Learning Java

Borders

Any Swing component can have a decorative border. JComponent includes a method called setBorder( ) ; all you have to do is call setBorder( ), passing it an appropriate implementation of the Border interface.

Swing provides many useful Border implementations in the javax.swing.border package. You could create an instance of one of these classes and pass it to a component’s setBorder( ) method, but there’s an even simpler technique.

The BorderFactory class can create any kind of border for you using static “factory” methods. Creating and setting a component’s border, then, is simple:

JLabel labelTwo = new JLabel("I have an etched border.");
labelTwo.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder( ));

Every component has a setBorder( ) method, from simple labels and buttons right up to the fancy text and table components we’ll cover in the next chapter.

BorderFactory is convenient, but it does not offer every option of every border type. For example, if you want to create a raised EtchedBorder instead of the default lowered border, you’ll need to use EtchedBorder’s constructor rather than a method in BorderFactory, like this:

JLabel labelTwo = new JLabel("I have a raised etched border.");
labelTwo.setBorder( new EtchedBorder(EtchedBorder.RAISED) );

The Border implementation classes are listed and briefly described here:

BevelBorder

This border draws raised or lowered beveled edges, giving an illusion of depth.

SoftBevelBorder

This border is similar to BevelBorder, but thinner. ...