Layout question

Hello all,

I want to create an application that will have navigation in a fixed width flexible length bordered rectangle on the left side of the application window with the main part of the application in a bordered area (flexible width and length) to the right of the navigation rectangle. There should be same space between the navigation border and the main area border. The navigation will be buttons with a brief description under them. For anyone using Firefox, i'm trying to get the exact same layout as what you get when you choose Tools-->Options.

Which layout manager do i have to use to get this kind of layout and do i have to use the borderfactory to create the borders around the navigation and main area of the application?

Thanks.

Ive done this with htree splitPanes.

Just one thing, if the main part is flexible w & h then the left part (the
the navigation) must be flexible width too, or else you get some realestate
on the screen that is not accounted for....

And if you want the left & main part to have flexible height then that leaves
you with two empry spaces (emptyPan1 & emptyPan2).

Code:

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import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

/**
 * An Application Layout Template
 */

public class AppFrame extends JFrame {
  JSplitPane mainSplitPane = new JSplitPane();
  JSplitPane leftSplitPane = new JSplitPane();
  JSplitPane rightSplitPane = new JSplitPane();

  JPanel navPanel = new JPanel();
  JPanel emptyPan1 = new JPanel();

  JPanel contentPanel = new JPanel();
  JPanel emptyPan2 = new JPanel();
  JLabel statusLbl = new JLabel();

  public AppFrame() {
    try {
      jbInit();
    }
    catch(Exception e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
  }
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    AppFrame appFrame = new AppFrame();
    appFrame.setBounds(20,20,600,500);
    appFrame.addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
      public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
        System.exit(0);
      }
    });
    appFrame.setVisible(true);
  }
  private void jbInit() throws Exception {
    leftSplitPane.setOrientation(JSplitPane.VERTICAL_SPLIT);
    rightSplitPane.setOrientation(JSplitPane.VERTICAL_SPLIT);
    this.setTitle("Standard App Layout");
    statusLbl.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder());
    statusLbl.setText("That\'s it....?");
    this.getContentPane().add(mainSplitPane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    mainSplitPane.add(leftSplitPane, JSplitPane.LEFT);
    leftSplitPane.add(navPanel, JSplitPane.TOP);
    leftSplitPane.add(emptyPan1, JSplitPane.BOTTOM);
    mainSplitPane.add(rightSplitPane, JSplitPane.RIGHT);
    rightSplitPane.add(contentPanel, JSplitPane.TOP);
    rightSplitPane.add(emptyPan2, JSplitPane.BOTTOM);
    this.getContentPane().add(statusLbl, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
    leftSplitPane.setDividerLocation(250);
    mainSplitPane.setDividerLocation(170);
    rightSplitPane.setDividerLocation(250);
  }
}

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