Set Horizontal Alignment on JLabel - wrong implementation?

Question

Hi again.
I am studying by myself, and my last resort is to show you my unfinished code. This is supposed to move the alignment of the JLabel at the top of the window depending on the ComboBox choice. I did not implement the other ItemListeners yet because I can't make the first one work. I know I have an error somewhere... anyway thanks in advance for your time.
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class DemoJLabel extends JFrame {
    private ImageIcon icon = new ImageIcon("image/grapes.gif");
    private JLabel jlblGrape = new JLabel("Grapes", icon, SwingConstants.CENTER);
    private String[] horizontalAlign = {"LEFT", "CENTER", "RIGHT",
        "LEADING", "TRAILING"
    private String[] verticalAlign = {"TOP", "CENTER", "BOTTOM"};
    private String[] horizontalTP = {"LEFT", "CENTER", "RIGHT", "LEADING",
        "TRAILING"
    private String[] verticalTP = {"TOP", "CENTER", "BOTTOM"};
    private JComboBox jcboHA = new JComboBox(horizontalAlign);
    private JComboBox jcboVA = new JComboBox(verticalAlign);
    private JComboBox jcboHT = new JComboBox(horizontalTP);
    private JComboBox jcboVT = new JComboBox(verticalTP);
    public DemoJLabel() {
        JPanel p1 = new JPanel();
        p1.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        p1.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK));
        p1.add(jlblGrape);
        JPanel p2 = new JPanel();
        p2.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p2.add(new JLabel("Horizontal"));
        p2.add(new JLabel("Vertical"));
        JPanel p3 = new JPanel();
        p3.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p3.add(jcboHA);
        p3.add(jcboVA);
        JPanel p4 = new JPanel();
        p4.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        p4.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Alignment"));
        p4.add(p2, BorderLayout.WEST);
        p4.add(p3, BorderLayout.EAST);
        JPanel p5 = new JPanel();
        p5.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p5.add(new JLabel("Horizontal"));
        p5.add(new JLabel("Vertical"));
        JPanel p6 = new JPanel();
        p6.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p6.add(jcboHT);
        p6.add(jcboVT);
        JPanel p7 = new JPanel();
        p7.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        p7.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Text Position"));
        p7.add(p5, BorderLayout.WEST);
        p7.add(p6, BorderLayout.EAST);
        JPanel p8 = new JPanel();
        p8.setLayout(new GridLayout());
        p8.add(p4);
        p8.add(p7);
        setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        add(p1);
        add(p8);
        jcboHA.addItemListener(new ItemListener() {
            public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
                //For debugging
                System.out.println(jcboHA.getSelectedItem());
                String choice = jcboHA.getSelectedItem().toString();
                if (choice.equals("LEFT")) {
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.LEFT);
                } else if (choice.equals("CENTER")) {
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
                } else if (choice.equals("RIGHT")) {
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.RIGHT);
                } else if (choice.equals("LEADING")) {
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.LEADING);
                } else {
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.TRAILING);
    // Other ItemListeners for the other combo boxes
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        DemoJLabel frame = new DemoJLabel();
        frame.setTitle("Demonstrating JLabel");
        frame.setSize(400, 350);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setVisible(true);
}

Answer 1

*@petes1234*
Thanks! I didn't think about declaring p1 so that it could be changed.
* with assistance from petes1234
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class DemoJLabel extends JFrame
    //** make the label's panel visible to the whole class
    private JPanel p1;
    private ImageIcon icon = new ImageIcon("image/grapes.gif");
    private JLabel jlblGrape = new JLabel("Grapes", icon, SwingConstants.CENTER);
    private String[] horizontalAlign =
    { "LEFT", "CENTER", "RIGHT", "LEADING", "TRAILING" };
    private String[] verticalAlign =
    { "TOP", "CENTER", "BOTTOM" };
    private String[] horizontalTP =
    { "LEFT", "CENTER", "RIGHT", "LEADING", "TRAILING" };
    private String[] verticalTP =
    { "TOP", "CENTER", "BOTTOM" };
    private JComboBox jcboHA = new JComboBox(horizontalAlign);
    private JComboBox jcboVA = new JComboBox(verticalAlign);
    private JComboBox jcboHT = new JComboBox(horizontalTP);
    private JComboBox jcboVT = new JComboBox(verticalTP);
    public DemoJLabel()
        //** make label bigger so we can see it
        //** the text moving around inside of it
        int labelSize = 160;
        jlblGrape.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(2 * labelSize, labelSize - 15));
        //** give it a border so we can see its bounds
        jlblGrape.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.blue));
        p1 = new JPanel();
        p1.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        p1.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.BLACK));
        p1.add(jlblGrape);
        JPanel p2 = new JPanel();
        p2.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p2.add(new JLabel("Horizontal"));
        p2.add(new JLabel("Vertical"));
        JPanel p3 = new JPanel();
        p3.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p3.add(jcboHA);
        p3.add(jcboVA);
        JPanel p4 = new JPanel();
        p4.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        p4.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Alignment"));
        p4.add(p2, BorderLayout.WEST);
        p4.add(p3, BorderLayout.EAST);
        JPanel p5 = new JPanel();
        p5.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p5.add(new JLabel("Horizontal"));
        p5.add(new JLabel("Vertical"));
        JPanel p6 = new JPanel();
        p6.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        p6.add(jcboHT);
        p6.add(jcboVT);
        JPanel p7 = new JPanel();
        p7.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        p7.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Text Position"));
        p7.add(p5, BorderLayout.WEST);
        p7.add(p6, BorderLayout.EAST);
        JPanel p8 = new JPanel();
        p8.setLayout(new GridLayout());
        p8.add(p4);
        p8.add(p7);
        setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 1));
        add(p1);
        add(p8);
        jcboHA.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
            public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
                String choice = jcboHA.getSelectedItem().toString();
                if (choice.equals("LEFT"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.LEFT);
                else if (choice.equals("CENTER"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
                else if (choice.equals("RIGHT"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.RIGHT);
                else if (choice.equals("LEADING"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.LEADING);
                else
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.TRAILING);
                //** revalidate the panel after making changes
                p1.revalidate();
        jcboVA.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
            public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
                String choice = jcboVA.getSelectedItem().toString();
                if (choice.equals("TOP"))
                    jlblGrape.setVerticalAlignment(JLabel.TOP);
                else if (choice.equals("CENTER"))
                    jlblGrape.setVerticalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
                else
                    jlblGrape.setVerticalAlignment(JLabel.BOTTOM);
                //** revalidate the panel after making changes
                p1.revalidate();
        jcboHT.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
            public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
                String choice = jcboHT.getSelectedItem().toString();
                if (choice.equals("LEFT"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.LEFT);
                else if (choice.equals("CENTER"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.CENTER);
                else if (choice.equals("RIGHT"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.RIGHT);
                else if (choice.equals("LEADING"))
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.LEADING);
                else
                    jlblGrape.setHorizontalTextPosition(JLabel.TRAILING);
                //** revalidate the panel after making changes
                p1.revalidate();
         jcboVT.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
            public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
                String choice = jcboVT.getSelectedItem().toString();
                if (choice.equals("TOP"))
                    jlblGrape.setVerticalTextPosition(JLabel.TOP);
                else if (choice.equals("CENTER"))
                    jlblGrape.setVerticalTextPosition(JLabel.CENTER);
                else
                    jlblGrape.setVerticalTextPosition(JLabel.BOTTOM);
                //** revalidate the panel after making changes
                p1.revalidate();
    public static void main(String[] args)
        DemoJLabel frame = new DemoJLabel();
        frame.setTitle("Demonstrating JLabel");
        frame.setSize(400, 350);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setVisible(true);
}Edited by: carlshark on Dec 18, 2007 4:30 AM
Removed unnecessary debugging code