jlayout(1) - Linux man page

Name

jlayout - A Java code generator to create GUI elements

Synopsys

jlayout <inputfile> [<java-source>]

Description

The jlayout program reads a GUI description from the input file. The structure of the input file is explained below. The output operation is to modify a Java source code file. Regions of this file -- marked up by special comments -- are replaced by new code to create the GUI .

Options

-h

issues a help text.

-v

prints version information.

Return Value

The program returns 0 on success, a positive value on exit.

Errors

There are two classes of errors: Syntax errors in the input file and processing errors while the program is running (i.e. not enought memory...)

Whenever applicable jlayout includes file name and line number of the object to which the error is related.

Diagnostics

Errors are reported to standard output or standard error output depending on the dklibs preferences set for logging.

Files

Input file

General input file structure

The input file consists of a list of sections. Each section describes one GUI object. All sections -- except the first section -- are started by a section header. The section header contains the GUI objects class and variable name in square brackets. The first section is for the object class defined in the Java source code file, so it does not need a section header.

The remainder is a list of key/value pairs to set object attributes. Key and value are separated by ''=''.

In addition to normal lines there are control lines. Control lines are started by a dot. The can be used to set options for the jlayout program or to establish default values for some attributes.

Control lines

Option lines

.option use tool tip text as accessible description = boolean

For objects with no accessible description set we can choose whether or not to use the tool tip text as accessible description.

Default lines

.default fill = fill

This is the default fill style used when no fill style is attached to an object. For fill styles see ''fill'' below.

.default border = border

This is the default for the space between objects in a container if not border attribute is attached to the container. For more information see ''border'' below.

.default anchor = anchor

This is the default anchor if no anchor attribute is attached to an object. For details see ''anchor'' below.

attributes

enabled = boolean

enables or disables an object.

layout = layout

chooses a layout manager for the current object. Use one of the following: ''GridBag'', ''Card'', ''Border'', ''Box.X_AXIS'', ''Box.Y_AXIS'', ''Box.PAGE_AXIS'', ''Box.LINE_AXIS'', ''Flow'' or ''Grid''.

SpringLayout and GroupLayout can not be used.

border = border

specifies the space between objects in a container.

NOTE: This is not the space around the current component but the space between contents objects in the current object (the current object is a container).

The border must be a Java-int-expression.

use content pane = boolean

specifies whether to add contents objects directly to the current object (false) or to the content pane returned by getContentPane() (true).

contents = object and placement

adds a contents object to the current object (the current object is a container). Some layout managers require placement information after the object name. Placement information format depends on the layout manager used by the current object:

GridBag

start column, start row, width, height, anchor and fill. Anchor and fill information is optional, see below for an explaination. Start column and row can be specified directly (numeric values) or relative to the previous object:

.

Use the same column/row number as for the previous object.

+n

From the start position of the previous object move n columns to the right / rows downwards.

-n

From the start position of the previous object move n columns to the left / rows upwards.

Card

A Java-String-expression returning a string which

can be used to activate a card. If the placement information is ommited, jlayout creates a string from the number of the current object.

Border

One of the anchors: '' PAGE_START '', '' LINE_START '', '' CENTER '', '' LINE_END '' or '' PAGE_END ''.

Box..., Flow and Grid

No placement information is necessary. Objects are added to the container in order of appearance in the input file.

For Box... and Flow one can add the special object $glue to add horizontal or vertical glue (depending on the direction of the BoxLayout.

fill = fill

specifies how an object can grow if there is more room available than needed. Use ''none'', ''horizontal'', ''vertical'' or ''both'' for ''The object is not allowed to grow.'', ''The object is allowed to grow horizontally.'', ''...vertically.'' or ''... in both directions.''.

anchor = anchor

specifies where to place in object if there is more room available than used by the object. Use one of the following directions: '' NORTH '', '' NORTHWEST '', '' WEST '', '' SOUTHWEST '', '' SOUTH '', '' SOUTHEAST '', '' EAST '', '' NORTHEAST '' or '' CENTER ''.

text = text

specifies the text for all GUI elements showing text (i.e. labels, buttons...).

icon file name = name

specifies the file name of an icon to show.

tool tip text = text

specifies the tool tip text.

accessible description = text

specifies the text for the accessible description.

title = text

specifies the title for the JFrame, JDialog or JApplet).

constructor = arg(s)

specifies the function arguments passed to the objects constructor. For some objects jlayout automatically chooses one of the appropriate attributes as constructor if the constructor attribute is not specified.

width = width

specifies the width of a text field in characters.

horizontal alignment = alignment

specifies the horizontal text alignment, one of: ''leading'', ''left'', ''center'', ''right'' or ''trailing''.

vertical alignment = alignment

specifies the vertical text alignment, on of: ''top'', ''center'' or ''bottom''.

size group = identifier

specifies the name of a size group. Specify the same name here for all objects which must have the same size.

button group = identifier

specifies the ButtonGroup for radio buttons.

component border = border

specifies how to render the border of a component:

empty

Draw an empty border.

etched subtype

Draw an etched border, either ''lowered'' or ''raised''.

bevel subtype

Draw a bevel border, either ''lowered'' or ''raised''.

line

Draw a line.

matte matte-type

Draw either a solid color (''color:color'') or a tile pattern using an icon (''icon:filename'').

titled text

Draw a border and place a text label.

minimum size = w h

specifies the minimum size (numeric values).

preferred size = w h

specifies the preferred size (numeric values)

maximum size = w h

specifies the maximum size (numeric values).

action command = text

specifies the additional information text for the action event.

action listener = listener

item listener = listener

window listener = listener

caret listener = listener

change listener = listener

component listener = listener

container listener = listener

document listener = listener

focus listener = listener

internal frame listener = listener

key listener = listener

list data listener = listener

list selection listener = listener

mouse listener = listener

mouse motion listener = listener

mouse wheel listener = listener

property change listener = listener

table model listener = listener

tree expansion listener = listener

tree model listener = listener

tree selection listener = listener

tree will expand listener = listener

undoable edit listener = listener

specify event listeners for various event types. Use a variable name for a variable containg an object which already exists.

This name is used twice, once in jLayoutSetup() and once in jLayoutCleanup().

transfer handler = handler

specifies the transfer handler.

default close operation = operation

specifies how to hande a window closing event. Use one of ''nothing'', ''hide'', ''dispose'' or ''exit''.

contents border = border

specifies the space between objects in sub-containers of the current container.

contents fill = fill

specifies how to fill objects in sub-containers of the current container.

contents anchor = anchor

specifies the anchor position for objets in sub-containers of the current container.

Java source file

The Java source code file must contain special comments to mark the regions to be replaced by jlayout.

Variables

Use // jlayout.variables.begin ... // jlayout.variables.end to mark the region for variables.

Setup function

Use // jlayout.setup.begin ... // jlayout.setup.end to mark the region for the jLayoutSetup() function.

Cleanup function

Use // jlayout.cleanup.begin ... // jlayout.cleanup.end to mark the region for the jLayoutCleanup() function.

Examples

Input file example inputjl

.default border =     2
.default fill =       none
.default anchor =     west

border =                      2
fill =                        none
title =                       "jlayout"
layout =                      border
menu bar =                    mb
default close operation =     dispose
contents =                    pa      center

[JPanel pa]
component border =    titled  "Panel"
layout =              gridbag
contents =            la1     0 0 1 1 west
contents =            cb1     1 0 1 1 west
contents =            paBu    0 1 2 1 center

[JLabel la1]
text =                "Label"

[JCheckBox cb1]
text =                "Checkbox"

[JPanel paBu]
layout =              box.line_axis
contents =            bu1
contents =            bu2

[JButton bu1]
text =                "Button 1"
action listener =     this
tool tip text =       "Exit this application"
size group =          sg1

[JButton bu2]
text =                "Button 2"
action listener =     this
tool tip text =       "Exit this application"
size group =          sg1

[JMenuBar mb]
contents =            mMenu

[JMenu mMenu]
text =                "Menu"
contents =            miItem

[JMenuItem miItem]
text =                "Item"
action listener =     this
tool tip text =       "Exit this application"

Java source code file example LogoWindowMain.java

import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.WindowEvent;
import java.awt.Container;
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import javax.swing.WindowConstants;

import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.Box;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JCheckBox;

public class LogoMainWindow extends JFrame
  implements ActionListener
{

// jlayout.variables.begin
// jlayout.variables.end

// jlayout.setup.begin
// jlayout.setup.end

// jlayout.cleanup.begin
// jlayout.cleanup.end

  public LogoMainWindow()
  {
    super("");
    jLayoutSetup();
  }

  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
  {
    WindowEvent we = new WindowEvent(
      this, WindowEvent.WINDOW_CLOSING
    );
    processWindowEvent(we);
  }
}

How to run jlayout

jlayout input.jl MyFrame.java

Environment

There are no special environment for jlayout. Like other dklibs-based applications jlayout uses the LANG environment variable to find the language for log messages.

Restrictions

The SpringLayout and GroupLayout layout managers are not supported.

See Also

http://dktools.sourceforge.net/jlayout.html

Author

Dirk Krause

Copyright And License

Copyright © - 2008, Dirk Krause All rights resrved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above
  copyright notice, this list of conditions and the
  following disclaimer.

* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
  copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
  disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
  provided with the distribution.

* Neither the name of the Dirk Krause nor the names of
  contributors may be used to endorse or promote products
  derived from this software without specific prior written
  permission.