public static class

SpringLayout.Constraints

extends Object
java.lang.Object
   ↳ javax.swing.SpringLayout.Constraints

Class Overview

A Constraints object holds the constraints that govern the way a component's size and position change in a container controlled by a SpringLayout. A Constraints object is like a Rectangle, in that it has x, y, width, and height properties. In the Constraints object, however, these properties have Spring values instead of integers. In addition, a Constraints object can be manipulated as four edges -- north, south, east, and west -- using the constraint property.

The following formulas are always true for a Constraints object (here WEST and x are synonyms, as are and NORTH and y): 

               EAST = WEST + WIDTH
              SOUTH = NORTH + HEIGHT
  HORIZONTAL_CENTER = WEST + WIDTH/2
    VERTICAL_CENTER = NORTH + HEIGHT/2
  ABSOLUTE_BASELINE = NORTH + RELATIVE_BASELINE*

For example, if you have specified the WIDTH and WEST (X) location the EAST is calculated as WEST + WIDTH. If you instead specified the WIDTH and EAST locations the WEST (X) location is then calculated as EAST - WIDTH.

[RELATIVE_BASELINE is a private constraint that is set automatically when the SpringLayout.Constraints(Component) constuctor is called or when a constraints object is registered with a SpringLayout object.]

Note: In this document, operators represent methods in the Spring class. For example, "a + b" is equal to Spring.sum(a, b), and "a - b" is equal to Spring.sum(a, Spring.minus(b)). See the Spring API documentation for further details of spring arithmetic.

Because a Constraints object's properties -- representing its edges, size, and location -- can all be set independently and yet are interrelated, a Constraints object can become over-constrained. For example, if the WEST, WIDTH and EAST edges are all set, steps must be taken to ensure that the first of the formulas above holds. To do this, the Constraints object throws away the least recently set constraint so as to make the formulas hold.

Summary

Public Constructors
SpringLayout.Constraints()
Creates an empty Constraints object.
SpringLayout.Constraints(Spring x, Spring y)
Creates a Constraints object with the specified values for its x and y properties.
SpringLayout.Constraints(Spring x, Spring y, Spring width, Spring height)
Creates a Constraints object with the specified values for its x, y, width, and height properties.
SpringLayout.Constraints(Component c)
Creates a Constraints object with suitable x, y, width and height springs for component, c.
Public Methods
Spring getConstraint(String edgeName)
Returns the value of the specified edge, which may be a derived value, or even null.
Spring getHeight()
Returns the value of the height property.
Spring getWidth()
Returns the value of the width property.
Spring getX()
Returns the value of the x property.
Spring getY()
Returns the value of the y property.
void setConstraint(String edgeName, Spring s)
Sets the spring controlling the specified edge.
void setHeight(Spring height)
Sets the height property, which controls the height of a component.
void setWidth(Spring width)
Sets the width property, which controls the width of a component.
void setX(Spring x)
Sets the x property, which controls the x value of a component's location.
void setY(Spring y)
Sets the y property, which controls the y value of a component's location.
[Expand]
Inherited Methods
From class java.lang.Object

Public Constructors

public SpringLayout.Constraints ()

Creates an empty Constraints object.

public SpringLayout.Constraints (Spring x, Spring y)

Creates a Constraints object with the specified values for its x and y properties. The height and width springs have null values.

Parameters
x the spring controlling the component's x value
y the spring controlling the component's y value

public SpringLayout.Constraints (Spring x, Spring y, Spring width, Spring height)

Creates a Constraints object with the specified values for its x, y, width, and height properties. Note: If the SpringLayout class encounters null values in the Constraints object of a given component, it replaces them with suitable defaults.

Parameters
x the spring value for the x property
y the spring value for the y property
width the spring value for the width property
height the spring value for the height property

public SpringLayout.Constraints (Component c)

Creates a Constraints object with suitable x, y, width and height springs for component, c. The x and y springs are constant springs initialised with the component's location at the time this method is called. The width and height springs are special springs, created by the Spring.width() and Spring.height() methods, which track the size characteristics of the component when they change.

Parameters
c the component whose characteristics will be reflected by this Constraints object
Throws
NullPointerException if c is null.

Public Methods

public Spring getConstraint (String edgeName)

Returns the value of the specified edge, which may be a derived value, or even null. The edge must have one of the following values: SpringLayout.NORTH, SpringLayout.SOUTH, SpringLayout.EAST, SpringLayout.WEST, SpringLayout.HORIZONTAL_CENTER, SpringLayout.VERTICAL_CENTER, SpringLayout.BASELINE, SpringLayout.WIDTH or SpringLayout.HEIGHT. For any other String value passed as the edge, null will be returned. Throws NullPointerException for a null edge.

Parameters
edgeName the edge whose value is to be returned
Returns
  • the spring controlling the specified edge, may be null
Throws
NullPointerException if edgeName is null
See Also

public Spring getHeight ()

Returns the value of the height property.

Returns
  • the spring controlling the height of a component
See Also

public Spring getWidth ()

Returns the value of the width property.

Returns
  • the spring controlling the width of a component
See Also

public Spring getX ()

Returns the value of the x property.

Returns
  • the spring controlling the x value of a component's location
See Also

public Spring getY ()

Returns the value of the y property.

Returns
  • the spring controlling the y value of a component's location
See Also

public void setConstraint (String edgeName, Spring s)

Sets the spring controlling the specified edge. The edge must have one of the following values: SpringLayout.NORTH, SpringLayout.SOUTH, SpringLayout.EAST, SpringLayout.WEST, SpringLayout.HORIZONTAL_CENTER, SpringLayout.VERTICAL_CENTER, SpringLayout.BASELINE, SpringLayout.WIDTH or SpringLayout.HEIGHT. For any other String value passed as the edge, no action is taken. For a null edge, a NullPointerException is thrown.

Parameters
edgeName the edge to be set
s the spring controlling the specified edge
Throws
NullPointerException if edgeName is null
See Also

public void setHeight (Spring height)

Sets the height property, which controls the height of a component.

Parameters
height the spring controlling the height of this Constraints object
See Also

public void setWidth (Spring width)

Sets the width property, which controls the width of a component.

Parameters
width the spring controlling the width of this Constraints object
See Also

public void setX (Spring x)

Sets the x property, which controls the x value of a component's location.

Parameters
x the spring controlling the x value of a component's location
See Also

public void setY (Spring y)

Sets the y property, which controls the y value of a component's location.

Parameters
y the spring controlling the y value of a component's location
See Also