How to fix layout management

Question

I'm doing a clone of Minesweeper in Java. Everything was fine, but I wanted to add a counter at the top. And now, some buttons are off the screen. What layouts I have to change to repair it?

Before adding counter: (https://i.sstatic.net/i8gXP.jpg)

After adding "counter" (https://i.sstatic.net/QXJnm.jpg)

And here's my code:

public static JPanel generate() {
            i2w = row*row-ilosc_min;

            przyc = new Sap[row][row];      
            JPanel all = new JPanel();      //panel that contains counter and buttons
            JPanel licznik = new JPanel();  //Counter
            licznik.setBackground(Color.red);
            licznik.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(MyFrame.wym-50, 50));    //counter takes 50 px height and full width of frame

            all.add(licznik);

            JPanel panel = new JPanel();    //Buttons panel
            panel.setVisible(true);
            panel.setLayout(new GridLayout(row, row));                  

            for(int x = 0; x < row; x++) {  //creating buttons
                for(int y = 0; y < row; y++) {
                    Sap sp = new Sap(x, y); //My buttons that extends JButton
                    przyc[x][y] = sp;       
                    panel.add(sp);          //Adding button to panel
                }
            }
            all.add(panel);                 //All contains counter and buttons

            return all;                     //Returning it
        }

When I don't create a counter panel, buttons are like in the second photo.

Sorry for any mistakes, English is not my main language.

Answer 1

first do you know what was the default layout for both of your panel's ? and the shortest work solution is to make the root panel use BorderLayout and when adding the counter call on your root panel object

add(BorderLayout.NORTH,theCounterObject);

and for the button's panel call this on the root panel too

add(BorderLayout.CENTER,theButtonsPanel);

this would solve it in shortened version but it's better to learn not a sip or part but all about layout managers as they are very important for swing , here is start A Visual Guide to Layout Managers.

the pack() method is not necessary but it's a great way to fetch the perfect size it was a good idea from the comment but the problem was about your layout witch was FlowLayout and it's the default for panel but you should do it after changing the layout .