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 a FreeDesign paradigm which 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 FreeDesign 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.

Layout Managers provided in the IDE

If you are working with forms created in earlier versions of the IDE or want your form to be compatible with standard Java classes, for example, you can specify a layout manager for your forms.

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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