JTree: Problems updating the nodes size

Question

Hi,
I'm trying to update the content of a JTree and I wonder how it
really works, since the paint() method doesn't seem to call the
renderer.
My situation: Imagine a JPanel splited in two by a JSplitPane. In
the left is the tree. Each node in the tree shows two panels, one
aligned to the left, and another to the right. I need that the panel
containing the two use all the available space in the left part of the
Split panel.
My solution: I pass the left JPanel to the tree renderer, so that
it can get the width from it (inside the
getTreeCellRendererComponent()) to build the return JPanel with the
correct size. My logic is that since each time you move the JSplitPane
the JTree paint() method is invoked the renderer can return the
correct JPanel with the correct size that will be painted then in the
screen.
My problem: Doens't work. When I render the tree, the renderer is
invoked, but it doesn't change its size (I can change the color based on the width, but not the node size). Only when I collapse & expand a node, it correctly takes into account the .setPreferredSize() and returns the JPanel with the correct size.
The only way I found to update the tree involves to catch the
JSplitPane event and call updateUI() in the tree, something that, I
think, it's certainly not the correct way to do it.
Any explanation of why this doesn't work would be really great. Any
pointer to a web resource explaining in deep how Swing components work (specially the JTree) would be a godsend.
Thanks,
- Juancho

Answer 1

My situation: Imagine a JPanel splited in two by a JSplitPane. Got it.
In the left is the tree. In the left side of the JSplitPane is a JTree.
Each node in the tree shows two panels,Maybe... on the right side of the JSplitPane are two Panels in which the data depends on which node is selected in the JTree???
Maybe... you have a custom TreeCellRenderer which displays a pair of panels in place of the standard JLabel???
one aligned to the left, and another to the right. To the left of what??? To the right of what???
I need that the panel containing the two use all the available
space in the left part of the Split panel.Panel containing the two what??? I thought the left part of the SplitPanel contained a JTree???