How can I use BoxLayout to do this?

Question

I've already set up the menu (the centre boxes) perfectly, but I don't know how I can position the label. Currently what is happening is the label is going below the menu options, and the menu options are pushed to the right.

Here is what I want to happen:

And here is what is happening:

Currently I have my boxes centred with:

this.setAlignmentX(Component.CENTER_ALIGNMENT);

And I have attempted to do the same with my label using:

this.setAlignmentX(Component.BOTTOM_ALIGNMENT);
this.setAlignmentY(Component.LEFT_ALIGNMENT);

Which does nothing.

Sorry the diagram is so bad, I drew it up in MS Paint in about 20 seconds.

Here is the important part of the label

public Label(String text)
{

    this.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.CENTER);
    this.setVerticalTextPosition(JLabel.CENTER);
    this.setHorizontalAlignment(0);
}

And here is where I create the boxlayout:

 pnlMain.setLayout(new BoxLayout(pnlMain, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

Edit: Here is the main function inside my JFrame extension class. Above the function is just the creation of panels, buttons and labels.

public Window()
{
    //Create the JFrame
    super("Tank Trouble");
    this.pack();
    this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    this.setVisible(true);

    //Changes the frame size to your screen size
    Dimension dimension = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize();
    int x = (int) (dimension.getWidth());
    int y = (int) (dimension.getHeight());
    setSize(x,y);
    setResizable(false);
    //GraphicsEnvironment.getLocalGraphicsEnvironment().getDefaultScreenDevice().setFullScreenWindow(this); //Makes the application go fullscreen

    getContentPane().add(pnlMaster);

    pnlMaster.add(pnlMenu, "Main Menu");
    pnlMaster.add(pnlOptions, "Options");
    pnlMaster.add(pnlGame, "Game");
    pnlMaster.add(pnlMenu2);

    switchTo("Main Menu");

    pnlOptions.setLayout(new BoxLayout(pnlOptions, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));

    Box box = Box.createVerticalBox();
    box.add(Window.playS);
    box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
    box.add(Window.playM);
    box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
    box.add(Window.options);
    box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
    box.add(Window.language);
    box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
    box.add(Window.exit);
    box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));

    pnlMenu.add(box);
    pnlMenu.add(new JPanel());
    pnlMenu.add(new JPanel());
    pnlMenu.add(new JPanel());
    pnlMenu.add(new JPanel());

    pnlMenu2.add(Window.lblVersion);

    System.out.println("Window class loaded");

}

And here is what my menu class currently looks like (this is what previously handled everything to do with the buttons and labels except their creation).

package menu;

import main.Window;

public class Menu
{   
    public Menu()
    {
    Listener listener = new Listener();

    //Add ActionListeners
    Window.exit.addActionListener(listener);
    Window.playS.addActionListener(listener);
    Window.playM.addActionListener(listener);
    Window.options.addActionListener(listener);
    Window.language.addActionListener(listener);
    Window.btnBack.addActionListener(listener);

    System.out.println("Menu class loaded");
}
}

Answer 1

You can get the desired results using the correct combinations of LayoutManagers. Don't limit yourself to one. Take advantage of the power than comes with combining/nesting layouts.

Here's the technique I used

• A BoxLayout for the center buttons
• A GridLayout(1, 5) for a panel the consists of everything but the buttom-left button which is in its own
• FlowLayout with a LEADING alignment
• All wrapped in the JFrame default BorderLayout

See the program below

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

public class BoxLayoutDemo {

    JButton button1 = new JButton("Button1");
    public BoxLayoutDemo() {
        JPanel pane = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 5));

        Box box = Box.createVerticalBox();
        box.add(new JButton("Button 1"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 2"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 3"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 4"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 5"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));

        pane.add(new JPanel());
        pane.add(new JPanel());
        pane.add(box);
        pane.add(new JPanel());
        pane.add(new JPanel());

        JPanel pane2 = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEADING));
        pane2.add(new JButton("ButtonButton"));

        JFrame frame = new JFrame("GridBag Box");
        frame.add(pane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        frame.add(pane2, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }


    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable(){
            public void run(){
                new BoxLayoutDemo();
            }
        });
    }
}

---

Disclaimer : excuse the title of the frame. I was first thinking of combining GridBagLayout with the Box, but the way I did it was so much easier. Too lazy to change the title now that I've noticed it.

---

For those who say what I did above is somewhat hackish (by adding empty panels), which maybe it is, you could also add the top panel and bottom panel to a containing panel with a BorderLayout and a preferred size, and it will give you similar result

    public BoxLayoutDemo() {
        JPanel pane = new JPanel();

        Box box = Box.createVerticalBox();
        box.add(new JButton("Button 1"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 2"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 3"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 4"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));
        box.add(new JButton("Button 5"));
        box.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(20));

        pane.add(box);

        JPanel pane2 = new JPanel(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEADING));
        pane2.add(new JButton("ButtonButton"));

        JPanel panel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout()){
            public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
                return new Dimension(400, 260);
            }
        };
        panel.add(pane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        panel.add(pane2, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

        JFrame frame = new JFrame("Slitting using different layouts");
        frame.add(panel);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }