FormLayout

First of all I am not a specialist in layout managers but I have used the layout managers included in the AWT and Swing.

And... after a while I decided that it's quite difficult sometimes to get what you want using them.

So, searching for some third party layout manager I have found FormLayout, http://jgoodies.com/downloads/libraries.html.

It's quite intuitive to use it and after you use it for a while you become quite productive with it.

I haven't tried other layout managers because I am satisfied with this one. But maybe I should try others ....

Here is the source code:

import javax.swing.*;

import com.jgoodies.forms.factories.*;
import com.jgoodies.forms.layout.*;

/**
 * <p>Test for {@code FormLayout}.</p>
 * 
 * @version       1.0 Oct 13, 2006
 * @author        Sarmis Mihail Bulau
 */
public class AddressBookPanel extends JPanel {

   /**
    * <p>Creates a default {@code AddressBookPanel} instance.</p>
    */
   public AddressBookPanel() {
      createComponents();
      initComponents();
   }

   private void initComponents() {
      setLayout( new FormLayout(
         new ColumnSpec[] {
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( ColumnSpec.FILL, Sizes.DEFAULT, 0.3 ),
            FormFactory.UNRELATED_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( ColumnSpec.RIGHT, Sizes.DEFAULT, FormSpec.NO_GROW ),
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( ColumnSpec.FILL, Sizes.PREFERRED, 0.3 ),
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.PREF_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( ColumnSpec.FILL, Sizes.DEFAULT, 0.3 ),
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
         },
         new RowSpec[] {
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
            new RowSpec( RowSpec.TOP, Sizes.DEFAULT, FormSpec.DEFAULT_GROW ),
            FormFactory.LINE_GAP_ROWSPEC,
         } )
      );
      initList();
      add( new JScrollPane( list ), "2, 2, 1, 17" );

      lastNameLabel.setText( "Last Name" );
      add( lastNameLabel, "4, 2" );
      add( lastNameField, "6, 2" );

      initFirstNamePanel();
      add( firstNamePanel, "8, 2, 5, 1" );

      phoneLabel.setText( "Phone" );
      add( phoneLabel, "4, 4" );
      add( phoneField, "6, 4" );
      initEmailPanel();
      add( emailPanel, "8, 4, 5, 1" );

      firstAddressLabel.setText( "Address 1" );
      add( firstAddressLabel, "4, 6" );
      add( firstAddressField, "6, 6, 7, 1" );

      secondAddressLabel.setText( "Address 2" );
      add( secondAddressLabel, "4, 8" );
      add( secondAddressField, "6, 8, 7, 1" );

      cityLabel.setText( "City" );
      add( cityLabel, "4, 10" );
      add( cityField, "6, 10" );

      stateLabel.setText( "State" );
      add( stateLabel, "4, 12" );
      add( stateField, "6, 12" );

      initPostalCodePanel();
      add( postalCodePanel, "8, 12, 5, 1" );

      countryLabel.setText( "Country" );
      add( countryLabel, "4, 14" );
      add( countryField, "6, 14" );

      initButtonsPanel();
      add( buttonsPanel, "4, 18, 9, 1" );
   }

   private void createComponents() {
      list = new JList();
      lastNameLabel = new JLabel();
      lastNameField = new JTextField();
      firstNamePanel = new JPanel();
      firstNameLabel = new JLabel();
      firstNameField = new JTextField();
      phoneLabel = new JLabel();
      phoneField = new JTextField();
      emailPanel = new JPanel();
      emailLabel = new JLabel();
      emailField = new JTextField();
      firstAddressLabel = new JLabel();
      firstAddressField = new JTextField();
      secondAddressLabel = new JLabel();
      secondAddressField = new JTextField();
      cityLabel = new JLabel();
      cityField = new JTextField();
      stateLabel = new JLabel();
      stateField = new JTextField();
      postalCodePanel = new JPanel();
      postalCodeLabel = new JLabel();
      postalCodeField = new JTextField();
      countryLabel = new JLabel();
      countryField = new JTextField();
      buttonsPanel = new JPanel();
      newButton = new JButton();
      deleteButton = new JButton();
      editButton = new JButton();
      saveButton = new JButton();
      cancelButton = new JButton();
   }

   private void initList() {
      list.setModel( new AbstractListModel() {
         String[] values = { "Bunny, Bugs", "Cat, Sylvester", "Coyote, Wile",
            "Devil, Tasmanian", "Duck, Daffy", "Fudd, Elmer", "Le Pew, Pepe",
            "Martian, Marvin" };

         public int getSize() {
            return values.length;
         }

         public Object getElementAt( int i ) {
            return values[ i ];
         }
      } );
   }

   private void initFirstNamePanel() {
      firstNamePanel.setLayout( new FormLayout(
         new ColumnSpec[] {
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( "fill:default:grow" ),
         },
         RowSpec.decodeSpecs( "default" ) )
      );

      firstNameLabel.setText( "First Name" );
      firstNamePanel.add( firstNameLabel, "1, 1" );
      firstNamePanel.add( firstNameField, "3, 1" );
   }

   private void initEmailPanel() {
      emailPanel.setLayout( new FormLayout(
         new ColumnSpec[] {
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( "fill:default:grow" ),
         },
         RowSpec.decodeSpecs( "default" ) )
      );
      emailLabel.setText( "Email" );
      emailPanel.add( emailLabel, "1, 1" );
      emailPanel.add( emailField, "3, 1" );
   }

   private void initPostalCodePanel() {
      postalCodePanel.setLayout( new FormLayout(
         new ColumnSpec[] {
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            new ColumnSpec( "fill:default:grow" ),
         },
         RowSpec.decodeSpecs( "default" ) )
      );

      postalCodeLabel.setText( "Postal Code" );
      postalCodePanel.add( postalCodeLabel, "1, 1" );
      postalCodePanel.add( postalCodeField, "3, 1" );
   }

   private void initButtonsPanel() {
      buttonsPanel.setLayout( new FormLayout(
         new ColumnSpec[] {
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.LABEL_COMPONENT_GAP_COLSPEC,
            FormFactory.DEFAULT_COLSPEC,
         },
         RowSpec.decodeSpecs( "default" ) )
      );
      ( ( FormLayout )buttonsPanel.getLayout() ).setColumnGroups(
         new int[][] { { 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 } } );

      newButton.setText( "New" );
      buttonsPanel.add( newButton, "1, 1" );

      deleteButton.setText( "Delete" );
      buttonsPanel.add( deleteButton, "3, 1" );

      editButton.setText( "Edit" );
      buttonsPanel.add( editButton, "5, 1" );

      saveButton.setText( "Save" );
      buttonsPanel.add( saveButton, "7, 1" );

      cancelButton.setText( "Cancel" );
      buttonsPanel.add( cancelButton, "9, 1" );
   }

   private JList list;

   private JLabel lastNameLabel;
   private JLabel firstNameLabel;
   private JLabel phoneLabel;
   private JLabel emailLabel;
   private JLabel firstAddressLabel;
   private JLabel secondAddressLabel;
   private JLabel stateLabel;
   private JLabel postalCodeLabel;
   private JLabel countryLabel;
   private JLabel cityLabel;

   private JTextField lastNameField;
   private JTextField firstNameField;
   private JTextField phoneField;
   private JTextField emailField;
   private JTextField firstAddressField;
   private JTextField secondAddressField;
   private JTextField cityField;
   private JTextField stateField;
   private JTextField postalCodeField;
   private JTextField countryField;

   private JPanel firstNamePanel;
   private JPanel emailPanel;
   private JPanel postalCodePanel;
   private JPanel buttonsPanel;

   private JButton newButton;
   private JButton deleteButton;
   private JButton editButton;
   private JButton saveButton;
   private JButton cancelButton;
}

I think the layout usage it's nice and clear. Besides of this, the library has a lot of functionalities which speeds up the forms development.