| Type | Properties/behaviors | Best used for | HTML counterpart | Java counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layout Managers | ||||
| Canvas | Absolute (x=10, y=10) or constraint-based (left=20, top=20) layout for children | Creating complex UI combining both absolute and constraint-based layouts. | - | - Absolute: null (layout) - Constrainted base: GridBagConstraints |
| Box (HBox/VBox) | Lays out its children in a row or column. The sizes of the children laid out vary. | Laying out a group of size varying components, e.g., a group of control buttons. | Normal HTML rendering | FlowLayout |
| DividedBox (HDividedBox/VDividedBox) | HDividedBox: Lays out its children in a row separated by draggable deviders. The height of all the children is set to the same as the divided box. VDividedBox: similar. | Creating split panes | - | JSplitPane |
| Form [FormHeading, FormItem] | A single column form like a HTML form. | Data input form | HTML form (table) | - |
| Grid | HTML table like; The height of all cells in a row is the same, however, each row may have a different height; the width of all cells in a column is the same, however, each column may have a different width. Each cell may contain zero or one child, and a child may multiple cols/rows. | Organizing a large number of components in a tabular form | HTML table | GridBagLayout |
| Tile | Similar to Grid, but the size of all the cells is the same. | Tiling a number of children | - | GridLayout |
| ViewStack | Displays only one of its children at any time; need to work with a LinkBar, TabBar, ButtonBar or ToggleButtonBar to select the child to be displayed. | Stacking multiple children and showing only one selected by the user | - | CardLayout |
| TabNavigator | A ViewStack with a TabBar as its stack selection control | Creating tabbed panes |
| JTabbedPane |
| Accordion | Behaves similarly to a ViewStack, but Accordion displays the title (label) for each child when the title (label) of a child is selected, it will be displayed and all other children will be hidden. | Creating multi-section data input forms | - | - |
| Windows | ||||
| Panel | A window with title bar, content pane and status message area. Three types of layouts: horizontal, vertical and absolute. | Wrapping self contained application modules | - | JFrame (the closest thing) |
| TitleWindow | A special Panel with a close button in the title bar that can be used for creating pop up windows. | Creating pop up windows | - | JDialog |
| Special components | ||||
| ApplicationControlBar | Lays out its children like a tool bar. | Creating a tool bar on the main application window. |
| JToolBar |
| ControlBar | Summary/control bar for a Panel or TitleWindow at the bottom | Creating a summary/control bar at the bottom of a Panel or TitleWindow |
| - |
>> For large display of the above table, visit http://www.insprise.net/blogs/
