How to create custom composite control without FXML?

Question

I'd like to create class that represents composite control. This will be HBox that contains other controls like TextFields etc.

I know that it can be done with use of FXML like in this tutorial, but I want to do it without it.

This is my approach to solve this problem:

Class of composite control

public class VInputText extends HBox {

    private HBox hbox;
    private FontAwesomeIconView icon;
    private TextField textField;
    private Label label;

    public VInputText(double spacing) {

        hbox = new HBox(spacing);
        hbox.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER_LEFT);
        hbox.setPrefSize(Control.USE_COMPUTED_SIZE, Control.USE_COMPUTED_SIZE);

        icon = new FontAwesomeIconView();
        icon.setGlyphName("TIMES");
        icon.setSize("1.3em");

        textField = new TextField();

        label = new Label("<- my validated field");

        hbox.getChildren().addAll(icon, textField, label);
    }
}

FXML

<AnchorPane prefHeight="300.0" prefWidth="400.0" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/8.0.171" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" fx:controller="pl.edu.utp.wtie.controllers.AppController">
   <children>
      <VBox fx:id="vBox" prefHeight="300.0" prefWidth="400.0" spacing="5.0" />
   </children>
</AnchorPane>

Controller

public class AppController {

    @FXML
    private VBox vBox;

    @FXML
    void initialize() {
        System.out.println("AppController.java");

        VInputText input = new VInputText(5);

        vBox.getChildren().add(input);

    }
}

The problem is that app is compiling but composite control doesn't show on the scene. If remaining code will be necessary then I can paste it. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I'm pasting solution solved by someone, but answer was deleted. Instead of creating HBox it should be used this keyword:

public class VInputText extends HBox {

    private FontAwesomeIconView icon;
    private TextField textField;
    private Label label;

    public VInputText(double spacing) {

        this.setSpacing(spacing);
        this.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER_LEFT);
        this.setPrefSize(Control.USE_COMPUTED_SIZE, Control.USE_COMPUTED_SIZE);

        icon = new FontAwesomeIconView();
        icon.setGlyphName("TIMES");
        icon.setSize("1.3em");

        textField = new TextField();

        label = new Label("<- my validated field");

        this.getChildren().addAll(icon, textField, label);
    }
}