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javaswingjframejpanelgridbaglayout

JPanel is not sizing correctly within JFrame; utilizing GridBagConstraints

I am trying to create a GUI that runs a guessing game, but have gotten stuck using GridBagLayout. The problem is with the sizing of the JPanel within my JFrame.

I have already written a similar program that works just fine, and do not understand why one works and the other does not. 

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;

import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.*;

public class GuessGame {

    private static JTextField inputBox;

    GuessGame(){}
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        createWindow();
    }

    private static void createWindow() {          
          JFrame frame = new JFrame("GuessingGame");
          frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

          createUI(frame);
          frame.setSize(600, 600);            
          frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
          frame.setVisible(true);
       }

    private static void createUI(JFrame frame) {
        JPanel panel = new JPanel();

        GridBagLayout layout = new GridBagLayout();
        panel.setLayout(layout);

        GuessGame guessingGame = new GuessGame();

        GridBagConstraints gbc = new GridBagConstraints();

        inputBox = new JTextField(10);
        inputBox.setEditable(false);

        JLabel title = new JLabel("FUN FUN Guessing Game");
        JLabel entryBoxLabel = new JLabel("Entry Box: ");
        JLabel statsOptions = new JLabel("Statistics Options");
        JLabel message = new JLabel("HAVE FUN!!!");

        JButton startGame = new JButton("START");
        JButton clearDisplay = new JButton("CLEAR");
        JButton displayStats = new JButton("STATS");

        JCheckBox bestTime = new JCheckBox("Best Time");
        JCheckBox bestPlays = new JCheckBox("Best # of Plays");
        JCheckBox bestPlayer = new JCheckBox("Best Player");

        JTextArea displayArea = new JTextArea(300, 300);
        JScrollPane scrollWrap = new JScrollPane(displayArea);

        gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.ABOVE_BASELINE;
        gbc.gridx = 0; gbc.gridy = 0; panel.add(title, gbc);

        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
        gbc.gridx = 0; gbc.gridy = 1; panel.add(startGame, gbc);
        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.WEST;
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 1; panel.add(entryBoxLabel, gbc);
        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.LINE_END;
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 1; panel.add(inputBox, gbc);

        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.NONE;
        gbc.gridx = 0; gbc.gridy = 2; panel.add(displayArea, gbc);
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 2; panel.add(scrollWrap, gbc);

        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
        gbc.gridx = 0; gbc.gridy = 3; panel.add(clearDisplay, gbc);

        gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.NORTH;
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 3; panel.add(statsOptions, gbc);
        gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.SOUTHWEST;
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 3; panel.add(bestTime, gbc);
        gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.SOUTH;
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 3; panel.add(bestPlays, gbc);
        gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.SOUTHEAST;
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 3; panel.add(bestPlayer, gbc);

        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
        gbc.gridx = 0; gbc.gridy = 4; panel.add(displayStats, gbc);
        gbc.gridx = 1; gbc.gridy = 4; panel.add(message, gbc);

        frame.getContentPane().add(panel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    }

}

I was expecting something that looks like this:

!https://i.sstatic.net/vjgpc.jpg

But what I got was this:

!https://i.sstatic.net/HGuGB.jpg

HALP

Solution

  • Instad of using GridBad, I prefer using BoxLayout. Here is my approach to your problem. This is the closest you can get to the image you posted using Swing. output image of the code below

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

public class Test {

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

  private static void createAndShowGUI() {
    JFrame frame = new JFrame();
    JPanel north = createNorthPanel();
    JPanel center = createCenterPanel();
    JPanel south = createSouthPanel();

    frame.add(north, BorderLayout.NORTH);
    frame.add(center, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    frame.add(south, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

    frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
    frame.pack();
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }

  private static JPanel createNorthPanel() {
    JPanel northPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout northPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(northPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
    northPanel.setLayout(northPanelLayout);

    JPanel upperPanel = new JPanel();
    JLabel funFunGuessingGameLabel = new JLabel("FUN FUN Guessing Game");
    funFunGuessingGameLabel.setFont(funFunGuessingGameLabel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.ITALIC));
    upperPanel.add(funFunGuessingGameLabel);
    upperPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 1));

    JPanel lowerPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout lowerPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(lowerPanel, BoxLayout.X_AXIS);
    lowerPanel.setLayout(lowerPanelLayout);

    JButton startButton = new JButton("START");
    startButton.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(175,(int)startButton.getPreferredSize().getHeight()));
    JLabel entryBoxLabel = new JLabel("Entry Box: ");
    JTextField entryBoxTextField = new JTextField();

    lowerPanel.add(startButton);
    lowerPanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
    lowerPanel.add(entryBoxLabel);
    lowerPanel.add(entryBoxTextField);
    lowerPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 1));

    northPanel.add(upperPanel);
    northPanel.add(lowerPanel);
    return northPanel;
  }

  private static JPanel createCenterPanel() {
    JPanel centerPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout centerPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(centerPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
    centerPanel.setLayout(centerPanelLayout);

    JLabel l1 = new JLabel("Guesses and statistics are shown in this display as a scrollable list, e.g.:                  ");
    JLabel l2 = new JLabel("(1,3,5)é(0,0)");
    JLabel l3 = new JLabel("(2,4,6)é(0,0)");
    JLabel l4 = new JLabel("(7,8,9)é(0,0)");
    Box space = Box.createVerticalBox();

    centerPanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
    centerPanel.add(l1);
    centerPanel.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
    centerPanel.add(l2);
    centerPanel.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(5));
    centerPanel.add(l3);
    centerPanel.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(5));
    centerPanel.add(l4);
    centerPanel.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(40));
    centerPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 1));

    return centerPanel;
  }


  private static JPanel createSouthPanel() {
    JPanel southPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout southPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(southPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
    southPanel.setLayout(southPanelLayout);

    JPanel upperPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout upperPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(upperPanel, BoxLayout.X_AXIS);
    upperPanel.setLayout(upperPanelLayout);

    JPanel clearButtonPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout(0, 0));
    JButton clearButton = new JButton("CLEAR");
    clearButton.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(175, (int) clearButton.getPreferredSize().getHeight()));
    clearButtonPanel.add(clearButton);


    JPanel innerPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout innerPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(innerPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
    innerPanel.setLayout(innerPanelLayout);

    JPanel statisticsOptionsLabelPanel = new JPanel();
    JLabel statisticsOptionsLabel = new JLabel("Statistics Options");
    statisticsOptionsLabelPanel.add(statisticsOptionsLabel);

    JPanel checkBoxPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout checkBoxPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(checkBoxPanel, BoxLayout.X_AXIS);
    checkBoxPanel.setLayout(checkBoxPanelLayout);

    JCheckBox bestTimeCheckBox = new JCheckBox("Best Time");
    JCheckBox bestNumOfPlaysCheckBox = new JCheckBox("Best  # of plays");
    JCheckBox topPlayerCheckBox = new JCheckBox("Top Player");

    checkBoxPanel.add(bestTimeCheckBox);
    checkBoxPanel.add(bestNumOfPlaysCheckBox);
    checkBoxPanel.add(topPlayerCheckBox);

    innerPanel.add(statisticsOptionsLabelPanel);
    upperPanel.add(Box.createVerticalGlue());
    innerPanel.add(checkBoxPanel);    

    upperPanel.add(clearButtonPanel);
    upperPanel.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(14));
    upperPanel.add(innerPanel);
    upperPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 1));

    JPanel lowerPanel = new JPanel();
    BoxLayout lowerPanelLayout = new BoxLayout(lowerPanel, BoxLayout.X_AXIS);
    lowerPanel.setLayout(lowerPanelLayout);

    JButton statsButton = new JButton("STATS");
    statsButton.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(175,(int)statsButton.getPreferredSize().getHeight()));
    JLabel haveFunLabel = new JLabel("Have Fun!!!");

    lowerPanel.add(statsButton);
    lowerPanel.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
    lowerPanel.add(haveFunLabel);
    lowerPanel.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
    lowerPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK, 1));

    southPanel.add(upperPanel);
    southPanel.add(lowerPanel);
    return southPanel;
  }
}