Basic GUI problem

Question

Okay, Im trying to create a simple input/output menu. I'm trying to get the GUI portion wrapped up but it's kicking my but. The display is suppose to have one side with a text=Enter Weekly Hour, a text entry field and a enter button. The other side will be the display. I have built these and put them in there round about locations but I have two problems.
1. The text "enter weekly hour", text entry field and the enter button are suppose to be one on top of each other.
2. When I resize the screen down or up it cuts off or rearranges the area's different than the way they are suppose to be.
I know I have to bind the heights of the components by placing them into another BorderLayout-managed container. Which I thought I have done. Obviously I am missing something really simple.
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
class Ch14NestedPanels1 extends JFrame {
//    Data Members
     * Default frame width
    private static final int FRAME_WIDTH    = 300;
     * Default frame height
    private static final int FRAME_HEIGHT   = 170;
     * X coordinate of the frame default origin point
    private static final int FRAME_X_ORIGIN = 150;
     * Y coordinate of the frame default origin point
    private static final int FRAME_Y_ORIGIN = 250;
    private JTextField inputEntry, outputDisplay;
    private JLabel  list, text;
//      Main method
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Ch14NestedPanels1 frame = new Ch14NestedPanels1();
        frame.setVisible(true);
//    Constructors
     * Default constructor
    public Ch14NestedPanels1() {
        Container         contentPane;
        JPanel                  inputPanel;
        JPanel            listPanel;
        JButton           enterButton;
        //set the frame properties
        setSize      (FRAME_WIDTH, FRAME_HEIGHT);
        setTitle     ("Program Ch14NestedPanels1");
        setLocation  (FRAME_X_ORIGIN, FRAME_Y_ORIGIN);
        contentPane = getContentPane( );
        contentPane.setLayout(new BorderLayout(5,5));
          //Creates panel for entry items inputEntry,text, and enterButton
        inputPanel = new JPanel();
        inputPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLoweredBevelBorder());
        contentPane.add(inputPanel, BorderLayout.WEST);
        //Creates text entry field       
        inputEntry = new JTextField(10);
        inputPanel.add(inputEntry,BorderLayout.CENTER);
        //Creates text label
        text = new JLabel("Enter weekly hour");
        inputPanel.add(text,BorderLayout.NORTH);
        //Creates enter button
        enterButton = new JButton("Enter");
        inputPanel.add(enterButton,BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        //Creates panel for list display
        listPanel = new JPanel();
        listPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLoweredBevelBorder());
        listPanel.add(list = new JLabel("This is where the list goes"));
        contentPane.add(listPanel,BorderLayout.EAST);
        setDefaultCloseOperation( EXIT_ON_CLOSE );

Answer 1

Your basic code is like this:
inputPanel = new JPanel();
inputEntry = new JTextField(10);
inputPanel.add(inputEntry,BorderLayout.CENTER);
text = new JLabel("Enter weekly hour");
inputPanel.add(text,BorderLayout.NORTH);
enterButton = new JButton("Enter");
inputPanel.add(enterButton,BorderLayout.SOUTH);
By default when you create a JPanel it uses a FlowLayout. So when you add a component to the panel the components a layed out Left-to-Right.
Using BorderLayout.CENTER, NORTH, SOUTH is ignored by the FlowLayout manager.
You should be using:
JPanel inputPanel = new JPanel( new BorderLayout() );
Now when yo add component to your panel you can use the BorderLayout constraints.