JButtons in a JTextArea

Question

I am hoping to add a JButton to a JTextArea, but to be completely honest, I am not sure if this is physically possible, let alone feasible.
I have written some code which I hoped would do the trick, and although it compiles, it does not display the JButton.
Any help, starting with, am I asking the impossible would be greatly appreciated.
Below is my method:
public void displayMatchedManagers(Vector vmd)
JButton jbNP[]= new JButton[vmd.size()];
JButton jbNM = new JButton("New Manager");
String details;
jtaManagerFeedback.append(" ***FEEDBACK***" +
"\n\n The system has found some possible" +
"\n matches to the criteria just entered, it" +
"\n is therefore possible that this manager" +
"\n has already registered." +
"\n\n Look at the existing managers details" +
"\n below, and if a match is found click the" +
"\n 'New Prediction' button beneath the" +
"\n relevant manager's details. This will add" +
"\n the prediction to the manager's account." +
"\n\n ***POSSIBLE MATCHES***\n\n");
for ( int i = 0; i < vmd.size(); i++ )
MD = (ManagerDetails) (vmd.elementAt(i));
details = " Manager \\ Prediction ID: " + MD.getIDNumber() +
"\n Name: " + MD.getFirstName() +
     " " + MD.getLastName() +
     "\n Address: " + MD.getAddress() +
"\n Postcode: " + MD.getPostcode() +
     "\n Area Code: " + MD.getAreaCode() +
     "\n Telephone Number: " + MD.getTelephone() +
     "\n Mobile Number: " + MD.getMobile() +
     "\n E-mail Address: " + MD.getEmail() + "\n\n";
jtaManagerFeedback.append(details);
jtaManagerFeedback.add(jbNP[i] = new JButton("New Prediction"));
details = "\n\n If none of the above managers where a" +
"\n match, click the 'New Manager' button below." +
"\n This will add the new manager to the" +
"\n database along with their predictions.";
jtaManagerFeedback.append(details);
jtaManagerFeedback.add(jbNM);
jtaManagerFeedback.setCaretPosition( 0 );
Thanks, Kris Dowse

Answer 1

found it..
//initialize the gridbaglayout
gridbag = new GridBagLayout();
c = new GridBagConstraints();
keuzes.setLayout(gridbag);
c.fill = GridBagConstraints.NONE;
c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER;      //end row
c.insets= new Insets(3,10,3,10);
//     c.ipadx = 20;
//     c.ipady = 5;
introtext=new JLabel("Welkom bij ZKK-DOS maak uw keuze")
     public Dimension getPreferredSize()
          return new Dimension(800,80);
introtext.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
configuratie = ZKKDOSConfigManager.getConfiguration();
if(configuratie.containsKey("HMopt"))
//some stuff to read my ini file
Vector options =(Vector)configuratie.get("HMopt");
String confItem=(String)options.elementAt(0);
System.out.println(confItem);
// the aantal variable holds the number of buttons i want
int aantal = Integer.parseInt(confItem.substring(confItem.length()-1));
//keuzes.setLayout(new GridLayout(aantal,1));
for(int i=0;i<aantal;i++) // loop as many times as we want buttons
//set the gridbag the way i wanted the buttons
c.gridwidth = GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER;
//get the buttons caption from my ini file
Button b = new Button((String)options.elementAt(i+1))
// an inner class to make sure the buttons get the size i want them to be as layoutmanager uses getPreferredSize() to get the buttons preferredSize
  public Dimension getPreferredSize()
   return new Dimension(80,30);
b.addActionListener(this);
b.addMouseListener(this);
//add the button to the gridbaglayout
gridbag.setConstraints(b, c);
keuzes.add(b);
}hope it helps you,
robert