Re: ok, i've tried, any hlp, [self explanatory]

package testjava;

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
//import javax.swing.event.*;
class ChessBoard extends JFrame implements MouseListener,
MouseMotionListener {

     GridLayout Board = new GridLayout(8, 8);
     int xMove, yMove, labelw, labelh;
     JLabel label;
     int Xpos, Ypos;
     String[] manrow = {"Pawn0", "Pawn1", "Pawn2", "Pawn3", "Pawn4",
"Pawn5", "Pawn6", "Pawn7"};
     String[] manrowx = {"Pawn0", "Pawn1", "Pawn2", "Pawn3", "Pawn4",
"Pawn5", "Pawn6", "Pawn7"};
     String[] piecerow = {"Rook", "Knight", "Bishop", "Queen", "King",
"Bishop", "Knight", "Rook"};
     String[] piecerowx = {"Rook", "Knight", "Bishop", "Queen", "King",
"Bishop", "Knight", "Rook"};

// update these labels position, which is parent jpanel, at each move
     JPanel[][] grids;
     JLabel[][] pieces;
     Dimension pieceSize = new Dimension(100, 100);
     Container con;
     Component DraggingComp;
     GridLayout board;

     public ChessBoard() {
         super("ChessBoard");
         setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

         board = new GridLayout(8, 8);
         Board.setHgap(4);
         Board.setVgap(4);
         Dimension boardSize = new Dimension(800, 800);
         con = getContentPane();/*
                                 * i understand what you are saying
                                 * but i c an't quite get it to take
                                */
         //con.setLayout(new GridChessBoard()); // this is what i want

         con.addMouseListener(this);
         con.addMouseMotionListener(this);
         grids = new JPanel[8][8];
         pieces = new JLabel[8][8];
         label = new JLabel("0123456789");
         Dimension d = label.getPreferredSize();
         labelw = d.width;
         labelh = d.height;
         label.setBounds(Xpos, Ypos, labelw, labelh);

         setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
         for (int i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
             for (int j = 0; j < 8; ++j) {
                 //MySquares();
                 addSquares(i, j);
             }
         }

         setSize(boardSize);
         setVisible(true);
     } // end constructor

     public JFrame addAction(JFrame frame) {
         frame.getContentPane().addMouseMotionListener(this);
         return frame;
     }

     public void seeIt(Component c) {
         System.out.println("in seeIt");
         add(c);
         ((JPanel) con).revalidate();
     }

     public void moveComponent(Component c, int newX, int newY, int
width, int height) {
         System.out.println("in moveComponent");
         c.setBounds(newX, newY, width, height);
         seeIt(c);
     }

     public String getMan(int i) {
         return manrow[i];
     }

     public String getPiece(int i) {
         return piecerow[i];
     }

     public boolean isOdd(int i) {
         return i % 2 != 0;
     }

     public boolean isEven(int i) {
         return i % 2 == 0;
     }

     public JLabel setBlue(JLabel b1) {
         b1.setOpaque(true);
         b1.setBackground(Color.blue);
         return b1;
     }

     public JLabel setYellow(JLabel b1) {
         b1.setOpaque(true);
         b1.setBackground(Color.yellow);
         return b1;
     }

     public void addColors() {
         for (int i = 0; i < 64; i++) {
             JLabel square = new JLabel(); //new BorderLayout());
             square.setOpaque(true);
             Board.addLayoutComponent(null, square);

             int row = (i / 8) % 2;
             if (row == 0) {
                 square.setBackground(i % 2 == 0 ? Color.blue :
Color.yellow);
             } else {
                 square.setBackground(i % 2 == 0 ? Color.yellow :
Color.blue);
             }
         }
     }

     public void addBlankRow(int i, int j) {

         if (isEven(j)) {
             setBackground(i % 2 == 0 ? Color.yellow : Color.blue);
         } else {
             setBackground(i % 2 == 0 ? Color.blue : Color.yellow);
         }
     }

     public void addManRow(int i, int j) {
         String[] m = i == 1 ? manrowx : manrow;
         int col = j + 1;
         if (isEven(col)) {
             setBackground(Color.yellow);
             add((new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
         } else {
             setBackground(Color.blue);
             add((new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
         }
     }

     public void addPieceRow(int i, int j) {
         String[] m = i == 1 ? piecerow : piecerowx;
         int col = j;
         if (isEven(col) && (col < 8)) {

             add(setYellow(new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
             setBackground(Color.yellow);
         } else {
             add(setBlue(new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
             setBackground(Color.blue);
         }
     }

     public void addPieceRowx(int i, int j) {
         String[] m = i == 1 ? piecerowx : piecerow;
         int col = j + 1;
         if (isEven(col)) {
             setBackground(Color.yellow);
             add((new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
         } else {
             setBackground(Color.blue);
             add((new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
         }
     }

     public void addManRowx(int i, int j) {
         String[] m = i == 1 ? manrowx : manrow;
         int col = j + 1;
         if (isEven(col)) {
             setBackground(Color.blue);
             add(setBlue(new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
         } else {
             setBackground(Color.yellow);
             add(setYellow(new JLabel(m[j])), JLabel.CENTER);
         }
     }

     public void mousePressed(MouseEvent me) {
         System.out.println("in mouse pressed");

         // get orriginal coordinates
         if (DraggingComp != null) {
             Xpos = me.getX();
             Ypos = me.getY();
             DraggingComp = getComponentAt(Xpos, Ypos);
         }

     }

     public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent me) {

         System.out.println("in mouse dragged");
         DraggingComp = con.getComponentAt(Xpos, Ypos);
         if (DraggingComp == null) {
             return;
         } else {
             Xpos = getX();
             Ypos = getY();
         }
         moveComponent(DraggingComp, Xpos, Ypos, labelw, labelh);

     }

     public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent me) {
     }

     public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent me) {
     }

     public void mouseExited(MouseEvent me) {
     }

     public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent me) {
     }

     public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent me) {
     }

     public void addSquares(int i, int j) {
         JLabel square = new JLabel();
         square.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
         square.setOpaque(true);
         int col = j;
         int row = i;
         switch (row) {
             case 0:
                 addPieceRow(row, col);
                 break;
             case 1:
                 addManRow(row, col);
                 break;
             case 2:
                 addBlankRow(row, col);
                 break;
             case 3:
                 addBlankRow(row, col);
                 break;
             case 4:
                 addBlankRow(row, col);
                 break;
             case 5:
                 addBlankRow(row, col);
                 break;
             case 6:
                 addManRowx(row, col);
                 break;
             case 7:
                 addPieceRowx(row, col);
                 break;
         }
         square.setBounds(row, col, labelw, labelh);
     // add(square);
     //return;
     }

     class GridChessBoard {

     JFrame frame;
     Container con;

     public GridChessBoard() {
         frame = new JFrame("Chess Board made of a grid of colored panels");
         frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
         con = frame.getContentPane();

         con.setLayout(new GridLayout(8, 8));
         for (int i = 0; i < 64; i++) {
             JPanel square = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
             con.add(square);

             int row = (i / 8) % 2;
             if (row == 0) {
                 square.setBackground(i % 2 == 0 ? Color.red : Color.white);
             } else {
                 square.setBackground(i % 2 == 0 ? Color.white : Color.red);
             }

             frame.setSize(800, 800);
             frame.setVisible(true);
         }
     }
}

     public static void main(String[] args) {
       // GridChessBoard gcb = new GridChessBoard();
         new ChessBoard();
     }
}