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Java layout manager.

Hello all,

 I have this lovely piece of code that I have been working on that I want to add 361 equally sized boxes (panels). In other words a 19 rows by 19 columns but I dont want to use a jTable or anything like that. I tried to use Jbuilder 7 to help with the layout and on the button click. You'll see my attempt to create this grid. I need each panel to touch each other at the edges and all of them to grow in the same way if the screen is enlarged or shrunk. Any ideas on how I should do this. Is the layout I chose no good for this? Code example using this stuff would be great. Thanks.

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import com.borland.jbcl.layout.*;

public class MainCon extends JFrame {
    private JPanel contentPane;
    private JMenuBar jMenuBar = new JMenuBar();
    private JMenu jMenuFile = new JMenu();
    private JMenuItem jMenuFileExit = new JMenuItem();
    private JMenu jMenuHelp = new JMenu();
    private JMenuItem jMenuHelpAbout = new JMenuItem();
    private BorderLayout borderLayout1 = new BorderLayout();
    private JPanel jpnlLeft = new JPanel();
    private JPanel jpnlBottom = new JPanel();
    private JPanel jpnlRight = new JPanel();
    private JPanel jpnlTop = new JPanel();
    private JPanel jpnlGrid = new JPanel();
    private JButton jbtnLoadGrid = new JButton();
    private PaneLayout paneLayout1 = new PaneLayout();

    //Construct the frame
    public MainCon() {
        enableEvents(AWTEvent.WINDOW_EVENT_MASK);
        try {
            jbInit();
        }
        catch(Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    //Component initialization
    private void jbInit() throws Exception  {

        contentPane = (JPanel) this.getContentPane();
        this.setSize(new Dimension(400, 300));
        this.setTitle("Modango Main Menu");
        jMenuFile.setText("File");
        jMenuFileExit.setText("Exit");
        jMenuFileExit.addActionListener(new ActionListener()  {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                jMenuFileExit_actionPerformed(e);
            }
        });
        jMenuHelp.setText("Help");
        jMenuHelpAbout.setText("About");
        jMenuHelpAbout.addActionListener(new ActionListener()  {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                jMenuHelpAbout_actionPerformed(e);
            }
        });
        contentPane.setLayout(borderLayout1);
        jpnlGrid.setBackground(SystemColor.activeCaptionBorder);
        jpnlGrid.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder());
        jpnlGrid.setLayout(paneLayout1);
        jbtnLoadGrid.setText("Load Grid");
        jbtnLoadGrid.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                jbtnLoadGrid_actionPerformed(e);
            }
        });
        jMenuFile.add(jMenuFileExit);
        jMenuHelp.add(jMenuHelpAbout);
        jMenuBar.add(jMenuFile);
        jMenuBar.add(jMenuHelp);
        contentPane.add(jpnlLeft, BorderLayout.WEST);
        contentPane.add(jpnlBottom, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        contentPane.add(jpnlRight, BorderLayout.EAST);
        contentPane.add(jpnlTop, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        contentPane.add(jpnlGrid, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        jpnlLeft.add(jbtnLoadGrid, null);
        this.setJMenuBar(jMenuBar);
    }
    //File | Exit action performed
    public void jMenuFileExit_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        System.exit(0);
    }
    //Help | About action performed
    public void jMenuHelpAbout_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    }
    //Overridden so we can exit when window is closed
    protected void processWindowEvent(WindowEvent e) {
        super.processWindowEvent(e);
        if (e.getID() == WindowEvent.WINDOW_CLOSING) {
            jMenuFileExit_actionPerformed(null);
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        MainCon frame = new MainCon();
        frame.setSize(600,400);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    void jbtnLoadGrid_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
    {

        for(int i=0; i<361; i++)
        {
            JPanel pnl = new JPanel();
            pnl.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder());
            pnl.setBackground(SystemColor.green);
            jpnlGrid.add(pnl, null);
        }

    }
}
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CEHJ
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>>
I need each panel to touch each other at the edges and all of them to grow in the same way if the screen is enlarged or shrunk.
>>

A GridLayout would do that
>> In other words a 19 rows by 19 columns
     Try implementing this GridLayout :

     GridLayout x = new GridLayout(19, 19);

     // Add your parts here and make sure
     // that you implement 19, 19
     
     x.add(YourPartHere); x.add(YourPartHere);
     x.add(YourPartHere); x.add(YourPartHere);
     x.add(YourPartHere); x.add(YourPartHere);
 
    // Up to 19 . . .

Hope this helps . . .
JAVATM
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jimmack

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Anyone else like to implement my suggestion? ;-)
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jimmack

You seem to be a bit grumpy today CEHJ ;-)
We're just elaborating it more, to be unturstood well if it okey with you :) CEHJ
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ASKER

Hello,

  That seems to do the trick with a small modification:

jpnlGrid.setLayout(new GridLayout(19, 19, -1, -1));
for (int i = 0; i < 361; i++)
{
      JButton btn = new JButton(""+i);
      btn.setBorderPainted(false);
      jpnlGrid.add( btn );
}
 
 One more quick question to add to this. (If its really a hard thing then I will add more points on.)

 How would I add to the surface of the buttons a jpg or gif  with two lines intersecting like a +  I will have to make a corner and edge image too but do you think its possible to make the lines from the image on the buttons intersect with each other seemlessly? I am trying to figure that out now.

thanks
Quite hard but I have a quick solution if you dont mind, can you create a gif or jpg image and try
to put this commands on a JButton.

JButton button = new JButton(createImageIcon("sample1.gif"));

button.setPressedIcon(createImageIcon("sample2.gif"));
button.setRolloverIcon(createImageIcon("sample3.gif"));
button.setDisabledIcon(createImageIcon("sample4.gif"));
button.setMargin(new Insets(0,0,0,0));


Note : sample1 up to 4 are gif images.
Hope it helps, God Speed . . .

JAVATM
It will not be a normal JButton, it will look like exactly your gif or jpg image.
If you want you can just create an image similar to your problem and put
it on the JButton and you'll see difference.
>>You seem to be a bit grumpy today CEHJ ;-)

>>
We're just elaborating it more, to be unturstood well if it okey with you :) CEHJ  
>>

That's OK - but not *too* many people elaborating as it can confuse questioner's ;-)

To draw the cross on your button, do:

class MyButton extends JButton {
      public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
            super.paintComponent(g);
            g.drawLine(getWidth() / 2, 0, getWidth() / 2, getHeight());
            g.drawLine(0, getHeight() / 2, getWidth(), getHeight() / 2);
      }
}

>>questioner's = questioners

LOL
I think this problem is answered now.

 jimmack I think you answered it best in example code. Also I feel as though I should make a seperate question for CHEJ Since he got the drawing portion to work best. I have a couple more questions on drawing the lines.

Thanks everyone.