How do I change JPanel inside a JFrame on the fly

Question

To put it simple  there s a simple java swing app that consists of JFrame with some components in it  One of the components is a JPanel that is meant to be replaced by another JPanel on user action   So  what s the correct way of doing such a thing  I ve tried  panel   new CustomJPanelWithComponentsOnIt    parentFrameJPanelBelongsTo pack      but this won t work  What would you suggest

User · Answer

The layout replace   answer only exists works on the GroupLayout Manager   Other LayoutManagers  CardLayout  BoxLayout etc  do NOT support this feature  but require you to first RemoveLayoutComponent  and then AddLayoutComponent  back again    -    Just setting the record straight

User · Answer

frame setContentPane newContents     frame revalidate       frame pack   if you want to resize    Remember  Java use  copy reference by value  argument passing  So changing a variable wont change copies of the reference passed to other methods   Also note JFrame is very confusing in the name of usability  Adding a component or setting a layout  usually  performs the operation on the content pane  Oddly enough  getting the layout really does give you the frame s layout manager

User · Answer

Your use case  seems perfect for CardLayout   In card layout you can add multiple panels in the same place  but then show or hide  one panel at a time

User · Answer

frame setContentPane newContents     frame revalidate       frame pack   if you want to resize    Remember  Java use  copy reference by value  argument passing  So changing a variable wont change copies of the reference passed to other methods   Also note JFrame is very confusing in the name of usability  Adding a component or setting a layout  usually  performs the operation on the content pane  Oddly enough  getting the layout really does give you the frame s layout manager

User · Answer

Hope this piece of code give you an idea of changing jPanels inside a JFrame   public class PanelTest extends JFrame            Container contentPane           public PanelTest                 super  Changing JPanel inside a JFrame               contentPane getContentPane                       public void createChangePanel                contentPane removeAll               JPanel newPanel new JPanel               contentPane add newPanel              System out println  new panel created     for debugging purposes            validate               setVisible true

User · Answer

Your use case  seems perfect for CardLayout   In card layout you can add multiple panels in the same place  but then show or hide  one panel at a time

User · Answer

class Frame1 extends javax swing JFrame        remove previouspanel     or getContentPane   removeAll         add newpanel     or setContentPane newpanel        invalidate    validate       or   JComponent  getContentPane    revalidate         repaint      DO NOT FORGET REPAINT      Sometimes you can do the work without using the revalidation and sometimes without using the repaint My advise use both

User · Answer

Just call the method pack   after setting the ContentPane   java 1 7  maybe older  like this   JFrame frame   new JFrame      JPanel panel1   new JPanel     JPanel panel2   new JPanel          frame setContentPane panel1   frame pack         frame setContentPane panel2   frame pack

User · Answer

Just call the method pack   after setting the ContentPane   java 1 7  maybe older  like this   JFrame frame   new JFrame      JPanel panel1   new JPanel     JPanel panel2   new JPanel          frame setContentPane panel1   frame pack         frame setContentPane panel2   frame pack

User · Answer

Your use case  seems perfect for CardLayout   In card layout you can add multiple panels in the same place  but then show or hide  one panel at a time

User · Answer

It all depends on how its going to be used   If you will want to switch back and forth between these two panels then use a CardLayout   If you are only switching from the first to the second once and  and not going back  then I would use telcontars suggestion and just replace it   Though if the JPanel isn t the only thing in your frame I would use  remove java awt Component  instead of removeAll   If you are somewhere in between these two cases its basically a time-space tradeoff   The CardLayout will save you time but take up more memory by having to keep this whole other panel in memory at all times   But if you just replace the panel when needed and construct it on demand  you don t have to keep that meory around but it takes more time to switch   Also you can try a JTabbedPane to use tabs instead  its even easier than CardLayout because it handles the showing hiding automitically

User · Answer

On the user action      you have to do something along the lines of  myJFrame getContentPane   removeAll   myJFrame getContentPane   invalidate    myJFrame getContentPane   add newContentPanel  myJFrame getContentPane   revalidate     Then you can resize your wndow as needed

User · Answer

Problem  My component does not appear after I have added it to the container   You need to invoke revalidate and repaint after adding a component before it will show up in your container   Source  http   docs oracle com javase tutorial uiswing layout problems html

User · Answer

The other individuals answered the question   I want to suggest you use a JTabbedPane instead of replacing content   As a general rule  it is bad to have visual elements of your application disappear or be replaced by other content   Certainly there are exceptions to every rule  and only you and your user community can decide the best approach

User · Answer

On the user action      you have to do something along the lines of  myJFrame getContentPane   removeAll   myJFrame getContentPane   invalidate    myJFrame getContentPane   add newContentPanel  myJFrame getContentPane   revalidate     Then you can resize your wndow as needed

User · Answer

I suggest you to add both panel at frame creation  then change the visible panel by calling setVisible true false  on both  When calling setVisible  the parent will be notified and asked to repaint itself

User · Answer

On the user action      you have to do something along the lines of  myJFrame getContentPane   removeAll   myJFrame getContentPane   invalidate    myJFrame getContentPane   add newContentPanel  myJFrame getContentPane   revalidate     Then you can resize your wndow as needed

User · Answer

I was having exactly the same problem   Increadible   The solution I found was    Adding all the components  JPanels  to the container  Using the setVisible false  method to all of them  On user action  setting setVisible true  to the panel I wanted to show       Hiding all components  JPanels  added to a container  ex  another JPanel  for  Component component   this container getComponents            component setVisible false         Showing only the selected JPanel  the one user wants to see panel setVisible true     No revalidate    no validate    no CardLayout needed

User · Answer

I suggest you to add both panel at frame creation  then change the visible panel by calling setVisible true false  on both  When calling setVisible  the parent will be notified and asked to repaint itself

User · Answer

It all depends on how its going to be used   If you will want to switch back and forth between these two panels then use a CardLayout   If you are only switching from the first to the second once and  and not going back  then I would use telcontars suggestion and just replace it   Though if the JPanel isn t the only thing in your frame I would use  remove java awt Component  instead of removeAll   If you are somewhere in between these two cases its basically a time-space tradeoff   The CardLayout will save you time but take up more memory by having to keep this whole other panel in memory at all times   But if you just replace the panel when needed and construct it on demand  you don t have to keep that meory around but it takes more time to switch   Also you can try a JTabbedPane to use tabs instead  its even easier than CardLayout because it handles the showing hiding automitically

User · Answer

1  Setting the first Panel   JFrame frame new JFrame    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       2 Replacing the panel   frame getContentPane   removeAll    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       Also notice that you must do this in the Event s Thread  to ensure this use the SwingUtilities invokeLater or the SwingWorker

User · Answer

1  Setting the first Panel   JFrame frame new JFrame    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       2 Replacing the panel   frame getContentPane   removeAll    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       Also notice that you must do this in the Event s Thread  to ensure this use the SwingUtilities invokeLater or the SwingWorker

User · Answer

It all depends on how its going to be used   If you will want to switch back and forth between these two panels then use a CardLayout   If you are only switching from the first to the second once and  and not going back  then I would use telcontars suggestion and just replace it   Though if the JPanel isn t the only thing in your frame I would use  remove java awt Component  instead of removeAll   If you are somewhere in between these two cases its basically a time-space tradeoff   The CardLayout will save you time but take up more memory by having to keep this whole other panel in memory at all times   But if you just replace the panel when needed and construct it on demand  you don t have to keep that meory around but it takes more time to switch   Also you can try a JTabbedPane to use tabs instead  its even easier than CardLayout because it handles the showing hiding automitically

User · Answer

I was having exactly the same problem   Increadible   The solution I found was    Adding all the components  JPanels  to the container  Using the setVisible false  method to all of them  On user action  setting setVisible true  to the panel I wanted to show       Hiding all components  JPanels  added to a container  ex  another JPanel  for  Component component   this container getComponents            component setVisible false         Showing only the selected JPanel  the one user wants to see panel setVisible true     No revalidate    no validate    no CardLayout needed

User · Answer

1  Setting the first Panel   JFrame frame new JFrame    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       2 Replacing the panel   frame getContentPane   removeAll    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       Also notice that you must do this in the Event s Thread  to ensure this use the SwingUtilities invokeLater or the SwingWorker

User · Answer

Your use case  seems perfect for CardLayout   In card layout you can add multiple panels in the same place  but then show or hide  one panel at a time

User · Answer

Problem  My component does not appear after I have added it to the container   You need to invoke revalidate and repaint after adding a component before it will show up in your container   Source  http   docs oracle com javase tutorial uiswing layout problems html

User · Answer

Hope this piece of code give you an idea of changing jPanels inside a JFrame   public class PanelTest extends JFrame            Container contentPane           public PanelTest                 super  Changing JPanel inside a JFrame               contentPane getContentPane                       public void createChangePanel                contentPane removeAll               JPanel newPanel new JPanel               contentPane add newPanel              System out println  new panel created     for debugging purposes            validate               setVisible true

User · Answer

1  Setting the first Panel   JFrame frame new JFrame    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       2 Replacing the panel   frame getContentPane   removeAll    frame getContentPane   add new JPanel       Also notice that you must do this in the Event s Thread  to ensure this use the SwingUtilities invokeLater or the SwingWorker

User · Answer

The other individuals answered the question   I want to suggest you use a JTabbedPane instead of replacing content   As a general rule  it is bad to have visual elements of your application disappear or be replaced by other content   Certainly there are exceptions to every rule  and only you and your user community can decide the best approach

User · Answer

class Frame1 extends javax swing JFrame        remove previouspanel     or getContentPane   removeAll         add newpanel     or setContentPane newpanel        invalidate    validate       or   JComponent  getContentPane    revalidate         repaint      DO NOT FORGET REPAINT      Sometimes you can do the work without using the revalidation and sometimes without using the repaint My advise use both

User · Answer

The layout replace   answer only exists works on the GroupLayout Manager   Other LayoutManagers  CardLayout  BoxLayout etc  do NOT support this feature  but require you to first RemoveLayoutComponent  and then AddLayoutComponent  back again    -    Just setting the record straight

User · Answer

The other individuals answered the question   I want to suggest you use a JTabbedPane instead of replacing content   As a general rule  it is bad to have visual elements of your application disappear or be replaced by other content   Certainly there are exceptions to every rule  and only you and your user community can decide the best approach

User · Answer

The other individuals answered the question   I want to suggest you use a JTabbedPane instead of replacing content   As a general rule  it is bad to have visual elements of your application disappear or be replaced by other content   Certainly there are exceptions to every rule  and only you and your user community can decide the best approach

User · Answer

On the user action      you have to do something along the lines of  myJFrame getContentPane   removeAll   myJFrame getContentPane   invalidate    myJFrame getContentPane   add newContentPanel  myJFrame getContentPane   revalidate     Then you can resize your wndow as needed

User · Answer

frame setContentPane newContents     frame revalidate       frame pack   if you want to resize    Remember  Java use  copy reference by value  argument passing  So changing a variable wont change copies of the reference passed to other methods   Also note JFrame is very confusing in the name of usability  Adding a component or setting a layout  usually  performs the operation on the content pane  Oddly enough  getting the layout really does give you the frame s layout manager

User · Answer

I suggest you to add both panel at frame creation  then change the visible panel by calling setVisible true false  on both  When calling setVisible  the parent will be notified and asked to repaint itself

User · Answer

It all depends on how its going to be used   If you will want to switch back and forth between these two panels then use a CardLayout   If you are only switching from the first to the second once and  and not going back  then I would use telcontars suggestion and just replace it   Though if the JPanel isn t the only thing in your frame I would use  remove java awt Component  instead of removeAll   If you are somewhere in between these two cases its basically a time-space tradeoff   The CardLayout will save you time but take up more memory by having to keep this whole other panel in memory at all times   But if you just replace the panel when needed and construct it on demand  you don t have to keep that meory around but it takes more time to switch   Also you can try a JTabbedPane to use tabs instead  its even easier than CardLayout because it handles the showing hiding automitically

User · Answer

frame setContentPane newContents     frame revalidate       frame pack   if you want to resize    Remember  Java use  copy reference by value  argument passing  So changing a variable wont change copies of the reference passed to other methods   Also note JFrame is very confusing in the name of usability  Adding a component or setting a layout  usually  performs the operation on the content pane  Oddly enough  getting the layout really does give you the frame s layout manager

User · Answer

I suggest you to add both panel at frame creation  then change the visible panel by calling setVisible true false  on both  When calling setVisible  the parent will be notified and asked to repaint itself

[java] How do I change JPanel inside a JFrame on the fly?

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