CardLayout in Java – Switch Panels & Layout Control

Methods of CardLayout class in Java

The methods of CardLayout class are listed below:

Example for CardLayout in Java

Java examples of CardLayout are given below:

Example 1 - Using Default Constructor

• Java

Java

import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.
JFrame;
interface of ActionListener
public class Cardlayout extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
CardLayout cd;
JButton jb1, jb2, jb3;
Container con;
above objects
Cardlayout()
{
con = getContentPane();
cd = new CardLayout(70, 50);
con.setLayout(cd);
jb1 = new JButton("Hello");
jb2 = new JButton("Hey");
jb3 = new JButton("Hii");
jb1.addActionListener(this);
jb2.addActionListener(this);
jb3.addActionListener(this);
con.add("a", jb1);
con.add("b", jb2);
con.add("c", jb3);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
cd.next(con);
}

 
public static void main(String[] args)
{
Cardlayout cl1 = new Cardlayout();
cl1. setTitle("Checking how Card Layout works");
cl1.setSize(800, 800);
cl1.setResizable(false);
cl1.setVisible(true);

 
cl1.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
}
}

You can also try this code with Online Java Compiler

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Output:

In the example below, the output would be a JFrame with the first button with the name "Hello" displayed first:

The second button, "Hey", appears when you click it:

As soon as the user clicks its button, "Hii" will appear.

Example 2 - Using Parameterized Constructor

In this example, we will use a parameterized constructor to initialize the CardLayout and add cards with the same functionality as the previous example.

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

public class CardLayoutExample extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
    CardLayout cd;
    JButton jb1, jb2, jb3;
    Container con;

    // Parameterized constructor
    CardLayoutExample(int hGap, int vGap) {
        con = getContentPane();
        cd = new CardLayout(hGap, vGap);  // Passing horizontal and vertical gap to the CardLayout constructor
        con.setLayout(cd);

        // Creating the buttons
        jb1 = new JButton("Hello");
        jb2 = new JButton("Hey");
        jb3 = new JButton("Hii");

        // Adding ActionListeners
        jb1.addActionListener(this);
        jb2.addActionListener(this);
        jb3.addActionListener(this);

        // Adding the buttons to the container with unique names
        con.add("a", jb1);
        con.add("b", jb2);
        con.add("c", jb3);
    }

    // Action event handler
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        cd.next(con);  // Switch to the next card on button click
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Passing horizontal and vertical gap values to the constructor
        CardLayoutExample cl1 = new CardLayoutExample(70, 50);
        cl1.setTitle("Using Parameterized Constructor for Card Layout");
        cl1.setSize(800, 800);
        cl1.setResizable(false);
        cl1.setVisible(true);

        cl1.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    }
}

Frequently Asked Questions 

Which layout arrange the components as a deck of cards such that only one component is visible at a time?

The `CardLayout` in Java arranges components like a deck of cards, displaying only one component at a time. It is useful for creating wizard dialogs or tabbed panels where you need to switch between different components.

What are common mistakes when using CardLayout?

Common mistakes include not setting the correct layout, not managing card visibility properly, or failing to update components after switching cards, leading to UI inconsistencies. Another mistake is adding components to the container without specifying unique card names.

Can CardLayout manage multiple components simultaneously?

No, CardLayout only displays one component (card) at a time. It’s designed to switch between different views or panels, but it does not support displaying multiple components simultaneously.

What are the alternatives to CardLayout in Java?

Alternatives to CardLayout include JTabbedPane for tabbed navigation, Panel with custom logic, and JPanel with different layout managers like GridLayout or BorderLayout for more complex layouts.

What are the limitations of CardLayout?

CardLayout is limited to displaying one card at a time, making it unsuitable for complex multi-component layouts. It also lacks customization options for transitioning between cards and does not handle overlapping components effectively.

Conclusion

Layouts in Java come in a variety of types, and each type has its own arrangement of components. Programmers must have a thorough understanding of every layout in order to work efficiently with GUI applications. In the IT sector, Layout Managers are also popular in Graphics Programming.