How to change the dimension of a component in a JFrame

Question

Suppose I have a JPanel in a JFrame. When I invoke a method that changes the preferred size of that JPanel, it does not change.

The code looks something like this:

public class SomePanel extends JPanel{

    public SomePanel(){
        setPreferredSize( new Dimension( 390, 40 ) );
        setBackground( Color.BLACK );
    }

    public void expand(){
        setPreferredSize( new Dimension( 390, 200 ) );
    }

    public static void main( String args[] ){
        JFrame frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setSize( 450, 500 );
        frame.setLayout( new FlowLayout() );

        SomePanel somePanel = new SomePanel();

        frame.add( somePanel );
        frame.setVisible( true );

        somePanel.expand();
    }
}

Is there something that I have to do first? I have tried so check the size of the JPanel when expand() is invoked. The height of the JPanel before and after setting the preferred size remains at 40.

I have also tried to use a Dimension variable, and that did not work either.

    Dimension dimension;

    public SomePanel(){
        dimension = new Dimension( 390, 40 );
        ...
    }

    public expand(){
        dimension.setSize( 390, 200 );
        setPreferredSize( dimension );
    } 

Answer 1

Add frame.pack(); after somePanel.expand(); in your main() method. It will be done.

Answer 2

You need to invalidate the container hierarchy to make it re-layout the components.

Simply call invalidate followed by revalidate on the component you have changed.

Here's a small example...

public class TestComponentHierarcy {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new TestComponentHierarcy();
    }

    public TestComponentHierarcy() {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
                } catch (InstantiationException ex) {
                } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
                } catch (UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
                }

                JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
                frame.add(new Test());
                frame.pack();
                frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
                frame.setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }

    public class Test extends JPanel {

        private Dimension size = new Dimension(10, 10);

        public Test() {

            setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
            addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
                @Override
                public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
                    size.width += 10;
                    size.height += 10;
                    invalidate();
                    revalidate();
                }
            });

        }

        @Override
        public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
            return size;
        }

        @Override
        protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
            super.paintComponent(g);
            g.setColor(Color.RED);
            g.drawRect(0, 0, getWidth() - 1, getHeight() - 1);
        }

    }

}

Answer 3

+1 to all.

I usually use a combination of:

revalidate() and pack(). (see @GagandeepBali and @StanislavL answer here for more reasoning as to my choice of revalidate()) as for pack() this allows for my JFrame to be sized to fit the contents.

• do not call setPreferredSize rather override getPreferredSize of JPanel.

• also do not call setSize(..) on JFrame use correct LayoutManager which adjusts to all added components size and than simply call pack() before setting JFrame visible.

• And lastly but not stressed enough warp creation and manipulation of Swing components in SwingUtilities.invokeXXX block / Event Dispatch Thread

Here is an example I made:

Basically a JPanel which overrides getPreferredSize and has a method setPanelSize(int w,int h) which changes variables in JPanel instance to return new Dimensions for getPreferredSize. after that I call revalidate() and pack() on JFrame to refelect changes:

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;

public class Test {

    public Test() {
        initComponents();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                new Test();
            }
        });
    }

    private void initComponents() {
        final JFrame frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setTitle("Test");

        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        final MyPanel myPanel = new MyPanel();
        final JButton changeSizeButton = new JButton("Change size to 300x300");

        changeSizeButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            boolean resized = false;

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                if (resized) {
                    myPanel.setPanelSize(200, 200);
                    resized = false;
                    changeSizeButton.setText("Change size to 300x300");
                } else {
                    myPanel.setPanelSize(300, 300);
                    resized = true;
                    changeSizeButton.setText("Change size to 200x200");
                }

                frame.revalidate();
                frame.pack();

            }
        });
        frame.add(myPanel);
        frame.add(changeSizeButton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }
}

class MyPanel extends JPanel {

    private int width, height;

    public MyPanel() {
        super(true);
        width = 200;
        height = 200;
    }

    @Override
    public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
        return new Dimension(width, height);
    }

    public void setPanelSize(int width, int height) {
        this.width = width;
        this.height = height;
    }
}