Resizing the components in a desktop GUI

Question

I am making a GUI for data-structure in Java. I wanted a feature that whenever the user clicks on the maximize button present at the top of the form the components and everything in the form should also get resized as the windows expands and vice-versa. I've searched a lot but couldn't find the solution.

How to scale the GUI?

It is usually not best to scale every component, but instead to supply extra width or height to specific components. The [Nested Layout Example](http://stackoverflow.com/a/5630271/418556) does that - resize it to see what I mean. In that case, it really comes down to the layout managers that are used to position the components within the GUI, and the constraints used when adding them. — Andrew Thompson, Jun 14 '12 at 14:59
Not getting anything wat Nested Layout Example is doing. Can you help me with some short code like how to resize a Toolbar when the maximize button is pressed — rick, Jun 14 '12 at 15:06
rick copy the code and run then resize the window and say if that sort of resizing you are after? You will see that gridbaglayout bit and table both resize to fit the available space with appropriate aspect ratio. @AndrewThompson *"The Nested Layout Example..."* I think this answers the OP's problem, doesn't it? Thus it might as well be an answer rather then a comment (+1 anyway). — Boro, Jun 14 '12 at 15:25

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:32

Can you help me with some short code like how to resize a Toolbar when the maximize button is pressed..

I'll do better. Here's a short code sample that shows 5 of them with different resize behavior depending on where they are placed in a BorderLayout.

ResizableToolBars

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

public class ResizableToolBars {

    public static void showFrameWithToolBar(String toolBarPosition) {
        // the layout is important..
        JPanel gui = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());

        JToolBar tb = new JToolBar();
        // ..the constraint is also important
        gui.add(tb, toolBarPosition);
        tb.add(new JButton("Button 1"));
        tb.add(new JButton("Button 2"));
        tb.addSeparator();
        tb.add(new JButton("Button 3"));
        tb.add(new JCheckBox("Check 1", true));

        JFrame f = new JFrame(toolBarPosition + " Sreeeetchable Tool Bar");
        f.setContentPane(gui);
        f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
        f.setLocationByPlatform(true);
        f.pack();

        // we don't normally set a size, this is to show where 
        // extra space is assigned.
        f.setSize(400,120);
        f.setVisible(true);
    }
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable(){
            @Override
            public void run() {
                showFrameWithToolBar(BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
                showFrameWithToolBar(BorderLayout.PAGE_END);
                showFrameWithToolBar(BorderLayout.LINE_START);
                showFrameWithToolBar(BorderLayout.LINE_END);
                showFrameWithToolBar(BorderLayout.CENTER);
            }
        });
    }
}

Look at the effect of each one closely when it is resized.
Look at the JavaDocs for BorderLayout.
Do the Laying Out Components Within a Container lesson of the Java tutorial.

If you come back to the Nested Layout Example after that, you should be able to figure out how I put it together from smaller groups of components, each in their own layout (in a panel) in one area of a parent container.

@mKorbel Thanks - I was looking for a way to cram screenshots of 6 GUIs into one answer (and not get roused on). ;) — Andrew Thompson, Jun 14 '12 at 15:44
There is somebody in the room with way too much time to create screenshots. And I keep upvoting posts referring to to that nested layout answer (perhaps I should try adding that to the Swing wiki tag here on SO) :-) — Robin, Jun 14 '12 at 18:49
+1 Guilty of [contributing](http://stackoverflow.com/posts/5630271/revisions) to the [fray](http://stackoverflow.com/a/5630271/230513). — trashgod, Jun 14 '12 at 20:26
@Robin *"way too much time to create screenshots"* It's more calming than weaving baskets. My doctor says it's OK, but the nursing stuff would prefer baskets to sell.. ;) — Andrew Thompson, Jun 15 '12 at 03:52
@trashgod ..Including the nice screen-shot that I have gained great use from. :) — Andrew Thompson, Jun 15 '12 at 03:52
I added a section to Swing tag. Let's see if it gets approved — Robin, Jun 15 '12 at 20:14

Resizing the components in a desktop GUI

1 Answers1