Re: Simple BorderLayout problem

On 2010-02-15 17:50, Fencer wrote:
[snip my OP]

Thanks for your replies. I've decided to take a look at GridBagLayout as
suggested. Since I'm a layout-newbie I wanted to be able to print the
state of a GridBagConstraints object, so I wrote this helper class:

package main;

import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;

public class PrintGridBagConstraints {

public static void print(GridBagConstraints gbc) {
String out = "";

out += "gridx: " + (gbc.gridx == GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE ?
"RELATIVE" : gbc.gridx) + "\n";
out += "gridy: " + (gbc.gridy == GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE ?
"RELATIVE" : gbc.gridy) + "\n";
out += "gridwidth: " + getGridHeightOrWidth(gbc.gridwidth) + "\n";
out += "gridheight: " + getGridHeightOrWidth(gbc.gridheight) + "\n";
out += "weightx: " + gbc.weightx + "\n";
out += "weighty: " + gbc.weighty + "\n";
out += "anchor: " + getAnchor(gbc.anchor) + "\n";
out += "fill: " + Fill.fromInt(gbc.fill).toString() + "\n";

System.out.print(out);
}

private static String getAnchor(int anchor) {
Anchor a = Anchor.fromInt(anchor);

if (a == Anchor.UNDEFINED) {
return anchor + " - undefined";
}
else {
return a.toString();
}
}

private static String getGridHeightOrWidth(int heightOrWidth) {
if (heightOrWidth == GridBagConstraints.RELATIVE) {
return "RELATIVE";
}
else if (heightOrWidth == GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER) {
return "REMAINDER";
}
else {
return Integer.toString(heightOrWidth);
}
}

/*
* There are three kinds of possible values: orientation relative,
baseline relative and absolute.
* Orientation relative values are interpreted relative to the
container's component orientation
* property, baseline relative values are interpreted relative to the
baseline and absolute
* values are not.
* The absolute values are: CENTER, NORTH, NORTHEAST, EAST, SOUTHEAST,
SOUTH, SOUTHWEST, WEST,
* and NORTHWEST.
* The orientation relative values are: PAGE_START, PAGE_END, LINE_START,
LINE_END,
* FIRST_LINE_START, FIRST_LINE_END, LAST_LINE_START and LAST_LINE_END.
* The baseline relvative values are: BASELINE, BASELINE_LEADING,
BASELINE_TRAILING, ABOVE_BASELINE,
* ABOVE_BASELINE_LEADING, ABOVE_BASELINE_TRAILING, BELOW_BASELINE,
BELOW_BASELINE_LEADING, and
* BELOW_BASELINE_TRAILING. The default value is CENTER.
*/
enum Anchor {
/* Absolute values start. */
CENTER(GridBagConstraints.CENTER, "Absolute"),
NORTH(GridBagConstraints.NORTH, "Absolute"),
NORTHEAST(GridBagConstraints.NORTHEAST, "Absolute"),
EAST(GridBagConstraints.EAST, "Absolute"),
SOUTHEAST(GridBagConstraints.SOUTHEAST, "Absolute"),
SOUTH(GridBagConstraints.SOUTH, "Absolute"),
SOUTHWEST(GridBagConstraints.SOUTHWEST, "Absolute"),
WEST(GridBagConstraints.WEST, "Absolute"),
NORTHWEST(GridBagConstraints.NORTHWEST, "Absolute"),
/* Absolute values end. */

/* Orientation relative values start. */
PAGE_START(GridBagConstraints.PAGE_START, "Orientation relative"),
PAGE_END(GridBagConstraints.PAGE_END, "Orientation relative"),
LINE_START(GridBagConstraints.LINE_START, "Orientation relative"),
LINE_END(GridBagConstraints.LINE_END, "Orientation relative"),
FIRST_LINE_START(GridBagConstraints.FIRST_LINE_START, "Orientation
relative"),
FIRST_LINE_END(GridBagConstraints.FIRST_LINE_END, "Orientation relative"),
LAST_LINE_START(GridBagConstraints.LAST_LINE_START, "Orientation
relative"),
LAST_LINE_END(GridBagConstraints.LAST_LINE_END, "Orientation relative"),
/* Orientation relative values end. */

/* Baseline relative values start. */
BASELINE(GridBagConstraints.BASELINE, "Baseline relative"),
BASELINE_LEADING(GridBagConstraints.BASELINE_LEADING, "Baseline relative"),
BASELINE_TRAILING(GridBagConstraints.ABOVE_BASELINE_TRAILING, "Baseline
relative"),
ABOVE_BASELINE(GridBagConstraints.ABOVE_BASELINE, "Baseline relative"),

ABOVE_BASELINE_LEADING(GridBagConstraints.ABOVE_BASELINE_LEADING,
"Baseline relative"),

ABOVE_BASELINE_TRAILING(GridBagConstraints.ABOVE_BASELINE_TRAILING,
"Baseline relative"),
BELOW_BASELINE(GridBagConstraints.BELOW_BASELINE, "Baseline relative"),

BELOW_BASELINE_LEADING(GridBagConstraints.BELOW_BASELINE_LEADING,
"Baseline relative"),

BELOW_BASELINE_TRAILING(GridBagConstraints.BELOW_BASELINE_TRAILING,
"Baseline relative"),
/* Baseline relative values end. */

UNDEFINED(-1337, "");

public static Anchor fromInt(int value) {
for (Anchor a : Anchor.values()) {
if (a.ordinal() == value) {
return a;
}
}

return Anchor.UNDEFINED;
}

@Override
public String toString() {
return this.name() + " - " + type;
}

private Anchor(int value, String type) {
this.type = type;
}

private String type;
}

enum Fill {
NONE(GridBagConstraints.NONE),
HORIZONTAL(GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL),
VERTICAL(GridBagConstraints.VERTICAL),
BOTH(GridBagConstraints.BOTH),

UNDEFINED(-1337);

public static Fill fromInt(int value) {
for (Fill f : Fill.values()) {
if (f.ordinal() == value) {
return f;
}
}

return Fill.UNDEFINED;
}

private Fill(int value) {
}
}
}

Was there an easier way to do that instead of writing that code? :-)

The output from the public static print method() can look like:
gridx: RELATIVE
gridy: RELATIVE
gridwidth: REMAINDER
gridheight: 1
weightx: 0.0
weighty: 0.0
anchor: ABOVE_BASELINE - Baseline relative
fill: VERTICAL

Btw, I found a spelling error in the official documentation when writing
that code (that exists in the docs for both java 6 and 7). The word
relvative appears under the description of the anchor field (I've
retained it in my comment of my Anchor enum).

Armed with this helper class I will now try to work GridBagLayout work
as I want it. I have another control I want place in a particular place
apart from the centered JPanel in my OP. I will post back if I can't
make it work.

- F