LAYOUT MANAGERS

A Layoutmanager automatically arrange your controls within a window by using some type of algorithm.Java technology uses Layout Managers to define the location and size of Graphical User Interface components.

UNDERSTANDING LAYOUT MANAGERS:

A Layoutmanager automatically arrange your controls within a window by using some type of algorithm.Java technology uses Layout Managers to define the location and size of Graphical User Interface components. Java technology does not encourage programmers to use absolute location and size of components. Java technology instead places components based on specified Layout Manager. 

          A Layout Manager implements a layout policy that defines constraints between components in a container.Create a new layout object (using one of its constructors) and use the container's setLayout method to set the layout. Each layout has its own way to resize components to fit the layout, and you must become familiar with these.A layout manager is an object that implements the LayoutManager interface* and determines the size and position of the components within a container. Although components can provide size and alignment hints, a container's layout manager has the final say on the size and position of the components within the container.

Basic Layout Managers

• FlowLayout:

Default for java.applet.Applet, java.awt.Panel and java.swing.JPanel. Places components sequentially (left to right) in the order they were added. You can specify the order.

• BorderLayout:

Default for the content panes of JFrame and JApplets. Arranges the components into five areas: North, South, East, West and Center

• GridLayout:

Arranges the components into rows and columns

Advanced Layout Managers

• BoxLayout:

Allows components to be arranged left-to-right or top-to-bottom in a container

• CardLayout:

Stacks components like a deck of cards

• GridBagLayout:

similar to GridLayout. unlike GridLayout each component size can vary and     components can be added in any order.

Setting Layout Managers

The following method defined in the Container class can be used for setting layout managers.

void setLayout(LayoutManager mgr);