SpringLayout (Java 2 Platform SE v1.4.1)

javax.swing
Class SpringLayout
java.lang.Object
  |
  +--javax.swing.SpringLayout
All Implemented Interfaces:
LayoutManager, LayoutManager2

public class SpringLayout
extends Object
implements LayoutManager2

A SpringLayout lays out the children of its associated container according to a set of constraints. See How to Use SpringLayout in The Java Tutorial for examples of using SpringLayout.
Each constraint, represented by a Spring object, controls the vertical or horizontal distance between two component edges. The edges can belong to any child of the container, or to the container itself. For example, the allowable width of a component can be expressed using a constraint that controls the distance between the west (left) and east (right) edges of the component. The allowable y coordinates for a component can be expressed by constraining the distance between the north (top) edge of the component and the north edge of its container.
Every child of a SpringLayout-controlled container, as well as the container itself, has exactly one set of constraints associated with it. These constraints are represented by a SpringLayout.Constraints object. By default, SpringLayout creates constraints that make their associated component have the minimum, preferred, and maximum sizes returned by the component's Component.getMinimumSize(), Component.getPreferredSize(), and Component.getMaximumSize() methods. The x and y positions are initially not constrained, so that until you constrain them the Component will be positioned at 0,0 relative to the Insets of the parent Container.
You can change a component's constraints in several ways. You can use one of the putConstraint methods to establish a spring linking the edges of two components within the same container. Or you can get the appropriate SpringLayout.Constraints object using getConstraints and then modify one or more of its springs. Or you can get the spring for a particular edge of a component using getConstraint, and modify it. You can also associate your own SpringLayout.Constraints object with a component by specifying the constraints object when you add the component to its container (using Container.add(Component, Object)).
The Spring object representing each constraint has a minimum, preferred, maximum, and current value. The current value of the spring is somewhere between the minimum and maximum values, according to the formula given in the Spring.sum(javax.swing.Spring, javax.swing.Spring) method description. When the minimum, preferred, and maximum values are the same, the current value is always equal to them; this inflexible spring is called a strut. You can create struts using the factory method Spring.constant(int). The Spring class also provides factory methods for creating other kinds of springs, including springs that depend on other springs.
In a SpringLayout, the position of each edge is dependent on the position of just one other edge. If a constraint is subsequently added to create a new binding for an edge, the previous binding is discarded and the edge remains dependent on a single edge. Springs should only be attached between edges of the container and its immediate children; the behavior of the SpringLayout when presented with constraints linking the edges of components from different containers (either internal or external) is undefined.

SpringLayout vs. Other Layout Managers

Note: Unlike many layout managers, SpringLayout doesn't automatically set the location of the components it manages. If you hand-code a GUI that uses SpringLayout, remember to initialize component locations by constraining the west/east and north/south locations.
Depending on the constraints you use, you may also need to set the size of the container explicitly.

Despite the simplicity of SpringLayout, it can emulate the behavior of most other layout managers. For some features, such as the line breaking provided by FlowLayout, you'll need to create a special-purpose subclass of the Spring class.
SpringLayout also provides a way to solve many of the difficult layout problems that cannot be solved by nesting combinations of Boxes. That said, SpringLayout honors the LayoutManager2 contract correctly and so can be nested with other layout managers -- a technique that can be preferable to creating the constraints implied by the other layout managers.
The asymptotic complexity of the layout operation of a SpringLayout is linear in the number of constraints (and/or components).

Since:

1.4

See Also:
Spring, SpringLayout.Constraints

Nested Class Summary
static class SpringLayout.Constraints
    A Constraints object holds the constraints that govern the way a component's size and position change in a container controlled by a SpringLayout.

Field Summary
static String EAST
    Specifies the right edge of a component's bounding rectangle.
static String NORTH
    Specifies the top edge of a component's bounding rectangle.
static String SOUTH
    Specifies the bottom edge of a component's bounding rectangle.
static String WEST
    Specifies the left edge of a component's bounding rectangle.

Constructor Summary
SpringLayout()
    Constructs a new SpringLayout.

Method Summary
void addLayoutComponent(Component component, Object constraints)
    If constraints is an instance of SpringLayout.Constraints, associates the constraints with the specified component.
void addLayoutComponent(String name, Component c)
    Has no effect, since this layout manager does not use a per-component string.
Spring getConstraint(String edgeName, Component c)
    Returns the spring controlling the distance between the specified edge of the component and the top or left edge of its parent.
SpringLayout.Constraints getConstraints(Component c)
    Returns the constraints for the specified component.
float getLayoutAlignmentX(Container p)
    Returns 0.5f (centered).
float getLayoutAlignmentY(Container p)
    Returns 0.5f (centered).
void invalidateLayout(Container p)
    Invalidates the layout, indicating that if the layout manager has cached information it should be discarded.
void layoutContainer(Container parent)
    Lays out the specified container.
Dimension maximumLayoutSize(Container parent)
    Calculates the maximum size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.
Dimension minimumLayoutSize(Container parent)
    Calculates the minimum size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.
Dimension preferredLayoutSize(Container parent)
    Calculates the preferred size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.
void putConstraint(String e1, Component c1, int pad, String e2, Component c2)
    Links edge e1 of component c1 to edge e2 of component c2, with a fixed distance between the edges.
void putConstraint(String e1, Component c1, Spring s, String e2, Component c2)
    Links edge e1 of component c1 to edge e2 of component c2.
void removeLayoutComponent(Component c)
    Removes the constraints associated with the specified component.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

NORTH
public static final String NORTH
Specifies the top edge of a component's bounding rectangle.

See Also:
Constant Field Values

SOUTH
public static final String SOUTH
Specifies the bottom edge of a component's bounding rectangle.

See Also:
Constant Field Values

EAST
public static final String EAST
Specifies the right edge of a component's bounding rectangle.

See Also:
Constant Field Values

WEST
public static final String WEST
Specifies the left edge of a component's bounding rectangle.

See Also:
Constant Field Values

Constructor Detail

SpringLayout
public SpringLayout()
Constructs a new SpringLayout.

Method Detail

addLayoutComponent
public void addLayoutComponent(String name,
                               Component c)
Has no effect, since this layout manager does not use a per-component string.

Specified by:
addLayoutComponent in interface LayoutManager

Parameters:
name - the string to be associated with the component
c - the component to be added

removeLayoutComponent
public void removeLayoutComponent(Component c)
Removes the constraints associated with the specified component.

Specified by:
removeLayoutComponent in interface LayoutManager

Parameters:
c - the component being removed from the container

minimumLayoutSize
public Dimension minimumLayoutSize(Container parent)
Description copied from interface: LayoutManager

Calculates the minimum size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.

Specified by:
minimumLayoutSize in interface LayoutManager

Parameters:
parent - the component to be laid out
See Also:
LayoutManager.preferredLayoutSize(java.awt.Container)

preferredLayoutSize
public Dimension preferredLayoutSize(Container parent)
Description copied from interface: LayoutManager

Calculates the preferred size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.

Specified by:
preferredLayoutSize in interface LayoutManager

Parameters:
parent - the container to be laid out
See Also:
LayoutManager.minimumLayoutSize(java.awt.Container)

maximumLayoutSize
public Dimension maximumLayoutSize(Container parent)
Description copied from interface: LayoutManager2

Calculates the maximum size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.

Specified by:
maximumLayoutSize in interface LayoutManager2

See Also:
Component.getMaximumSize(), LayoutManager

addLayoutComponent
public void addLayoutComponent(Component component,
                               Object constraints)
If constraints is an instance of SpringLayout.Constraints, associates the constraints with the specified component.

Specified by:
addLayoutComponent in interface LayoutManager2

Parameters:
component - the component being added
constraints - the component's constraints
See Also:
SpringLayout.Constraints

getLayoutAlignmentX
public float getLayoutAlignmentX(Container p)
Returns 0.5f (centered).

Specified by:
getLayoutAlignmentX in interface LayoutManager2

getLayoutAlignmentY
public float getLayoutAlignmentY(Container p)
Returns 0.5f (centered).

Specified by:
getLayoutAlignmentY in interface LayoutManager2

invalidateLayout
public void invalidateLayout(Container p)
Description copied from interface: LayoutManager2

Invalidates the layout, indicating that if the layout manager has cached information it should be discarded.

Specified by:
invalidateLayout in interface LayoutManager2

putConstraint
public void putConstraint(String e1,
                          Component c1,
                          int pad,
                          String e2,
                          Component c2)
Links edge e1 of component c1 to edge e2 of component c2, with a fixed distance between the edges. This constraint will cause the assignment
     value(e1, c1) = value(e2, c2) + pad
to take place during all subsequent layout operations.
Parameters:
e1 - the edge of the dependent
c1 - the component of the dependent
pad - the fixed distance between dependent and anchor
e2 - the edge of the anchor
c2 - the component of the anchor
See Also:
putConstraint(String, Component, Spring, String, Component)
putConstraint
public void putConstraint(String e1,
                          Component c1,
                          Spring s,
                          String e2,
                          Component c2)
Links edge e1 of component c1 to edge e2 of component c2. As edge (e2, c2) changes value, edge (e1, c1) will be calculated by taking the (spring) sum of (e2, c2) and s. Each edge must have one of the following values: SpringLayout.NORTH, SpringLayout.SOUTH, SpringLayout.EAST, SpringLayout.WEST.

Parameters:
e1 - the edge of the dependent
c1 - the component of the dependent
s - the spring linking dependent and anchor
e2 - the edge of the anchor
c2 - the component of the anchor
See Also:
putConstraint(String, Component, int, String, Component), NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST

getConstraints
public SpringLayout.Constraints getConstraints(Component c)
Returns the constraints for the specified component. Note that, unlike the GridBagLayout getConstraints method, this method does not clone constraints. If no constraints have been associated with this component, this method returns a default constraints object positioned at 0,0 relative to the parent's Insets and its width/height constrained to the minimum, maximum, and preferred sizes of the component. The size characteristics are not frozen at the time this method is called; instead this method returns a constraints object whose characteristics track the characteristics of the component as they change.

Parameters:
c - the component whose constraints will be returned
Returns:
the constraints for the specified component

getConstraint
public Spring getConstraint(String edgeName,
                            Component c)
Returns the spring controlling the distance between the specified edge of the component and the top or left edge of its parent. This method, instead of returning the current binding for the edge, returns a proxy that tracks the characteristics of the edge even if the edge is subsequently rebound. Proxies are intended to be used in builder envonments where it is useful to allow the user to define the constraints for a layout in any order. Proxies do, however, provide the means to create cyclic dependencies amongst the constraints of a layout. Such cycles are detected internally by SpringLayout so that the layout operation always terminates.

Parameters:
edgeName - must be SpringLayout.NORTH, SpringLayout.SOUTH, SpringLayout.EAST, or SpringLayout.WEST
c - the component whose edge spring is desired
Returns:
a proxy for the spring controlling the distance between the specified edge and the top or left edge of its parent
See Also:
NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST

layoutContainer
public void layoutContainer(Container parent)
Description copied from interface: LayoutManager

Lays out the specified container.

Specified by:
layoutContainer in interface LayoutManager

Parameters:
parent - the container to be laid out

Field Summary
static String	EAST Specifies the right edge of a component's bounding rectangle.
static String	NORTH Specifies the top edge of a component's bounding rectangle.
static String	SOUTH Specifies the bottom edge of a component's bounding rectangle.
static String	WEST Specifies the left edge of a component's bounding rectangle.

Method Summary
void	addLayoutComponent(Component component, Object constraints) If constraints is an instance of SpringLayout.Constraints, associates the constraints with the specified component.
void	addLayoutComponent(String name, Component c) Has no effect, since this layout manager does not use a per-component string.
Spring	getConstraint(String edgeName, Component c) Returns the spring controlling the distance between the specified edge of the component and the top or left edge of its parent.
SpringLayout.Constraints	getConstraints(Component c) Returns the constraints for the specified component.
float	getLayoutAlignmentX(Container p) Returns 0.5f (centered).
float	getLayoutAlignmentY(Container p) Returns 0.5f (centered).
void	invalidateLayout(Container p) Invalidates the layout, indicating that if the layout manager has cached information it should be discarded.
void	layoutContainer(Container parent) Lays out the specified container.
Dimension	maximumLayoutSize(Container parent) Calculates the maximum size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.
Dimension	minimumLayoutSize(Container parent) Calculates the minimum size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.
Dimension	preferredLayoutSize(Container parent) Calculates the preferred size dimensions for the specified container, given the components it contains.
void	putConstraint(String e1, Component c1, int pad, String e2, Component c2) Links edge e1 of component c1 to edge e2 of component c2, with a fixed distance between the edges.
void	putConstraint(String e1, Component c1, Spring s, String e2, Component c2) Links edge e1 of component c1 to edge e2 of component c2.
void	removeLayoutComponent(Component c) Removes the constraints associated with the specified component.

javax.swing Class SpringLayout

SpringLayout vs. Other Layout Managers

Nested Class Summary

Field Summary

Constructor Summary

Method Summary

Field Detail

NORTH

SOUTH

EAST

WEST

Constructor Detail

SpringLayout

Method Detail

addLayoutComponent

removeLayoutComponent

minimumLayoutSize

preferredLayoutSize

maximumLayoutSize

addLayoutComponent

getLayoutAlignmentX

getLayoutAlignmentY

invalidateLayout

putConstraint

putConstraint

getConstraints

getConstraint

layoutContainer

javax.swing
Class SpringLayout