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## java.awt
Class FlowLayout

    java.lang.Object
      java.awt.FlowLayout

All Implemented Interfaces:
  LayoutManager, Serializable

    public class FlowLayout

extends Object
implements LayoutManager, Serializable

A flow layout arranges components in a directional flow, much like lines of text in a paragraph. The flow direction is determined by the container's `componentOrientation` property and may be one of two values:

- `ComponentOrientation.LEFT_TO_RIGHT`
- `ComponentOrientation.RIGHT_TO_LEFT`

Flow layouts are typically used to arrange buttons in a panel. It arranges buttons horizontally until no more buttons fit on the same line. The line alignment is determined by the `align` property. The possible values are:

- `LEFT`
- `RIGHT`
- `CENTER`
- `LEADING`
- `TRAILING`

For example, the following picture shows an applet using the flow layout manager (its default layout manager) to position three buttons:

Here is the code for this applet:

>      import java.awt.*;
>      import java.applet.Applet;

>      public class myButtons extends Applet {
>          Button button1, button2, button3;
>          public void init() {
>              button1 = new Button("Ok");
>              button2 = new Button("Open");
>              button3 = new Button("Close");
>              add(button1);
>              add(button2);
>              add(button3);
>          }
>      }

A flow layout lets each component assume its natural (preferred) size.

Since:
  JDK1.0
See Also:
  `ComponentOrientation`, Serialized Form

Field Summary
`static int` | `CENTER` This value indicates that each row of components should be centered.
`static int` | `LEADING` This value indicates that each row of components should be justified to the leading edge of the container's orientation, for example, to the left in left-to-right orientations.
`static int` | `LEFT` This value indicates that each row of components should be left-justified.
`static int` | `RIGHT` This value indicates that each row of components should be right-justified.
`static int` | `TRAILING` This value indicates that each row of components should be justified to the trailing edge of the container's orientation, for example, to the right in left-to-right orientations.

Constructor Summary
`FlowLayout()` Constructs a new `FlowLayout` with a centered alignment and a default 5-unit horizontal and vertical gap.
`FlowLayout(int align)` Constructs a new `FlowLayout` with the specified alignment and a default 5-unit horizontal and vertical gap.
`FlowLayout(int align, int hgap, int vgap)` Creates a new flow layout manager with the indicated alignment and the indicated horizontal and vertical gaps.

Method Summary
`void` | `addLayoutComponent(String name, Component comp)` Adds the specified component to the layout.
`int` | `getAlignment()` Gets the alignment for this layout.
`int` | `getHgap()` Gets the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`
`int` | `getVgap()` Gets the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`.
`void` | `layoutContainer(Container target)` Lays out the container.
`Dimension` | `minimumLayoutSize(Container target)` Returns the minimum dimensions needed to layout the visible components contained in the specified target container.
`Dimension` | `preferredLayoutSize(Container target)` Returns the preferred dimensions for this layout given the visible components in the specified target container.
`void` | `removeLayoutComponent(Component comp)` Removes the specified component from the layout.
`void` | `setAlignment(int align)` Sets the alignment for this layout.
`void` | `setHgap(int hgap)` Sets the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`.
`void` | `setVgap(int vgap)` Sets the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`.
`String` | `toString()` Returns a string representation of this `FlowLayout` object and its values.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

Field Detail

### LEFT

    public static final int LEFT

  This value indicates that each row of components should be left-justified.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### CENTER

    public static final int CENTER

  This value indicates that each row of components should be centered.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### RIGHT

    public static final int RIGHT

  This value indicates that each row of components should be right-justified.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### LEADING

    public static final int LEADING

  This value indicates that each row of components should be justified to the leading edge of the container's orientation, for example, to the left in left-to-right orientations.

  Since:
    1.2 Package-private pending API change approval
  See Also:
    `Component.getComponentOrientation()`, `ComponentOrientation`, Constant Field Values

### TRAILING

    public static final int TRAILING

  This value indicates that each row of components should be justified to the trailing edge of the container's orientation, for example, to the right in left-to-right orientations.

  Since:
    1.2 Package-private pending API change approval
  See Also:
    `Component.getComponentOrientation()`, `ComponentOrientation`, Constant Field Values

Constructor Detail

### FlowLayout

    public FlowLayout()

  Constructs a new `FlowLayout` with a centered alignment and a default 5-unit horizontal and vertical gap.

### FlowLayout

    public FlowLayout(int align)

  Constructs a new `FlowLayout` with the specified alignment and a default 5-unit horizontal and vertical gap. The value of the alignment argument must be one of `FlowLayout.LEFT`, `FlowLayout.RIGHT`, `FlowLayout.CENTER`, `FlowLayout.LEADING`, or `FlowLayout.TRAILING`.

  Parameters:
    `align` - the alignment value

### FlowLayout

    public FlowLayout(int align,
                      int hgap,
                      int vgap)

  Creates a new flow layout manager with the indicated alignment and the indicated horizontal and vertical gaps.

  The value of the alignment argument must be one of `FlowLayout.LEFT`, `FlowLayout.RIGHT`, `FlowLayout.CENTER`, `FlowLayout.LEADING`, or `FlowLayout.TRAILING`.

  Parameters:
    `align` - the alignment value
    `hgap` - the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`
    `vgap` - the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`

Method Detail

### getAlignment

    public int getAlignment()

  Gets the alignment for this layout. Possible values are `FlowLayout.LEFT`, `FlowLayout.RIGHT`, `FlowLayout.CENTER`, `FlowLayout.LEADING`, or `FlowLayout.TRAILING`.

  Returns:
    the alignment value for this layout
  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `setAlignment(int)`

### setAlignment

    public void setAlignment(int align)

  Sets the alignment for this layout. Possible values are
  - `FlowLayout.LEFT`
  - `FlowLayout.RIGHT`
  - `FlowLayout.CENTER`
  - `FlowLayout.LEADING`
  - `FlowLayout.TRAILING`

  Parameters:
    `align` - one of the alignment values shown above
  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `getAlignment()`

### getHgap

    public int getHgap()

  Gets the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`

  Returns:
    the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`
  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `setHgap(int)`

### setHgap

    public void setHgap(int hgap)

  Sets the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`.

  Parameters:
    `hgap` - the horizontal gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`
  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `getHgap()`

### getVgap

    public int getVgap()

  Gets the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`.

  Returns:
    the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`
  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `setVgap(int)`

### setVgap

    public void setVgap(int vgap)

  Sets the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`.

  Parameters:
    `vgap` - the vertical gap between components and between the components and the borders of the `Container`
  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `getVgap()`

### addLayoutComponent

    public void addLayoutComponent(String name,
                                   Component comp)

  Adds the specified component to the layout. Not used by this class.

  Specified by:
    `addLayoutComponent` in interface `LayoutManager`
  Parameters:
    `name` - the name of the component
    `comp` - the component to be added

### removeLayoutComponent

    public void removeLayoutComponent(Component comp)

  Removes the specified component from the layout. Not used by this class.

  Specified by:
    `removeLayoutComponent` in interface `LayoutManager`
  Parameters:
    `comp` - the component to remove
  See Also:
    `Container.removeAll()`

### preferredLayoutSize

    public Dimension preferredLayoutSize(Container target)

  Returns the preferred dimensions for this layout given the visible components in the specified target container.

  Specified by:
    `preferredLayoutSize` in interface `LayoutManager`
  Parameters:
    `target` - the container that needs to be laid out
  Returns:
    the preferred dimensions to lay out the subcomponents of the specified container
  See Also:
    `Container`, `minimumLayoutSize(java.awt.Container)`, `Container.getPreferredSize()`

### minimumLayoutSize

    public Dimension minimumLayoutSize(Container target)

  Returns the minimum dimensions needed to layout the visible components contained in the specified target container.

  Specified by:
    `minimumLayoutSize` in interface `LayoutManager`
  Parameters:
    `target` - the container that needs to be laid out
  Returns:
    the minimum dimensions to lay out the subcomponents of the specified container
  See Also:
    `preferredLayoutSize(java.awt.Container)`, `Container`, `Container.doLayout()`

### layoutContainer

    public void layoutContainer(Container target)

  Lays out the container. This method lets each visible component take its preferred size by reshaping the components in the target container in order to satisfy the alignment of this `FlowLayout` object.

  Specified by:
    `layoutContainer` in interface `LayoutManager`
  Parameters:
    `target` - the specified component being laid out
  See Also:
    `Container`, `Container.doLayout()`

### toString

    public String toString()

  Returns a string representation of this `FlowLayout` object and its values.

  Overrides:
    `toString` in class `Object`
  Returns:
    a string representation of this layout

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For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java 2 SDK SE Developer Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.

Copyright 2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.