About Layout Managers

See Also

Layout managers enable you to control the way in which visual components are arranged in GUI forms by determining the size and position of components within containers. This is accomplished by implementing the LayoutManager interface.

By default, new forms created with the GUI Builder use the GroupLayout layout manager. The IDE has special support for GroupLayout called Free Design. Free Design enables you to lay out your form using visual guidelines that automatically suggest optimal alignment and spacing of components. As you work, the GUI Builder translates your design decisions into a functional UI without requiring you to specify a layout manager. Because Free Design employs a dynamic layout model, whenever you resize the form or switch locales the GUI adjusts to accommodate your changes without changing the relationships between components.

Other Layout Managers

You can use other layout managers in the IDE, which might be neccessary if you are working with forms created in earlier versions of the IDE or you want your form to be compatible with Java Platform version 5 or earlier.

You can choose from the following Layout Managers in the IDE:

See Also
Setting the Layout Manager
Using a Custom Layout Manager
Using the GridBag Customizer

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