Thread: GUI Layout - Does anyone know how to set a layout?

I have this blackjack layout and every panel and textfield already on the box except I don't know how to properly alligned them. I've been reading about layout manager but I get confused. I hope anybody can help me.

package BlackJack;
 
/*Program Name: BlackJackGUI.java
 
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.*;
 
public class BlackJackGUI extends JPanel
{
	//declare all variables
	private ImageIcon image;
	private JLabel Photo;
	private JLabel betsLabel;
	private JTextField betsField;
	private JLabel trackerLabel;
	private JLabel winLabel;
	private JTextField winField;
	private JLabel loseLabel;
	private JTextField loseField;
	private JLabel winloseLabel;
	private JTextField winloseField;
	private JLabel playerLabel;
	private JTextField playerField;
	private JTextArea playerArea;
	private JLabel dealerLabel;
	private JTextField dealerField;
	private JTextArea dealerArea;
	private JButton dealButton;
	private JButton hitButton;
	private JButton stayButton;
	private JButton resetButton;
	private JButton highButton;
	private JButton lowButton;
	//private JFrame frame;
 
	//contructs the screen
	public BlackJackGUI()
	{
		//create layout manager
		setBackground(new Color(0,122,0));
		setPreferredSize(new Dimension(700, 400));
 
 
		//create panel components
		betsLabel = new JLabel ("Bets");
		betsField = new JTextField(5);
		trackerLabel = new JLabel ("TRACKER");
		winLabel = new JLabel ("Win");
		winField = new JTextField(5);
		loseLabel = new JLabel ("lose"); 
 
		loseField = new JTextField(5);
		playerField = new JTextField(10);
		playerArea = new JTextArea(5,10);
		playerLabel = new JLabel("Player");
		dealerField = new JTextField(10);
		dealerArea = new JTextArea(5,10);
		dealerLabel = new JLabel("Dealer");
		winloseField = new JTextField(10);
		winloseLabel = new JLabel("Win or Lose");
 
 
 
		//components/objects
		dealButton = new JButton("DEAL");
		hitButton = new JButton("Hit");
		stayButton = new JButton("Stay");
		resetButton = new JButton("Reset");
		highButton = new JButton("Ace High");
		lowButton = new JButton("Ace Low");
 
		//add components to the panel (left side)
		add(betsLabel);
		add(betsField);
		add(trackerLabel);
		add(winLabel);
		add(winField);
		add(loseLabel);
		add(loseField);
		add(resetButton);
 
		//add compnents to the panel (player and dealer)		
		add(playerLabel);
		add(playerArea);
		add(dealButton);
		add(hitButton);
		add(stayButton);
		add(highButton);
		add(lowButton);
		add(dealerLabel);
		add(dealerArea);
 
		//add components to the panel (bottom side)
		add(winloseLabel);
		add(winloseField);	
 
		//connect event handler to event source
		dealButton.addActionListener(new ButtonListener());
		hitButton.addActionListener(new ButtonListener());
		stayButton.addActionListener(new ButtonListener());
 
 
		//add(Photo,BorderLayout.WEST);
		image = new ImageIcon("src/BlackJack/blackjack60.jpg");
		Photo = new JLabel (image);
		add(Photo);
 
	}
 
	//display the screen
	public void display()
	{
		JFrame myFrame = new JFrame("BlackJack");
		myFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
		myFrame.setContentPane(this);
 
		myFrame.pack();
		myFrame.setVisible(true);
 
	}
 
	private class ButtonListener implements ActionListener
	{
	   public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent event)
	   {
		   double amt = Double.parseDouble(winloseField.getText());
	   }
	}
 
 
 
}

and here is my Panel so I can run it.

package BlackJack;
 
import javax.swing.JFrame;
 
public class Cards
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
	//Create frame and panel
  JFrame frame = new JFrame("BlackJack");
  BlackJackGUI panel = new BlackJackGUI();
 
	//set frame behavior
  frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);	
 
	//place panel in frame
  frame.getContentPane().add(panel);
 
 
	//format frame and make available/visible
  frame.pack();
  frame.setVisible(true);
}
}

blackjackGUI.jpg

Explore Layout Managers. JPanel uses FlowLayout by default, so you'll see that as you resize the GUI you've built while it's being displayed, the components will move around to fit within the shape of the container but maintain the same order. You may want to use different layout managers in multiple containers to get the look you're going for.