Multiline list again

Question

So, I have a problem. I was thinking a lot and I've found a solution.
The problem is: I want to make something like a message history, providing multiline list of message texts. At first I tried to make it via JList with JTextArea-based CellRenderer. Yes, I know not, it's a bad idea. Because JTextArea didn't wrap text in this case. Finaly I tried to simulate JList behavoir by using JPanel with vertical BoxLayout as I've read on one Forum. Ok, It works. But the main problem is: When you're using BoxLayout each JTextArea component that I place on JPanel tries to grab all unused space in my list. For example, at first I have the only JTextArea. It holds all JPanel. After I add another one, I have two JTextAreas but every JTextArea holds half of my JPanel. It looks not very beautiful. Can anyone suggest me, what I'm to do?

Answer 1

Yes, you're right. This is a code.
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.awt.*;
public class JFullTextList extends JScrollPane
//  private List areas = new ArrayList();
    private JPanel p = new JPanel();
    public JFullTextList()
        p.setLayout(new BoxLayout(p,BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
        p.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
        this.getViewport().add(p);
    public void addText(String text)
        JTextArea jta = new JTextArea();
        jta.setLineWrap(true);
        jta.setWrapStyleWord(true);
        jta.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder());
        p.add(jta);
        jta.setText(text);
        //this.add(stub);
}As you can see there I'm trying to make my SWING component. Just place it somewhere (on JFrame). Interesting result will appear when you're invoking addText() method. First JTextArea grabs all place on my JPanel. Second JTextArea takes one half of the place and now there 2 JTextAreas that still hold all place on my JPanel. The only I want - JTextArea takes not all place but only place needed for text rendering. This is a first issue. The second one is described in my post "Custom scrolling". If you enlarge JFrame width (JFrame still contains my component) All is ok. JTextAreas render text again. But if you'll make width small again, JTextAreas don't render text again. That's why horizontal scrollbar appears (JTextArea still large). I don't want horizontal scroll bar, I want JTextAreas to change their size.