridBagLayout uses a dynamic rectangular grid of cells, with each component occupying one or more cells (called its display area). Each component managed by a GridBagLayout is associated with a GridBagConstraints instance that specifies how the component is laid out within its display area. How a GridBagLayout places a set of components depends on each component's GridBagConstraints and minimum size, as well as the preferred size of the components' container.

To use a GridBagLayout effectively, you must customize one or more of its components' GridBagConstraints. You customize a GridBagConstraints object by setting one or more of its instance variables:

gridx, gridy: Specifies the cell at the upper left of the component's display area, where the upper-left-most cell has address gridx=0, gridy=0. Use GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE (the default value) to specify that the component be just placed just to the right of (for gridx) or just below (for gridy) the component that was added to the container just before this component was added.
gridwidth, gridheight: Specifies the number of cells in a row (for gridwidth) or column (for gridheight) in the component's display area. The default value is 1. Use GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER to specify that the component be the last one in its row (for gridwidth) or column (for gridheight). Use GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE to specify that the component be the next to last one in its row (for gridwidth) or column (for gridheight).
fill: Used when the component's display area is larger than the component's requested size to determine whether (and how) to resize the component. Valid values are GridBagConstraints.NONE (the default), GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL (make the component wide enough to fill its display area horizontally, but don't change its height), GridBagConstraints.VERTICAL (make the component tall enough to fill its display area vertically, but don't change its width), and GridBagConstraints.BOTH (make the component fill its display area entirely).
ipadx, ipady: Specifies the internal padding: how much to add to the minimum size of the component. The width of the component will be at least its minimum width plus ipadx*2 pixels (since the padding applies to both sides of the component). Similarly, the height of the component will be at least the minimum height plus ipady*2 pixels.
insets: Specifies the external padding of the component -- the minimum amount of space between the component and the edges of its display area.
anchor: Used when the component is smaller than its display area to determine where (within the area) to place the component. Valid values are GridBagConstraints.CENTER (the default), GridBagConstraints.NORTH, GridBagConstraints.NORTHEAST, GridBagConstraints.EAST, GridBagConstraints.SOUTHEAST, GridBagConstraints.SOUTH, GridBagConstraints.SOUTHWEST, GridBagConstraints.WEST, and GridBagConstraints.NORTHWEST.
weightx, weighty: Used to determine how to distribute space; this is important for specifying resizing behavior. Unless you specify a weight for at least one component in a row (weightx) and column (weighty), all the components clump together in the center of their container. This is because when the weight is zero (the default), the GridBagLayout puts any extra space between its grid of cells and the edges of the container.

The following figure shows ten components (all buttons) managed by a GridBagLayout:

All the components have fill=GridBagConstraints.BOTH. In addition, the components have the following non-default constraints:

Button1, Button2, Button3: weightx=1.0
Button4: weightx=1.0, gridwidth=GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER
Button5: gridwidth=GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER
Button6: gridwidth=GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE
Button7: gridwidth=GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER
Button8: gridheight=2, weighty=1.0,
Button9, Button 10: gridwidth=GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER

Here is the code that implements the example shown above:

import java.awt.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.applet.Applet;
public class GridBagEx1 extends Applet {
protected void makebutton(String name,
GridBagLayout gridbag,
GridBagConstraints c) {
Button button = new Button(name);
gridbag.setConstraints(button, c);
add(button);
}
public void init() {
GridBagLayout gridbag = new GridBagLayout();
GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
setFont(new Font("Helvetica", Font.PLAIN, 14));
setLayout(gridbag);
c.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
c.weightx = 1.0;
makebutton("Button1", gridbag, c);
makebutton("Button2", gridbag, c);
makebutton("Button3", gridbag, c);
c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER; //end row
makebutton("Button4", gridbag, c);
c.weightx = 0.0;		   //reset to the default
makebutton("Button5", gridbag, c); //another row
c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE; //next-to-last in row
makebutton("Button6", gridbag, c);
c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER; //end row
makebutton("Button7", gridbag, c);
c.gridwidth = 1;	   	   //reset to the default
c.gridheight = 2;
c.weighty = 1.0;
makebutton("Button8", gridbag, c);
c.weighty = 0.0;		   //reset to the default
c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER; //end row
c.gridheight = 1;		   //reset to the default
makebutton("Button9", gridbag, c);
makebutton("Button10", gridbag, c);
setSize(300, 100);
}
public static void main(String args[]) {
Frame f = new Frame("GridBag Layout Example");
GridBagEx1 ex1 = new GridBagEx1();
ex1.init();
f.add("Center", ex1);
f.pack();
f.setSize(f.getPreferredSize());
f.show();
}
}

columnWeights
columnWidths
comptable
defaultConstraints
layoutInfo
MAXGRIDSIZE
MINSIZE
PREFERREDSIZE
rowHeights
rowWeights

GridBagLayout(): Creates a gridbag layout.

addLayoutComponent(Component, Object): Adds the specified component to the layout, using the specified constraint object.
addLayoutComponent(String, Component): Adds the specified component with the specified name to the layout.
AdjustForGravity(GridBagConstraints, Rectangle)
ArrangeGrid(Container)
getConstraints(Component): Retrieves the constraints for the specified component.
getLayoutAlignmentX(Container): Returns the alignment along the x axis.
getLayoutAlignmentY(Container): Returns the alignment along the y axis.
getLayoutDimensions()
GetLayoutInfo(Container, int): Print the layout constraints.
getLayoutOrigin()
getLayoutWeights()
GetMinSize(Container, GridBagLayoutInfo)
invalidateLayout(Container): Invalidates the layout, indicating that if the layout manager has cached information it should be discarded.
layoutContainer(Container): Lays out the container in the specified panel.
location(int, int)
lookupConstraints(Component): Retrieves the constraints for the specified component.
maximumLayoutSize(Container): Returns the maximum dimensions for this layout given the components in the specified target container.
minimumLayoutSize(Container): Returns the minimum dimensions needed to layout the components contained in the specified panel.
preferredLayoutSize(Container): Returns the preferred dimensions for this layout given the components in the specified panel.
removeLayoutComponent(Component): Removes the specified component from the layout.
setConstraints(Component, GridBagConstraints): Sets the constraints for the specified component.
toString(): Returns the String representation of this GridLayout's values.

MAXGRIDSIZE

Properties Constant 
   MAXGRIDSIZE=int

MINSIZE

Properties Constant 
   MINSIZE=int

PREFERREDSIZE

Properties Constant 
   PREFERREDSIZE=int

comptable

Properties Inheritable 
    comptable=Hashtable

defaultConstraints

Properties Inheritable 
    defaultConstraints=GridBagConstraints

layoutInfo

Properties Inheritable 
   layoutInfo=GridBagLayoutInfo

columnWidths

Properties Public 
   columnWidths[]=int

rowHeights

Properties Public 
   rowHeights[]=int

columnWeights

Properties Public 
   columnWeights[]=double

rowWeights

Properties Public 
   rowWeights[]=double

GridBagLayout

    method GridBagLayout() public

Creates a gridbag layout.

setConstraints

    method setConstraints(comp=Component, -
                          constraints=GridBagConstraints)  public

Sets the constraints for the specified component.

Parameters:: comp - the component to be modified; constraints - the constraints to be applied

getConstraints

    method getConstraints(comp=Component) returns GridBagConstraints public

Retrieves the constraints for the specified component. A copy of the constraints is returned.

Parameters:: comp - the component to be queried

lookupConstraints

    method lookupConstraints(comp=Component) returns GridBagConstraints Inheritable

Retrieves the constraints for the specified component. The return value is not a copy, but is the actual constraints class used by the layout mechanism.

Parameters:: comp - the component to be queried

getLayoutOrigin

    method getLayoutOrigin() returns Point public

getLayoutDimensions

    method getLayoutDimensions() returns int[][] public

getLayoutWeights

    method getLayoutWeights() returns double[][] public

location

    method location(x=int, -
                    y=int) returns Point public

addLayoutComponent

    method addLayoutComponent(name=String, -
                              comp=Component)  public

Adds the specified component with the specified name to the layout.

Parameters:: name - the name of the component; comp - the component to be added

addLayoutComponent

    method addLayoutComponent(comp=Component, -
                              constraints=Object)  public

Adds the specified component to the layout, using the specified constraint object.

Parameters:: comp - the component to be added; constraints - where/how the component is added to the layout.

removeLayoutComponent

    method removeLayoutComponent(comp=Component)  public

Removes the specified component from the layout. Does not apply.

Parameters:: comp - the component to be removed

preferredLayoutSize

    method preferredLayoutSize(parent=Container) returns Dimension public

Returns the preferred dimensions for this layout given the components in the specified panel.

Parameters:: parent - the component which needs to be laid out
See Also:: minimumLayoutSize

minimumLayoutSize

    method minimumLayoutSize(parent=Container) returns Dimension public

Returns the minimum dimensions needed to layout the components contained in the specified panel.

Parameters:: parent - the component which needs to be laid out
See Also:: preferredLayoutSize

maximumLayoutSize

    method maximumLayoutSize(target=Container) returns Dimension public

Returns the maximum dimensions for this layout given the components in the specified target container.

Parameters:: target - the component which needs to be laid out
See Also:: Container, minimumLayoutSize, preferredLayoutSize

getLayoutAlignmentX

    method getLayoutAlignmentX(parent=Container) returns float public

Returns the alignment along the x axis. This specifies how the component would like to be aligned relative to other components. The value should be a number between 0 and 1 where 0 represents alignment along the origin, 1 is aligned the furthest away from the origin, 0.5 is centered, etc.

getLayoutAlignmentY

    method getLayoutAlignmentY(parent=Container) returns float public

Returns the alignment along the y axis. This specifies how the component would like to be aligned relative to other components. The value should be a number between 0 and 1 where 0 represents alignment along the origin, 1 is aligned the furthest away from the origin, 0.5 is centered, etc.

invalidateLayout

    method invalidateLayout(target=Container)  public

Invalidates the layout, indicating that if the layout manager has cached information it should be discarded.

layoutContainer

    method layoutContainer(parent=Container)  public

Lays out the container in the specified panel.

Parameters:: parent - the specified component being laid out
See Also:: Container

toString

    method toString() returns String public

Returns the String representation of this GridLayout's values.

Overrides:: toString in class Object

GetLayoutInfo

    method GetLayoutInfo(parent=Container, -
                         sizeflag=int) returns GridBagLayoutInfo Inheritable

Print the layout constraints. Useful for debugging.

AdjustForGravity

    method AdjustForGravity(constraints=GridBagConstraints, -
                            r=Rectangle)  Inheritable

GetMinSize

    method GetMinSize(parent=Container, -
                      info=GridBagLayoutInfo) returns Dimension Inheritable

ArrangeGrid

    method ArrangeGrid(parent=Container)  Inheritable

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