Layout (Metawidget API Documentation)

Type Parameters:
W - base class of widgets that this Layout lays out
C - base class of container widgets. Many UI frameworks make a distinction between 'container widgets' (ie. Panels) and widgets that cannot contain child controls (ie. TextBox). For frameworks that don't make such a distinction, W and C can be the same
M - Metawidget that supports this Layout

All Superinterfaces:

Immutable

All Known Subinterfaces:

AdvancedLayout<W,C,M>

All Known Implementing Classes:

AccordionPanelLayoutDecorator, AndroidNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, BoxLayout, CollapsiblePanelLayoutDecorator, FieldsetLayoutDecorator, FillLayout, FlatSectionLayoutDecorator, FlexTableLayout, FlowLayout, FlowLayout, FormLayout, FreemarkerLayout, GridBagLayout, GridLayout, GroupLayout, GwtFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, GwtNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, HeadingTagLayoutDecorator, HeadingTagLayoutDecorator, HorizontalLayout, HtmlDivLayout, HtmlLayout, HtmlPanelGridLayout, HtmlTableLayout, HtmlTableLayout, JspFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, JspNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, LabelLayoutDecorator, LayoutDecorator, LinearLayout, MigLayout, MigLayout, NestedSectionLayoutDecorator, OutputTextLayoutDecorator, OutputTextLayoutDecorator, PanelGroupLayoutDecorator, PanelLayoutDecorator, PanelTabSetLayoutDecorator, RowLayout, SeparatorLayoutDecorator, SeparatorLayoutDecorator, SimpleLayout, SimpleLayout, SimpleLayout, SimpleLayout, SimpleTogglePanelLayoutDecorator, SpringTableLayout, SpringTableLayout, StaticFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, StaticNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, SwingFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, SwingNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, SwtFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, SwtNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, TabbedPaneLayoutDecorator, TabFolderLayoutDecorator, TabHostLayoutDecorator, TableLayout, TabPanelLayoutDecorator, TabPanelLayoutDecorator, TabSheetLayoutDecorator, TabViewLayoutDecorator, TextViewLayoutDecorator, TitledPanelLayoutDecorator, UIComponentFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, UIComponentNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, VaadinFlatSectionLayoutDecorator, VaadinNestedSectionLayoutDecorator, VerticalLayout
```
public interface Layout<W,C extends W,M extends C>
extends Immutable
```
Interface for Layouts.
Layouts must be immutable (or, at least, appear that way to clients. They can have caches or configuration settings internally, as long as they are threadsafe). If they need to store state, they should use the Metawidget passed to each method.
Don't be put off by having so many parameterized types! Metawidget needs them so that it can present a consistent API across many architectures. However this complication doesn't impact your own custom plugins because you're able to substitute concrete, platform-specific values for each parameter (i.e. Control, Composite, SwtMetawidget ).

Author:

Richard Kennard

Method Summary

Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`void`	`layoutWidget(W widget, String elementName, Map<String,String> attributes, C container, M metawidget)` Layout the given widget within the given container, using the given elementName and attributes as a guide and the given Metawidget to access additional services if needed (such as state saving)

- Method Detail
  - layoutWidget
```
void layoutWidget(W widget,
                String elementName,
                Map<String,String> attributes,
                C container,
                M metawidget)
```
    Layout the given widget within the given container, using the given elementName and attributes as a guide and the given Metawidget to access additional services if needed (such as state saving)
    layoutWidget is called immediately after WidgetBuilder.buildWidget and WidgetProcessor.processWidget, and before the next widget is generated. An alternate design would be to 'collect' all widgets generated by buildWidget and processWidget, then iterate over them separately for the layout. If you prefer this approach, you can simulate it by having layoutWidget do nothing but 'remember' each widget, then iterate over them in endContainerLayout (see the AdvancedLayout interface). However not all UI frameworks allow this approach, because they do not suport widgets being instantiated independent of a layout, nor moved between layouts (e.g. SWT)
    
    Parameters:
    widget - the widget to layout. Never null
    elementName - XML node name of the business field. Typically 'entity', 'property' or 'action'. Never null
    attributes - attributes of the widget to layout. Never null. This Map is modifiable - changes will be passed to subsequent WidgetProcessors and Layouts
    container - the container to add to. This is often the same as the given Metawidget
    metawidget - the Metawidget to use to access additional services. Never null

Interface Layout<W,C extends W,M extends C>

Method Summary

Method Detail

layoutWidget