How do I keep a JButton from changing size?

Question

I'm trying to make a simple game where you can set out tiles that make up a celtic design and I can't seem to make the buttons stay the same size. Here's the code:

public class CTGContent {

    public static JPanel content = new JPanel();
    private static JButton board[][] = new JButton[20][20];

    static private Random random = new Random();

    public static int CTGcolumn = random.nextInt(14)+1;
    public static int CTGRow = 15;
    private static GridLayout boardLayout;

    public final int getBoardWidth(){
        return CTGcolumn*40;
    }

    public final int getBoardHeight(){
        return CTGRow*40;
    }

    public static void initializeBoard(){
        int row = 0;
        int column = 0;

        int defaultCOL = 0;
        int defaultROW = 0;

        boardLayout = new GridLayout(CTGRow, CTGcolumn);
        content.setLayout(boardLayout);

        Random determine = new Random(); 

        while (row < CTGRow){
            column = 0;
            while (column < CTGcolumn){
                board[row][column] = new JButton(new ImageIcon("images\\template.gif"));
                board[row][column].setPreferredSize(new Dimension(40, 40));
                board[row][column].setMaximumSize(new Dimension(40, 40));
                board[row][column].setMinimumSize(new Dimension(40, 40));
                content.add(board[row][column]);
                column++;
            }
            row++;
        }
    }

    private static void build(){

        initializeBoard();

        JFrame window = new JFrame("testing the menubar");
        window.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        window.setContentPane(content);
        content.add(new JLabel("My Label"));
        window.pack();
        window.setVisible(true);    

    }

    public CTGContent() {

    }

    public CTGContent(JFrame window){

        initializeBoard();
        window.add(content);

    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater( new Runnable() {

            @Override
            public void run() {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub
                    build();
            }
        });
    }
}

It starts off the right size usually but then for some reason if I resize the window or something they change size with it. I need them to stay the same size no matter what. How can I do that?

Please use code formatting for code, input/output & structured documents like HTML or XML. To do that, *select the sample and click the `{}` button above the messaged posting/editing form.* — Andrew Thompson, Jan 20 '14 at 07:55
Note that the linked 'duplicate' is most definitely **not**. The linked question wanted to keep a group of buttons the same size as *each other*, and the answer was `GridLayout`. This question already used `GridLayout` but wanted to keep the buttons the same size *when the window resized* and the answer was put the entire panel into a parent panel that respects the size of the content and won't resize it! — Andrew Thompson, Jan 20 '14 at 22:44

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:07

Change:

window.setContentPane(content);

To:

JPanel contentCenter = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
contentCenter.add(content);
window.setContentPane(contentCenter);

enter image description here

There are other ways to do it, like make the layout a FlowLayout, but the GBL will keep it nicely centered - both vertically and horizontally.

Tips

Please learn common Java naming conventions (specifically the case used for the names) for class, method & attribute names & use them consistently.
For better help sooner, post an MCVE. That code only needed import in order to make it an MCVE.
See also this answer to Centering a JLabel on a JPanel

@alesc3 I did not down vote your answer, and *I'll prove it if you like.* — Andrew Thompson, Jan 20 '14 at 08:09

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:26

0

You use GridLayout because of your buttons resize horisontally/vertically always to fill whole grid cell. To prevent that you can use another LayoutManager, for example GridBagLayout.

Always read about setting size to components.

edited May 23 '17 at 10:26

Community

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answered Jan 20 '14 at 08:06

alex2410

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It is not actually necessary to change the layout from `GridLayout`. Just constraining the entire panel *inside* a `GridBagLayout` will do. – Andrew Thompson Jan 20 '14 at 08:12
@AndrewThompson, oh really, you are right. Topic starter can wrap his panel to not resizable LayoutManager. – alex2410 Jan 20 '14 at 08:14
Thanks Andrew Thompson. That helped a lot :D – user214936 Jan 20 '14 at 21:26

How do I keep a JButton from changing size?

2 Answers2

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