When we start learn about SWT GUI programming, we always want to figure out how do we positioning the Text field, Label, button and other widget. In SWT, we can use setLocation() or setLocation() method to specify the size and position of a widget or component.

Here is the two methods that SWT use to positioning.

1) setBounds(int x, int y, int witdh, int height) – Sets the widget’s size and location
2) setLocation(int x, int y) – Sets the widget’s location

Position is start from upper-left corner like following

setBounds() example

Create a Label at position x=100, y =50, width=300, height=30

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import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Label;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;
 
public class SWTPosition {
 
public static void main (String [] args) {
	Display display = new Display ();
	Shell shell = new Shell(display);
 
	Label positiongLabel = new Label(shell, SWT.BORDER);
	positiongLabel.setBounds(100,50,300,30);
 
	positiongLabel.setText("My Position is : " + positiongLabel.getBounds());
 
	shell.open ();
	while (!shell.isDisposed ()) {
		if (!display.readAndDispatch ()) display.sleep ();
	}
	display.dispose ();
}
}

setLocation() example

Create a Label at position x=100, y =50, width=300, height=30

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import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Label;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;
 
public class SWTPosition {
 
public static void main (String [] args) {
	Display display = new Display ();
	Shell shell = new Shell(display);
 
	Label positiongLabel = new Label(shell, SWT.BORDER);
	positiongLabel.setSize(300,30);
	positiongLabel.setLocation(100, 50);
 
	positiongLabel.setText("My Position is : " + positiongLabel.getLocation());
 
	shell.open ();
	while (!shell.isDisposed ()) {
		if (!display.readAndDispatch ()) display.sleep ();
	}
	display.dispose ();
}
}

What is the different between setBounds() and setLocation()?

As example above, you may notice there is not much different between setBounds() and setLocation() method. Since both also can specify the widget position, why SWT make it duplicated? I have no idea about it, however setLocation() need specify one more setSize() method to specify the widget size. This is the only different i aware of.

This article was posted in SWT category.

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