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Class com.sun.java.swing.Box

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----java.awt.Component
           |
           +----java.awt.Container
                   |
                   +----com.sun.java.swing.Box

public class Box

extends Container

implements Accessible

The Box class can create several kinds of invisible components that affect layout: glue, struts, and rigid areas. If all the components your Box contains have a fixed size, you might want to use a glue component (returned by createGlue) to control the components' positions. If you need a fixed amount of space between two components, try using a strut (createHorizontalStrut or createVerticalStrut). If you need an invisible component that always takes up the same amount of space, get it by invoking createRigidArea.

Warning: serialized objects of this class will not be compatible with future swing releases. The current serialization support is appropriate for short term storage or RMI between Swing1.0 applications. It will not be possible to load serialized Swing1.0 objects with future releases of Swing. The JDK1.2 release of Swing will be the compatibility baseline for the serialized form of Swing objects.

See Also:

BoxLayout

accessibleContext

The currently set AccessibleContext object.

Box(int)

Creates a Box that displays its components along the the specified axis.

createGlue()

Creates an invisible "glue" component that can be useful in a Box whose visible components have a maximum width (for a horizontal box) or height (for a vertical box).

createHorizontalBox()

Creates a Box that displays its components from left to right.

createHorizontalGlue()

Creates a horizontal glue component.

createHorizontalStrut(int)

Creates an invisible, fixed-width component.

createRigidArea(Dimension)

Creates an invisible component that's always the specified size.

createVerticalBox()

Creates a Box that displays its components from top to bottom.

createVerticalGlue()

Creates a vertical glue component.

createVerticalStrut(int)

Creates an invisible, fixed-height component.

getAccessibleContext()

Get the AccessibleContext associated with this JComponent.

setLayout(LayoutManager)

Throws an AWTError, since a Box can use only a BoxLayout.

 protected AccessibleContext accessibleContext

The currently set AccessibleContext object.

 public Box(int axis)

Creates a Box that displays its components along the the specified axis.

Parameters:

axis - can be either BoxLayout.X_AXIS (to display components from left to right) or BoxLayout.Y_AXIS (to display them from top to bottom)

See Also:

createHorizontalBox, createVerticalBox

 public static Box createHorizontalBox()

Creates a Box that displays its components from left to right.

Returns:

the box

 public static Box createVerticalBox()

Creates a Box that displays its components from top to bottom.

Returns:

the box

 public static Component createRigidArea(Dimension d)

Creates an invisible component that's always the specified size.

Parameters:

d - the dimensions of the invisible component

Returns:

the component

See Also:

createGlue, createHorizontalStrut, createVerticalStrut

 public static Component createHorizontalStrut(int width)

Creates an invisible, fixed-width component. In a horizontal box, you typically use this method to force a certain amount of space between two components. In a vertical box, you might use this method to force the box to be at least the specified width. The invisible component has no height unless excess space is available, in which case it takes its share of available space, just like any other component that has no maximum height.

Parameters:

width - the width of the invisible component, in pixels >= 0

Returns:

the component

See Also:

createVerticalStrut, createGlue, createRigidArea

 public static Component createVerticalStrut(int height)

Creates an invisible, fixed-height component. In a vertical box, you typically use this method to force a certain amount of space between two components. In a horizontal box, you might use this method to force the box to be at least the specified height. The invisible component has no width unless excess space is available, in which case it takes its share of available space, just like any other component that has no maximum width.

Parameters:

height - the height of the invisible component, in pixels >= 0

Returns:

the component

See Also:

createHorizontalStrut, createGlue, createRigidArea

 public static Component createGlue()

Creates an invisible "glue" component that can be useful in a Box whose visible components have a maximum width (for a horizontal box) or height (for a vertical box). You can think of the glue component as being a gooey substance that expands as much as necessary to fill the space between its neighboring components.

For example, suppose you have a horizontal box that contains two fixed-size components. If the box gets extra space, the fixed-size components won't become larger, so where does the extra space go? Without glue, the extra space goes to the right of the second component. If you put glue between the fixed-size components, then the extra space goes there. If you put glue before the first fixed-size component, the extra space goes there, and the fixed-size components are shoved against the right edge of the box. If you put glue before the first fixed-size component and after the second fixed-size component, the fixed-size components are centered in the box.

To use glue, call Box.createGlue and add the returned component to a container. The glue component has no minimum or preferred size, so it takes no space unless excess space is available. If excess space is available, then the glue component takes its share of available horizontal or vertical space, just like any other component that has no maximum width or height.

Returns:

the component

 public static Component createHorizontalGlue()

Creates a horizontal glue component.

Returns:

the component

 public static Component createVerticalGlue()

Creates a vertical glue component.

Returns:

the component

 public void setLayout(LayoutManager l)

Throws an AWTError, since a Box can use only a BoxLayout.

Parameters:

l - the layout manager to use

Overrides:

setLayout in class Container

 public AccessibleContext getAccessibleContext()

Get the AccessibleContext associated with this JComponent. Creates a new context if necessary.

Returns:

the AccessibleContext of this JComponent

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