Java Glossary : pane

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pane

These really should be called pains since they cause so many bugs. With Swing, the JFrame class got so large and complicated, it was split into several. You would have expected that the designers of Swing would hide the fact that JFrames are actually several objects by using the Decorator design pattern. However, they decided not do. You must deal with the pieces called panes individually, and direct you methods to the appropriate object. It is very easy to use the wrong piece, and often the compiler will not detect the error. The most common errors are to use Jframe.setLayout or jframe.add instead of contentPane.setLayout and contentPane.add;

Not only does JFrames use panes, so does JApplet, JDialog, JInternalFrame and JWindow but not JPanel.

Note there is no Pane or JPane class.

Pieces of a JFrame
Name	What Is It For?	How Created	Methods
frame	Master object for the frame. Automatically creates the other pieces.	JFrame frame = newJFrame();	getContentPane getGlassPane getRootPane invalidate setBackground setFont setForeground setVisible validate
contentPane	keeps track of the Components contained in the frame.	Container contentPane = frame.getContentPane();	add remove setLayout
glassPane	A transparent canvas overlaying the contentPane. You use it typically for sprite animations. You do much of your drawing with colours with alpha channel values not = 0xff, to allow the contentPane to show through. I have not yet experimented to discover how its co-ordinate system meshes with the content pane's.	Component glassPane = frame.getGlassPane();
rootPane	deals with the decoration around the outside of the frame.	JRootPane rootPane = frame.getRootPane();	setJMenuBar setWindowDecorationStyle

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