Help understanding Node.boundsInLocal, Node.boundsInParent?

Question

Hello all,
I am reading the JavaFX2 API to understand the getBoundsInLocal() and getBoundsInParent() methods for a Node. I understand the Bounds object that is returned. I would like to better understand the difference between the two methods.
I read in the API that the getBoundsInLocal() method returns "the rectangular bounds of this Node in the node's untransformed local coordinate space." Am I correct in thinking this is prior to any transformations? So this would be the height, width, x, and y coordinates at initialization?
The getBoundsInParent() method says "The rectangular bounds of this Node which include its transforms." Does this include transformations?
My next question is to understand the getBoundsInLocal() method as it is used in this demonstration. Below is an example of creating custom button written by Eric Bruno (http://www.drdobbs.com/blogs/jvm/229400781).
In the ArrowButtonSkin.java class, Eric is setting the label width and height. When I run the program I see the width value is -1.0 and the height is 0.0. So the control renders as a dot on the screen. Is there a reason the methods below are returning -1 and 0? I am not sure where I went wrong. It works if I explicitly set the values.
double labelWidth = label.getBoundsInLocal().getWidth();
double labelHeight = label.getHeight();
Thank you for assistance.
Here is the code:
Driver.java
* This demo creates a custom Button. See article and explanation at:
* http://www.drdobbs.com/blogs/jvm/229400781
package ui.drdobbs;
import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.scene.Group;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent;
import javafx.stage.Stage;
public class Driver extends Application {
    @Override
    public void start(final Stage stage) {
        stage.setTitle("The JavaFX Bank");
        // Create the node structure for display
        Group rootNode = new Group();
        Button normalBtn = new Button("Close");
        normalBtn.setTranslateX(140);
        normalBtn.setTranslateY(170);
        normalBtn.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() {
            @Override
            public void handle(MouseEvent me) {
                stage.close();
        // Create a directional arrow button to display account information
        ArrowButton accountBtn = new ArrowButton("Accounts");
        accountBtn.setDirection(ArrowButton.RIGHT);
        accountBtn.setTranslateX(125);
        accountBtn.setTranslateY(10);
        // Handle arrow button press
        accountBtn.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() {
            @Override
            public void handle(MouseEvent me) {
                System.out.println("Arrow button pressed");
        // Some description text
        Label description = new Label(
                "Thanks for logging into the\n"
                + "JavaFX Bank. Click the button\n"
                + "above to move to the next \n"
                + "screen, and view your active \n"
                + "bank accounts.");
        description.setTranslateX(10);
        description.setTranslateY(50);
        rootNode.getChildren().add(accountBtn);
        rootNode.getChildren().add(description);
        rootNode.getChildren().add(normalBtn);
        Scene scene = new Scene(rootNode, 200, 200);
        stage.setScene(scene);
        stage.show();
    public static void main(String[] args) {launch(args);}
ArrowButton.java
package ui.drdobbs;
import javafx.scene.control.Control;
import javafx.scene.control.Skin;
import javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent;
public class ArrowButton extends Control implements ArrowButtonInterface {
    private String title = "";
    public ArrowButton() {
        this.setSkin(new ArrowButtonSkin(this));
    public ArrowButton(String title) {
        this();
        this.title = title;
        ArrowButtonSkin skin = (ArrowButtonSkin)this.getSkin();
        skin.setText(title);
    @Override
    public void setText(String text) {
        getSkin(getSkin()).setText(text);
    @Override
    public void setOnMouseClicked(MouseEvent eh) {
        getSkin(getSkin()).setOnMouseClicked(eh);
    @Override
    public void setDirection(int direction) {
        getSkin(getSkin()).setDirection(direction);
    private ArrowButtonSkin getSkin(Skin skin) {
        return (ArrowButtonSkin)skin;
ArrowButtonSkin.java
package ui.drdobbs;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.scene.Group;
import javafx.scene.Node;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.control.Skin;
import javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent;
import javafx.scene.paint.Color;
import javafx.scene.paint.CycleMethod;
import javafx.scene.paint.LinearGradient;
import javafx.scene.paint.Stop;
import javafx.scene.shape.*;
public class ArrowButtonSkin implements Skin<ArrowButton>, ArrowButtonInterface {
    //Attributes
    static final double ARROW_TIP_WIDTH = 5;
    ArrowButton control;
    String text = "";
    Group rootNode = new Group();
    Label label = null;
    int direction = ArrowButtonInterface.RIGHT;
    EventHandler clientEH = null;
    //Constructors
    public ArrowButtonSkin(ArrowButton control) {
        this.control = control;
        draw();
    //Methods
    public ArrowButton getControl() {
        return control;
    private void draw() {
        //Create a label.
        if ( label == null )
            label = new Label(text);
        //Set Width Height
        double labelWidth = label.getBoundsInLocal().getWidth();
        double labelHeight = label.getHeight();
        System.out.println(labelWidth + ", " + labelHeight);
        label.setTranslateX(2);
        label.setTranslateY(2);
        // Create arrow button line path elements
        Path path = new Path();
        MoveTo startPoint = new MoveTo();
        double x = 0.0f;
        double y = 0.0f;
        double controlX;
        double controlY;
        double height = labelHeight;
        startPoint.setX(x);
        startPoint.setY(y);
        HLineTo topLine = new HLineTo();
        x += labelWidth;
        topLine.setX(x);
        // Top curve
        controlX = x + ARROW_TIP_WIDTH;
        controlY = y;
        x += 10;
        y = height / 2;
        QuadCurveTo quadCurveTop = new QuadCurveTo();
        quadCurveTop.setX(x);
        quadCurveTop.setY(y);
        quadCurveTop.setControlX(controlX);
        quadCurveTop.setControlY(controlY);
        // Bottom curve
        controlX = x - ARROW_TIP_WIDTH;
        x -= 10;
        y = height;
        controlY = y;
        QuadCurveTo quadCurveBott = new QuadCurveTo();
        quadCurveBott.setX(x);
        quadCurveBott.setY(y);
        quadCurveBott.setControlX(controlX);
        quadCurveBott.setControlY(controlY);
        HLineTo bottomLine = new HLineTo();
        x -= labelWidth;
        bottomLine.setX(x);
        VLineTo endLine = new VLineTo();
        endLine.setY(0);
        path.getElements().add(startPoint);
        path.getElements().add(topLine);
        path.getElements().add(quadCurveTop);
        path.getElements().add(quadCurveBott);
        path.getElements().add(bottomLine);
        path.getElements().add(endLine);
        // Create and set a gradient for the inside of the button
        Stop[] stops = new Stop[] {
            new Stop(0.0, Color.LIGHTGREY),
            new Stop(1.0, Color.SLATEGREY)
        LinearGradient lg =
            new LinearGradient( 0, 0, 0, 1, true, CycleMethod.NO_CYCLE, stops);
        path.setFill(lg);
        rootNode.getChildren().setAll(path, label);
        rootNode.setOnMouseClicked(new EventHandler<MouseEvent>() {
            @Override
            public void handle(MouseEvent me) {
                // Pass along to client if an event handler was provided
                if ( clientEH != null )
                    clientEH.handle(me);
    //Overridden methods from ArrowButtonInterface
     * setText. Method provided by ArrowButtonInterface.
     * @param text
    @Override
    public void setText(String text) {
        this.text = text;
        label.setText(text);
        // update button
        draw();
     * setOnMouseClicked. Method provided by ArrowButtonInterface.
     * @param eh
    public void setOnMouseClicked(EventHandler eh) {
        clientEH = eh;
     * setDirection. Method provided by ArrowButtonInterface.
     * @param direction
    @Override
    public void setDirection(int direction) {
        this.direction = direction;
        // update button
        draw();
    //Overridden methods from Control
    @Override
    public ArrowButton getSkinnable() {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
    @Override
    public void setOnMouseClicked(MouseEvent eh) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
    @Override
    public Node getNode() {
        return rootNode;
    @Override
    public void dispose() {
ArrowButtonInterface
package ui.drdobbs;
import javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent;
public interface ArrowButtonInterface {
    public static final int RIGHT = 1;
    public static final int LEFT = 2;
    public void setText(String text);
    public void setOnMouseClicked(MouseEvent eh);
    public void setDirection(int direction);
}Edited by: 927562 on Apr 13, 2012 1:28 PM
Edited by: 927562 on Apr 13, 2012 1:33 PM

Answer 1

My apology. I didnt realize that was part of the process in forum. Thanks again for the assistance.
Now that you pointed that out, I see it clearly on the page. Oops.
Edited by: Gregg on Apr 16, 2012 8:05 PM