Setting size of JTable columns

Question

Hi everybody,
Can anyone help me ?
How can I set a column widths of a JTable, but also allow the user to resize them ?
I tried with a code like
TableColumnModel tableColumnModel = table.getColumnModel();
for (int i=0; i < columnsSizes.length; i++) {
   if (columnsSizes[i] > 0) {
        tableColumnModel.getColumn(i).setPreferredWidth(preferedSizeArray);
But it doesn't work :(
When i do [ define the minWidth and maxWidth ]
TableColumnModel tableColumnModel = table.getColumnModel();
for (int i=0; i < columnsSizes.length; i++) {
    if (columnsSizes[i] > 0) {
        tableColumnModel.getColumn(i).setMinWidth(preferedSizeArray);
tableColumnModel.getColumn(i).setMaxWidth(preferedSizeArray[i]);
Columns's sizes are exactly what i want but ... the colums are no more resizable.
So,
if anyone can help me and tell me how can i set a predefined size for some colums and also allow the user to resize them ... that would be kind from him.
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi guys,
It's me again ... but I tried your tricks and they don't work :(
Look this example :
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.Insets;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTable;
import javax.swing.table.DefaultTableModel;
import javax.swing.table.JTableHeader;
import javax.swing.table.TableColumnModel;
import javax.swing.table.TableModel;
public class JTableResizing extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
    private JScrollPane scpnl = new JScrollPane();
    private JButton btnClose = new JButton();
    Object[][] data={   new Object[]{"Hi", "everybody", "this is ", "a row"},
                        new Object[]{"and ", "this ", "is the second", "row"},
                        new Object[]{"of a", "very ","usefull","jtable"}
    Object[] columnNames={"Column1", "Column2", "Column3", "Column4"};
    TableModel dataModel=new DefaultTableModel(data, columnNames);
    private JTable jTable = new JTable(dataModel);
    public JTableResizing() {
        try {
            /* We don't care about this code !! just see the code below !
             * It has been made really quick [and dirty :D]
            this.setSize(new Dimension(530, 400));
            this.getContentPane().setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
            btnClose.setText("close");
            btnClose.addActionListener(this);
            scpnl.getViewport().add(jTable, null);
            this.getContentPane().add(scpnl,    new GridBagConstraints(0, 0, 1, 1, 1.0, 0.5,
                                                                    GridBagConstraints.CENTER,
                                                                    GridBagConstraints.BOTH,
                                                                    new Insets(50, 50, 50, 50),
                                                                    0, 0));
            this.getContentPane().add(btnClose, new GridBagConstraints(0, 1, 1, 1, 0.0, 0.0,
                                                                    GridBagConstraints.CENTER,
                                                                    GridBagConstraints.NONE,
                                                                    new Insets(0, 0, 20, 0),
                                                                    0, 0));
            /* is this really necessary ??? I really don't think so */
            JTableHeader headers = jTable.getTableHeader();
            if (headers != null) {
                headers.setResizingAllowed(true);
             * Start watching the code from here.
             * I created a JTable [jTable] with n columns. Now, I want to fix
             * a size for some columns and the question is how ?? 
             * Maybe the easiest way is to create a method !!
             setColumnsSizes(jTable, new int[]{0, 100, 0, 50});
        } catch(Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
    /* I know, the code is not the best but I don't care !! This is a quick
     * and dirty sample code to make you understand my problem ...*/
    public static void setColumnsSizes(JTable jTable, int[] columnsSizes) {
        /* look the array supplied above.  columnsSizes =  int[]{0,100,0,50}
         * but any array can be supplied !!
         * This one means that the second and the fourth columns should take
         * resectively a width of 100 and 50 and the two others columns
         * the first one and the third one, fill as much as possible depending on
         * the available space in the scrollpane.
         * Also, when I resize the frame, the scrollpane is resized
         * (look the gridbagconstraints above, and also here columns with
         * no prefered size must be
        /* Which mode should I suplpy ? I need an autoresize only for columns
           where no prefered size has been defined and I don't think it exists */
        jTable.setAutoResizeMode(JTable.AUTO_RESIZE_SUBSEQUENT_COLUMNS);
        TableColumnModel tableColumnModel = jTable.getColumnModel();
        for (int i=0; i < columnsSizes.length; i++) {
            if (columnsSizes[i] > 0) {
                /* If I define a minimum width, the colum will be resizeable but,
                   we will be unable to resize it under his minSize. This can be
                   a good behaviour !*/
                tableColumnModel.getColumn(i).setMinWidth(columnsSizes);
/* If I define a prefered width, I'm not sure it will be the
width of the column.
I mean, when I define a prefered size on a column, other
columns are resized depending of the autoResizeMode !*/
tableColumnModel.getColumn(i).setPreferredWidth(columnsSizes[i]);
/* if I define a maxWidth (next line code) the column will be fixed */
// tableColumnModel.getColumn(i).setMaxWidth(columnsSizes[i]);
public static void main(String[] args) {
JTableResizing jTableResizing = new JTableResizing();
jTableResizing.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
jTableResizing.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
jTableResizing.setVisible(true);
* method performed when clicking on button close
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
System.exit(0);
Copy, paste and run it and you'll understand the problem.
Also, try to read comments I added (I think they are understandable, although I know they are full of grammar mistakes, but this is another question ... )
Thanks for your help.
And may the force be with you