set size wont work in java

Question

public void start_Gui() {

    JFrame window = new JFrame("Client Program");
    window.setDefaultCloseOperation( JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

    JPanel panel = new JPanel();
    window.setContentPane(panel);
    panel.setLayout(new GridLayout(1,2));

    JLabel leftside = new JLabel();
    leftside.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));

    JTextArea rightside = new JTextArea();
    rightside.setEditable(false);   //add scroll pane.
    rightside.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK));
    rightside.setLayout(new FlowLayout());

    JTextArea client_text_input = new JTextArea();
    client_text_input.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK));
    leftside.add(client_text_input);

    JLabel buttons_layer = new JLabel();
    JButton login = new JButton("Login");
    JButton logout = new JButton("Logout");
    buttons_layer.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK));
    buttons_layer.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
    buttons_layer.add(login);
    buttons_layer.add(logout);
    leftside.add(buttons_layer);

    panel.add(leftside);
    panel.add(rightside);

    window.setSize(300, 400);
    window.setResizable(false);
    window.setVisible(true);
}

I am working on a simple java chat client gui application. (the server etc, is done by others).

It is not a big project, but my only problem is that whatever I do to try to resize any components on the above GUI, won't work.

For example:

JTextArea client_text_input = new JTextArea();
client_text_input.setSize(100,200);

Won't work.

Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

In Swing, you have two options for layout: do everything manually or let a LayoutManager handle it for you.

Calling setSize() will only work when you're not using a LayoutManager. Since you're using a GridLayout you'll have to use other ways to specify what you want.

Try calling setPreferredSize() and setMinimumSize().

Answer 2

Two things - firstly you should be setting the preferredSize of the scrollpane, but secondly, trying to resize it inside the componentResized handler isn't a very effective technique because the 'resized' events aren't continuous.

check resizing text area in a JFrame

Answer 3

but setXxxSize (for ContainersChilds) works as chaims if you change from setSize() (for TopLayoutContainer) to setPreferredSize() and you have to call pack() before setVisible()