[izpack-devel] IzPanel Layout

[Elmar Grom]

Klaus,

a couple of things.

1) Layout Manager

Since you mention the use of GridBagLayout, I might be able to support you
in this quest. If you managed to ever make GridBagLayout work for a layout,
more power to you. I don't consider myself a dimwit but I never managed to
make use of it in any productive way.

Anyway, I found that a layout manager of the type grid layout if quite often
what is called for. Unfortunately neither GridLayout nor GridBagLayout
really work for most real world cases. Well GridBagLayout might, but setting
up all the constraints is so complicated and takes so much code that one
might just as well go ahead and write an entire layout manger. One day I got
so fed up by this problem that I wrote a layout manager that did exactly
what I thought GridLayout should do in the first place to be really useful.
I call it TableLayout, because it produces a layout just like an HTML table.
This means that components are laid out in rows and columns, just as in
GridLayout but each row is just as tall as it needs to be and all columns
are just as wide as they need to be. This means it can also be used as a
FlowLayout and as a *vertical* form of FlowLayout. It would also be able to
replace the ColumnLayout that I had written for the UnserInputPanel.

If you think this layout could help solving your issue, or might be useful
as a starting point, I would be willing to contribute it to the project.

2) Docu

No problem with that. Again, I know that a lot of folks have a real hurdle
to overcome on this point. Just please care enough to send Fabrice the info,
so that he can take care of it. And as I mentioned in me mail, I am willing
to help with writing text as well.

	Elmar

-----Original Message-----
From: izpack-devel-bounces at bat.berlios.de
[mailto:izpack-devel-bounces at bat.berlios.de]On Behalf Of Bartz, Klaus
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:05 AM
To: izpack-devel at berlios.de
Subject: [izpack-devel] IzPanel Layout


Hi all,
such often I have this time already problems with the
layout in my IzPanels. Normally I use a GridBagLayout,
but it does not really what I need. Also other
layouts do not fully what I need.
If I look into existent panels some of them are a little
bit other layout as others. This is a little bit ugly
because our usability freak is fussy...
Additional I need NORTHWEST as anchor.

Therefore I play with the idea to create a layout manager for IzPanels
which allows to use the same insets, gaps, anchors etc. in all
panels which uses this layout manager. Last time I have checked in
some things (gaps, anchor) to make layout configurable. This will
be supported by the layout manager, of course.
My prototyp can manage the MultiLineLabel (that's from Elmar) also
at resizing. Other layout manager are confusing with that label.

The problem will be that changes at existent common classes are
needed.
I will do it for the common classes ownded by me and I would do it
with the common classes I use (from Elmar I use ShortcutPanel).
Some classes cannot use such a layout manager (e.g. PacksPanel).
I have written little bit docu for "Modifying the GUI". May be some
more will be needed.
But I am one of the people which hate writing docu...

The viewable layout will be change only a little bit, I hope.

Any comment?

Cheers

Klaus








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