JPanel applied to BorderLayout.WEST covers BorderLayout.NORTH section, why?

Question

I am a newbie to swing, but thought that if you applied a panel to borderlayout.WEST, it would not overwrite another area.
What have I missed, why has may applied panel overwritten borderlayout.NORTH?
Many thanks.
<code>
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class LayoutTest extends JPanel {
     Dimension bd = new Dimension(150,50);
     public LayoutTest(){
          setLayout(new BorderLayout());
          JPanel orderPanel = new JPanel();
          orderPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(orderPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
          orderPanel.add(makeButton("rita"));
          orderPanel.add(makeButton("bob"));
          orderPanel.add(makeButton("sue"));
          add(orderPanel, BorderLayout.WEST);
     public JButton makeButton(String title) {
          JButton b = new JButton(title);
          b.setMaximumSize(bd);
          b.setMinimumSize(bd);
          b.setPreferredSize(bd);
          b.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(
                              BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5,5,5,5),
                              b.getBorder()));
          b.setAlignmentX((float)0.5);
          return b;
     public static void main(String []args) throws Exception {
     JFrame f = new JFrame();
     f.setSize(600, 600);
     f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
     f.getContentPane().add(new LayoutTest());
     f.show();
</code>

Answer 1

I see, thanks.
I thought each area wouldn't allow you to spill over.
So, if I don't use an area, all other components will use the space, is that right?
If I didn't want anything to populate the NORTH area (can't think of an example why), I guess you would have to add a (any) component to it?
Just modified LayoutTest to populate the NORTH area to, and as you said, it displayed as I initially expected.
It's gonna take a bit of getting used to this Swing business!
Thanks for your help.
<code>
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class LayoutTest extends JPanel {
     Dimension bd = new Dimension(150,50);
     public LayoutTest(){
          setLayout(new BorderLayout());
          JPanel orderPanel = new JPanel();
          orderPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(orderPanel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
          orderPanel.add(makeButton("rita"));
          orderPanel.add(makeButton("bob"));
          orderPanel.add(makeButton("sue"));
          JPanel orderPanel2 = new JPanel();
          orderPanel2.add(makeButton("rita"));
          orderPanel2.add(makeButton("bob"));
          orderPanel2.add(makeButton("sue"));
          add(orderPanel, BorderLayout.WEST);
          add(orderPanel2, BorderLayout.NORTH);
     public JButton makeButton(String title) {
          JButton b = new JButton(title);
          b.setMaximumSize(bd);
          b.setMinimumSize(bd);
          b.setPreferredSize(bd);
          b.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(
                              BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5,5,5,5),
                              b.getBorder()));
          b.setAlignmentX((float)0.5);
          return b;
     public static void main(String []args) throws Exception {
     JFrame f = new JFrame();
     f.setSize(600, 600);
     f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
     f.getContentPane().add(new LayoutTest());
     f.show();
</code>