Layouts and Containers

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Layouts and Containers


Layouts are components used to partition the display area it owns into several sub-areas for its child components, while containers group its child components into the display area it owns.

You could nest one from another to create the UI you want.

Layouts

Here are a brief introductions. For detailed information and a complete list, please refer to ZK Component Reference: Layouts.

Hlayout and Vlayout

Hlayout and vlayout are a simple and lightweight layout that arranges its children to be displayed horizontally and vertically, respectively.

DrHlayout.png
<hlayout>
  <div width="100px" height="50px" style="background:blue">1</div>
  <div width="80px" height="70px" style="background:yellow">2</div>
</hlayout>
DrVlayout.png
<vlayout>
  <div width="100px" height="50px" style="background:blue">1</div>
  <div width="80px" height="70px" style="background:yellow">2</div>
</vlayout>

Scrolling

  • Hlayout and Vlayout is created by div, you can specify "overflow:auto;" to style for make Hlayout and Vlayout can be scrolled.
  • Due to the height of Hlayout and Vlayout is count on children, their height will be increased by their children, you have to specify a fixed height to Hlayout and Vlayout or place them in a fixed height container, EX: "<window height="100px"...".
DrHlayout scrolling.png
<hlayout width="100px" height="100px" style="border:1px solid black;overflow:auto;">
	<div width="40px" height="150px" style="background:blue;color:white;">1</div>
	<div width="40px" height="150px" style="background:yellow;">2</div>
</hlayout>
DrVlayout scrolling.png
<vlayout width="100px" height="100px" style="border:1px solid black;overflow:auto;">
	<div width="80px" height="80px" style="background:blue;color:white;">1</div>
	<div width="80px" height="80px" style="background:yellow;">2</div>
</vlayout>

Hbox and Vbox

Similar to Hlayout and vlayout, hbox and vbox arrange its children to be displayed horizontally and vertically. However, they provide more functionality, such as splitter, align and pack, but the performance is slower.

DrHbox.png
<hbox>
  <div width="100px" height="50px" style="background:blue">1</div>
  <splitter collapse="before"/>
  <div width="80px" height="70px" style="background:yellow">2</div>
</hbox>
DrVbox.png
<vbox>
  <div width="100px" height="50px" style="background:blue">1</div>
  <splitter collapse="after"/>
  <div width="80px" height="70px" style="background:yellow">2</div>
</vbox>

scrolling

  • Hbox and Vbox is create by table, HTML table cannot appear a scroll bar, you have to place them in a scrolling container.
DrHlayout scrolling.png
<div width="100px" height="100px" style="border:1px solid black;overflow:auto;">
	<hbox>
		<div width="40px" height="150px" style="background:blue;color:white;">1</div>
		<div width="40px" height="150px" style="background:yellow;">2</div>
	</hbox>
</div>
DrVlayout scrolling.png
<div width="100px" height="100px" style="border:1px solid black;overflow:auto;">
	<vbox>
		<div width="80px" height="80px" style="background:blue;color:white;">1</div>
		<div width="80px" height="80px" style="background:yellow;">2</div>
	</vbox>
</div>

Borderlayout

borderlayout places its child components in up to five areas: north, east, south, west and center. All extra space is placed in the center area.

DrBorderlayout.png
<borderlayout>
  <north>
    <div height="30px" hflex="1" style="background:blue">N</div>
  </north>
  <south>
    <div height="20px" hflex="1" style="background:blue">S</div>
  </south>
  <center>
    <div hflex="1" vflex="1">C</div>
  </center>
  <east>
    <div width="30px" vflex="1" style="background:yellow">E</div>
  </east>
  <west>
    <div width="20px" vflex="1" style="background:yellow">W</div>
  </west>
</borderlayout>

Borderlayout in a container

  • Almost of container's height is count on children, place Borderlayout in a container, you have to specify a height to Borderlayout.
<zk>
	<window title="win" border="normal">
		<borderlayout height="200px">
			<north>
				<div height="30px" hflex="1" style="background:blue">N</div>
			</north>
			<south>
				<div height="20px" hflex="1" style="background:blue">S</div>
			</south>
			<center>
				<div hflex="1" vflex="1">C</div>
			</center>
			<east>
				<div width="30px" vflex="1" style="background:yellow">E</div>
			</east>
			<west>
				<div width="20px" vflex="1" style="background:yellow">W</div>
			</west>
		</borderlayout>
	</window>
</zk>
  • The default height of Borderlayout is count on parent component, you can put Borderlayout in a fixed height container.
<zk>
	<window title="win" border="normal" height="200px">
		<borderlayout>
			<north>
				<div height="30px" hflex="1" style="background:blue">N</div>
			</north>
			<south>
				<div height="20px" hflex="1" style="background:blue">S</div>
			</south>
			<center>
				<div hflex="1" vflex="1">C</div>
			</center>
			<east>
				<div width="30px" vflex="1" style="background:yellow">E</div>
			</east>
			<west>
				<div width="20px" vflex="1" style="background:yellow">W</div>
			</west>
		</borderlayout>
	</window>
</zk>

Scrolling

  • Layout region will share the height of Borderlayout, the sequence is North, South, Center, and the height of East and West is count on Center, if the resting height is enough for the child of Center, Center will cut the content of it's child, you have to specify autoscroll="true" to Centr.
DrBorderlayout Center scrolling.png
<borderlayout width="300px" height="300px">
	<north>
		<div height="100px" style="background:blue;color:white;">N</div>
	</north>
	<south>
		<div height="100px" style="background:blue;color:white;">S</div>
	</south>
	<center autoscroll="true">
		<div height="200px" style="background:red;color:white;">C</div>
	</center>
	<east flex="true">
		<div width="30px" style="background:yellow;">E</div>
	</east>
	<west flex="true">
		<div width="20px" style="background:yellow;">W</div>
	</west>
</borderlayout>

Columnlayout

Columnlayout places its child components into multiple columns, and each column could have any number of child components placed vertically with different height (but the same width). Unlike portallayout, the user cannot move the child components to different locations (of course, the application can re-arrange the order anytime it likes).

  • Available for ZK:
  • http://www.zkoss.org/product/zkhttp://www.zkoss.org/whyzk/zkeeVersion pe-ee.png
DrColumnlayout.png
<columnlayout>
  <columnchildren width="30%" style="padding: 5px 1px">
    <panel height="60px" title="1" border="normal" maximizable="true">
      <panelchildren>1</panelchildren>
    </panel>
    <panel height="80px" title="2" border="normal" closable="true">
      <panelchildren>2</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </columnchildren>
  <columnchildren width="70%" style="padding: 5px 1px">
    <panel height="100px" title="3" border="normal" collapsible="true">
      <panelchildren>3</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </columnchildren>
</columnlayout>

Portallayout

Portallayout places its child components into multiple columns, and each column could have any number of child components placed vertically with different height (but the same width). The user can move any of them to another location he want like a portal.

  • Available for ZK:
  • http://www.zkoss.org/product/zkhttp://www.zkoss.org/whyzk/zkeeVersion ee.png
DrPortallayout.png
<portallayout>
  <portalchildren width="40%" style="padding: 5px 1px">
    <panel height="60px" title="1" border="normal" maximizable="true">
      <panelchildren>1</panelchildren>
    </panel>
    <panel height="90px" title="2" border="normal" closable="true">
      <panelchildren>2</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </portalchildren>
  <portalchildren width="60%" style="padding: 5px 1px">
    <panel height="100px" title="3" border="normal" collapsible="true">
      <panelchildren>3</panelchildren>
    </panel>
    <panel height="55px" title="4" border="normal" closable="true">
      <panelchildren>4</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </portalchildren>
</portallayout>

Tablelayout

Tablelayout places its child components in a table. The implementation is based on HTML TABLE tag.

  • Available for ZK:
  • http://www.zkoss.org/product/zkhttp://www.zkoss.org/whyzk/zkeeVersion ee.png
DrTablelayout.png
<tablelayout columns="2">
  <tablechildren>
    <panel title="1" border="normal"
      collapsible="true" width="80px" height="60px">
      <panelchildren>1</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </tablechildren>
  <tablechildren>
    <panel title="2" border="normal"
      collapsible="true" width="80px" height="60px">
      <panelchildren>2</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </tablechildren>
  <tablechildren>
    <panel title="3" border="normal"
      collapsible="true" width="80px" height="60px">
      <panelchildren>3</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </tablechildren>
  <tablechildren>
    <panel title="4" border="normal"
      collapsible="true" width="80px" height="60px">
      <panelchildren>4</panelchildren>
    </panel>
  </tablechildren>
</tablelayout>

Containers

Here are a brief introductions. For detailed information and a complete list, please refer to ZK Component Reference: Containers.

Div and Span

Div and span are the most lightweight containers to group child components. They are the same as HTML DIV and SPAN tags respectively. Div is displayed as block that the following sibling won't be displayed in the same vertical position; as if there is a line break before and after it. On the other hand, span is displayed inline with siblings (as if no line break in between).

DrDivSpan.png
<div style="border: 1px solid blue" width="150px">
  this is
  <span>inlined with <button label="Hi"/></span>
</div>
<div style="border: 1px solid grey">
	<div>div is a block</div>
	<datebox/>
</div>

Window

Window is a container providing caption, border, overlapped, draggable, closable, sizable, and many other features. Window is also a owner of a ID space, such that the IDs of its child components won't be conflict with others.

DrWindow.png
<window title="A" closable="true" sizable="true"
 border="normal" mode="overlapped">
   <div style="background: yellow">1</div>
   <combobox/>
</window>

Panel

Like Window, panel is another powerful container, supporting caption, border, overlapped and many other features. However, it does not implement IdSpace, so all of its children belongs to the same ID space of its parent.

DrPanel.png
<panel title="A" framable="true" border="normal"
 maximizable="true" collapsible="true">
   <panelchildren>
      <div style="background: yellow">1</div>
      <combobox/>
   </panelchildren>
</panel>

Groupbox

Groupbox is a lightweight way to group child components. It supports the caption and border, but it can not be overlapped or sized. It does not implement IdSpace either.

DrGroupbox3d.png
<groupbox mold="3d">
  <caption label="Fruits"/>
  <radiogroup>
    <radio label="Apple"/>
    <radio label="Orange"/>
    <radio label="Banana"/>
  </radiogroup>
</groupbox>

Tabbox

Tabbox is a container used to display a set of tabbed groups of components. A row of tabs is displayed at the top (or left or other location) of tabbox which may be used to switch between each group. It does not implement IdSpace either.

DrTabbox.png
<tabbox height="80px">
  <tabs>
    <tab label="Tab 1"/>
    <tab label="Tab 2"/>
  </tabs>
  <tabpanels>
    <tabpanel>This is panel 1</tabpanel>
    <tabpanel>This is panel 2</tabpanel>
  </tabpanels>
</tabbox>

Default size of ZK Layouts and Containers

Component Default Width Default Height
Div UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Groupbox UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Window UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Panel UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Panelchildren UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Tabbox UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Tabpanel UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Hbox DownArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Vbox DownArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Hlayout UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Vlayout UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Borderlayout UpArraw.jpg UpArraw.jpg
Center,North,South UpArraw.jpg UpArraw.jpg
East,West DownArraw.jpg UpArraw.jpg
Columnlayout UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Columnchildren DownArraw.jpg ( has minimal width ) DownArraw.jpg
Portallayout UpArraw.jpg DownArraw.jpg
Portalchildren DownArraw.jpg ( has minimal width ) DownArraw.jpg
Tablelayout DownArraw.jpg ( has minimal width ) DownArraw.jpg
Tablechildren DownArraw.jpg ( has minimal width ) DownArraw.jpg

UpArraw.jpg: Count on parent

DownArraw.jpg: Count on children

Version History

Last Update : 2011/06/21


Version Date Content
     



Last Update : 2011/06/21

Copyright © Potix Corporation. This article is licensed under GNU Free Documentation License.