Java interfaces and containers in different classes

Question

Hi in trying to create an interface in Java that will be the basis for other classes to populate areas on in in certain panels.
So for example I have a default size for a screen and some default buttons that should appear on it. These are all setup in a class called ScriptyUI. Within ScriptyUI I want to set up several rows where each row will be populated with the container of a different class. So for instance another class called NetworkAreaUI will create all the buttons and boxes needed for the NetworkUI class along with the actionListeners for each of the buttons. I therefore want to add this into one of the rows of the ScriptyUI class.
Each time I try and call the networkAreaUI class from within the ScriptyUI class I get an error stating that a container is expected and not a window.
Any Ideas?
I have placed everything within the ScriptyUI class and it works, however this class soon becomes so large it is quite unmanageble.
What I am also trying is something similar to these code snippets:
I want to add this.............:
public class NetworkAreaUI extends JFrame implements Runnable, ActionListener
    private JPanel networkPanel;
    private JTextField netPath;
    private JButton remove;
    private JButton add;
    private JLabel netDrives;
    private JComboBox driveList;
    private int driveCount = 0;
    private Thread adds;
    private Thread lists;
    private Thread removes;
    protected NetworkDrive myNetworkDrive;
public NetworkAreaUI()
        Container cp = getContentPane();
        cp.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        networkPanel = new JPanel();
        networkPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(3,4));
        netDrives = new JLabel("Type Network Drive Location");
        networkPanel.add(netDrives);
        remove = new JButton("Remove");
        networkPanel.add(remove);
        netPath = new JTextField("\\\\Server\\Share\\Name",20);
        networkPanel.add(netPath);
        add = new JButton("add");
        networkPanel.add(add);
        driveList = new JComboBox();
        networkPanel.add(driveList);
        networkPanel.setVisible(false);
        cp.add(networkPanel);
        //Adds action listeners
        //Adds MenuSelection to the menu's
        remove.addActionListener(this);
        add.addActionListener(this);
        driveList.addActionListener(this);(then there is code for the action listeners )........into this.....
public class ScriptyUI extends JFrame// implements ActionListener, Runnable
    private final int FRAME_WIDTH = 600;
    private final int FRAME_HEIGHT = 540;
    private JPanel rows;
    private JPanel row1;
    private JPanel row2;
    private JPanel row3;
    private JPanel row4;
    private JPanel button;
    private JPanel outputArea;
    private JTextArea message;
    private JPanel selection;
    private JButton vbs;
    private JButton bat;
   /* private JPanel networkPanel;
    private JTextField netPath;
    private JButton remove;
    private JButton add;
    private JLabel netDrives;
    private JComboBox driveList;
    private int driveCount = 0;
    private JMenuBar menu;
    private JMenu fileMenu;
    private JMenu helpMenu;
    private JMenuItem restartMenu;
    private JMenuItem quitMenu;
    private JMenuItem show;
    protected NetworkDrive myNetworkDrive;
    protected NetworkAreaUI myNetGui;
    private JButton back;
    private JButton next;
    private JTextArea output;
    private JScrollPane jsp;
    private JButton save;
    private JFileChooser fc;
    private String fileType;
    // private Thread thread;
/*   private Thread adds;
    private Thread lists;
    private Thread removes;
    private Thread nextOne;
    private Thread saveIt;*/
  //  private Thread;
    public ScriptyUI(String title)
        super(title);
        myNetworkDrive = new NetworkDrive();
        myNetworkDrive.reset();
     //   myNetGui = new NetworkAreaUI();
        setUpGui();
public void setUpGui()
        setSize(FRAME_WIDTH,FRAME_HEIGHT);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        Container cp = getContentPane();
        cp.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        //Setup Menu Bar
        menu = new JMenuBar();
        setJMenuBar(menu);
        fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
        helpMenu = new JMenu("Help");
        restartMenu = new JMenuItem("Start Over");
        quitMenu = new JMenuItem("Quit game");
        show = new JMenuItem("Show Drives");
        //Construct Menu Bar
        menu.add(fileMenu);
        menu.add(helpMenu);
        fileMenu.add(restartMenu);
        fileMenu.add(quitMenu);
        fileMenu.add(show);
        rows = new JPanel();
        rows.setLayout(new GridLayout(6,1));
        //Create Message area and populate with Text.
        row1 = new JPanel();
        message = new JTextArea("Select which format you " +
                "would like the Script to be in. Visual Basic" +
                "Script or Batch Script", 3, 30);
        row1.add(message);
        rows.add(row1);
        //setup the selection screen
        row2 = new JPanel();
        selection = new JPanel();
        selection.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        //sets the buttons on the selection screen
        vbs = new JButton("Visual Basic Scripts");
        selection.add(vbs, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        bat = new JButton("Batch Scripts");
        selection.add(bat, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        row2.add(selection, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        rows.add(row2);
        row3 = new JPanel();
        myNetGui = new NetworkAreaUI();
        row3.add(myNetGui);
        rows.add(row3);
cp.add(rows, BorderLayout.CENTER);Any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated,

Answer 1

Encephalopathic wrote:
good
Thanks :)
Are you sure that you want to use a Container and not a JPanel or JComponent? This is Swing after all.Hi i set up the method as below which seemed to work:
public Container setup()
        networkPanel = new JPanel();
        networkPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(5,2));
        netDrives = new JLabel("Type Network Drive Location:");
        networkPanel.add(netDrives);
        typeName = new JLabel("Type Drive Letter:");
        networkPanel.add(typeName);
        netPath = new JTextField("\\\\Server\\Share\\Name",20);
        networkPanel.add(netPath);
        nameDrive = new JTextField("X",1);
        networkPanel.add(nameDrive);
        add = new JButton("add");
        networkPanel.add(add);
        remove = new JButton("Remove");
        networkPanel.add(remove);
        driveList = new JComboBox();
        networkPanel.add(driveList);
        driveNames = new JComboBox();
        networkPanel.add(driveNames);
        //Adds action listeners
        //Adds MenuSelection to the menu's
        remove.addActionListener(this);
        add.addActionListener(this);
        driveList.addActionListener(this);
        //return the content panel
        return networkPanel;
}it is set up in the header to return container
public Container setup()
.but i actually return networkPanel which is setup as a JPanel.
So have now changed it to read:
public JPanel setup()
.I think that should be a little better? is it?
Thanks for the heads up.
Ian