BorderLayout

• BorderLayout ref
• How to Use BorderLayout

Textbook example

// BorderLayoutDemo.java
// Demonstrating BorderLayout.
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class BorderLayoutDemo extends JFrame
                              implements ActionListener {
   private JButton b[];
   private String names[] =
      { "Hide North", "Hide South", "Hide East",
        "Hide West", "Hide Center" };
   private BorderLayout layout;

   public BorderLayoutDemo()
   {
      super( "BorderLayout Demo" );

      layout = new BorderLayout( 5, 5 );

      Container c = getContentPane();
      c.setLayout( layout );

      // instantiate button objects
      b = new JButton[ names.length ];

      for ( int i = 0; i < names.length; i++ ) {
         b[ i ] = new JButton( names[ i ] );
         b[ i ].addActionListener( this );
      }

      // order not important
      c.add( b[ 0 ], BorderLayout.NORTH );  // North position
      c.add( b[ 1 ], BorderLayout.SOUTH );  // South position
      c.add( b[ 2 ], BorderLayout.EAST );   // East position
      c.add( b[ 3 ], BorderLayout.WEST );   // West position
      c.add( b[ 4 ], BorderLayout.CENTER ); // Center position

      setSize( 300, 200 );
      show();
   }            

   public void actionPerformed( ActionEvent e )
   {
      for ( int i = 0; i < b.length; i++ ) 
         if ( e.getSource() == b[ i ] )
            b[ i ].setVisible( false );
         else
            b[ i ].setVisible( true );

      // re-layout the content pane
      layout.layoutContainer( getContentPane() );
   }

   public static void main( String args[] )
   { 
      BorderLayoutDemo app = new BorderLayoutDemo();

      app.addWindowListener(
         new WindowAdapter() {
            public void windowClosing( WindowEvent e )
            {
               System.exit( 0 );
            }
         }
      );
   }
}

Tutorial Example

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

public class BorderWindow extends JFrame {
    boolean inAnApplet = true;
     
    public BorderWindow() {
        Container contentPane = getContentPane();
        //Use the content pane's default BorderLayout.
        //contentPane.setLayout(new BorderLayout()); //unnecessary
   
        contentPane.add(new JButton("Button 1 (NORTH)"),
                        BorderLayout.NORTH);
        contentPane.add(new JButton("2 (CENTER)"),
                        BorderLayout.CENTER);
        contentPane.add(new JButton("Button 3 (WEST)"),
                        BorderLayout.WEST);
        contentPane.add(new JButton("Long-Named Button 4 (SOUTH)"),
                        BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        contentPane.add(new JButton("Button 5 (EAST)"),
                        BorderLayout.EAST);

        addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
            public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
                if (inAnApplet) {
                    dispose();
                } else {
                    System.exit(0);
                }
            }
        });
    }

    public static void main(String args[]) {
        BorderWindow window = new BorderWindow();
        window.inAnApplet = false;

        window.setTitle("BorderLayout");
        window.pack();
        window.setVisible(true);
    }
}

Maintained by John Loomis, last updated 15 June 2000