arranging display in a panel with grid bags...

[achana chan]

Hi.
I have done a setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2)) in order to get 4 panels. 2 rows by 2 columns.
In the row1/col1 (NORTHWEST) is a block of data in tabular format.
In the row1/col2 there should be an image.
In row2 there should be a text area spanning both columns.
Somehow, my current arrangement has got a bit of the image displayed on the right hand side of row 2 text area.
How do I force the image to display in a panel in row1/col2 ???
Yes doing it right the first time is diffcult, after that, I get remarks from colleagues reading and copying my codes, saying "...that looks easy, I knew that... ".
***************
Basically, if I have a 3x4 grid than how do I ensure that panel ABC is in row1, col2 ???
***************
Arrrgggh, all these books have such simple examples, like setLayout(new GridLayout(1,2)).

[ December 10, 2002: Message edited by: achana chan ]

[Nathan Pruett]

Instead of using GridLayout, you should be using GridBagLayout...

Here's a short example showing a frame layed out like you described...

import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
 
import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTable;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.WindowConstants;
import javax.swing.table.DefaultTableModel;
 
public class LayoutTester extends JFrame {
    
    private JTable table;
    private JLabel image;
    private JTextArea text;
    private GridBagLayout layout;
    
    public LayoutTester() {
        super( "Layout Tester" );
        layout = new GridBagLayout();
        getContentPane().setLayout( layout );
        table = new JTable( new TableData() );
        JScrollPane tableScroll = new JScrollPane( table );
        GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
        c.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
        c.gridwidth = 1;
        c.gridheight = 1;
        c.weightx = 0.5;
        c.weighty = 0.5;
        c.gridy = 0;
        getContentPane().add( tableScroll, c );
        image = new JLabel( "Image goes here..." );
        image.setEnabled( false );
        image.setBorder( BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder() );
        c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER;
        getContentPane().add( image, c );
        text = new JTextArea( "Text goes here..." );
        JScrollPane textScroll = new JScrollPane( text );
        c.gridy = 1;
        c.weighty = 0.5;
        getContentPane().add( textScroll, c );
    }
    
    private class TableData extends DefaultTableModel {
        private Object[][] data = { { "Bob", new Integer( 34 ), "Plumber" },
                    { "Nathan", new Integer( 26 ), "Programmer" },
                    { "Paul", new Integer( 23 ), "Sales" } };
        private String[] colNames = { "Name", "Age", "Occupation" };
        
        public TableData() {
            super();
            setDataVector( data, colNames );
        }
        
        public Class getColumnClass( int colNum ) {
            switch ( colNum ) {
                case 2 :
                    return Integer.class;
                default :
                    return String.class;
            }
        }
    }
 
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        JFrame f = new LayoutTester();
        f.setDefaultCloseOperation( WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE );
        f.setSize( 300, 300 );
        f.show();
    }
}