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| Chapter 19 java.awt Reference |

# FlowLayout

## Name

FlowLayout

##

## Description

The `FlowLayout` `LayoutManager` provides the means to lay out components in a row by row fashion. As each row fills up, the components continue on the next row.

## Class Definition

    public class java.awt.FlowLayout
        extends java.lang.Object
        implements java.awt.LayoutManager, java.io.Serializable {

      // Constants
      public static final int CENTER;
      public static final int LEFT;
      public static final int RIGHT;

      // Constructors
      public FlowLayout();
      public FlowLayout (int alignment);
      public FlowLayout (int alignment, int hgap, int vgap);

      // Instance Methods
      public void addLayoutComponent (String name, Component component);
      public int getAlignment();
      public int getHgap();
      public int getVgap();
      public void layoutContainer (Container target);
      public Dimension minimumLayoutSize (Container target);
      public Dimension preferredLayoutSize (Container target);
      public void removeLayoutComponent (Component component);
      public void setAlignment (int align);
      public void setHgap (int hgap);
      public void setVgap (int vgap);
      public String toString();
    }

## Constants

### CENTER

#### public static final int CENTER

The default alignment for a `FlowLayout` object; rows of components are centered within the container.

### LEFT

#### public static final int LEFT

An alignment for a `FlowLayout` object; rows of components start on the left side of the container.

### RIGHT

#### public static final int RIGHT

An alignment for a `FlowLayout` object; rows of components start on the right side of the container.

## Constructors

### FlowLayout

#### public FlowLayout()

Description

  Constructs a `FlowLayout` object with `CENTER` alignment.

#### public FlowLayout (int alignment)

Parameters

  alignment

    Alignment of components within the container.

Description

  Constructs a `FlowLayout` object with the given `alignment`.

#### public FlowLayout (int alignment, int hgap, int vgap)

Parameters

  alignment

    Alignment of components within container

  hgap

    Horizontal space between each component in a row

  vgap

    Vertical space between each row

Description

  Constructs a `FlowLayout` object with the given `alignment` and the values specified as the gaps between each component in the container managed by this instance of `FlowLayout`.

## Instance Methods

### addLayoutComponent

#### public void addLayoutComponent (String name, Component component)

Parameters

  name

    Name of component to add.

  component

    Actual component being added.

Implements

  `LayoutManager.addLayoutComponent()`

Description

  Does nothing.

### getAlignment

#### public int getAlignment()

Returns

  The alignment constant for this `FlowLayout`.

### getHgap

#### public int getHgap()

Returns

  The horizontal gap between components.

### getVgap

#### public int getVgap()

Returns

  The vertical gap between components.

### layoutContainer

#### public void layoutContainer (Container target)

Parameters

  target

    The container that needs to be redrawn.

Implements

  `LayoutManager.layoutContainer()`

Description

  Draws the components contained within the `target` container.

### minimumLayoutSize

#### public Dimension minimumLayoutSize (Container target)

Parameters

  target

    The container whose size needs to be calculated.

Returns

  Minimum `Dimension` of container `target`

Implements

  `LayoutManager.minimumLayoutSize()`

Description

  Calculates minimum size of `target` container.

### preferredLayoutSize

#### public Dimension preferredLayoutSize (Container target)

Parameters

  target

    The container whose size needs to be calculated.

Returns

  Preferred `Dimension` of container `target`

Implements

  `LayoutManager.preferredLayoutSize()`

Description

  Calculates preferred size of `target` container.

### removeLayoutComponent

#### public void removeLayoutComponent (Component component)

Parameters

  component

    Component to stop tracking.

Implements

  `LayoutManager.removeLayoutComponent()`

Description

  Does nothing.

### setAlignment

#### public void setAlignment(int align)

Parameters

  alignment

    Alignment of components within container

Description

  Sets the alignment for the `FlowLayout`.

### setHgap

#### public void setHgap(int hgap)

Parameters

  hgap

    The horizontal gap value.

Description

  Sets the horizontal gap between components.

### setVgap

#### public void setVgap(int vgap)

Parameters

  vgap

    The vertical gap value.

Description

  Sets the vertical gap between components.

### toString

#### public String toString()

Returns

  A string representation of the `FlowLayout` object.

Overrides

  `Object.toString()`

## See Also

`Component`, `Container`, `Dimension`, `LayoutManager`, `Object`, `Serializable`, `String`

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