java - Unsure How to Properly Use Swing Layouts -

sorry vague title, couldn't think of better. i'm trying create jswing application has 4 buttons, , 3 boxes images. on left 4 buttons. first "salestop", second "salesbottom", third "preliminary", , fourth "next". right have 3 boxes of equal size can insert image into, along being able set text next distinguish each picture is. have tried looking cannot seem layouts work wanted. have far.

private jbutton salestop, salesbottom, preliminary, next; private jlabel current; private jpanel salestopex, salesbottomex, preliminaryex, buttonpanel; private jframe mainframe = new jframe();   public  int createjpanel() {     buttonpanel = new jpanel();     buttonpanel.setpreferredsize(new dimension(150, 1000));      salestop = new jbutton("salestop");     salesbottom = new jbutton("salesbottom");     preliminary = new jbutton("preliminary");      salestop.addactionlistener(new buttonlistener("salestop"));     salesbottom.addactionlistener(new buttonlistener("salesbottom"));     preliminary.addactionlistener(new buttonlistener("preliminary"));      buttonpanel.add(salestop);     buttonpanel.add(salesbottom);     buttonpanel.add(preliminary);      mainframe.setlayout(new borderlayout());     mainframe.add(buttonpanel);     mainframe.setdefaultcloseoperation(jframe.dispose_on_close);     mainframe.setvisible(true);     mainframe.getcontentpane();      return 0; } 

1. use jpanel boxlayout jbuttons. set boxlayout vertical.

2. for images, given images same size, can add imageicon jlabel, along text. can align text respect imageicon anywhere using label.sethorizontaltextposition , label.setvertialtextposition. if images different size, can search so, there few answers on how scale imageicons. can use jpanel boxlayout these jlabel. or maybe better gridlayout

3. just wrap 2 jpanel in jpanel borderlayout. can place either 1 @ borderlayout.center , depending on 1 center put other 1 either west or east

the key take advantage of nesting jpanels different layout managers. can nest many jpanel need.

see more @ laying out components within container

here's example

import java.awt.*; import java.net.malformedurlexception; import java.net.url; import java.util.logging.level; import java.util.logging.logger; import javax.swing.*; import javax.swing.border.*;  public class nestjpanels {      imageicon icon;      public nestjpanels() {         try {             icon = new imageicon(new url("http://sstatic.net/programmers/img/apple-touch-icon.png"));         } catch (malformedurlexception ex) {             logger.getlogger(nestjpanels.class.getname()).log(level.severe, null, ex);         }          box box = box.createverticalbox();         (int = 0; < 4; i++) {             box.add(box.createverticalstrut(10));             box.add(new jbutton("button"));         }          jpanel imagepanel = new jpanel(new gridlayout(0, 1));         (int = 0; < 3; i++) {             jlabel label = new jlabel(icon);             label.setborder(new matteborder(0, 0, 2, 0, color.gray));             label.settext("stackoverflow");             imagepanel.add(label);         }          jpanel panel = new jpanel(new borderlayout());         panel.setborder(new emptyborder(10, 10, 10, 10));         panel.add(box, borderlayout.west);         panel.add(imagepanel);          jframe frame = new jframe();         frame.add(panel);         frame.setdefaultcloseoperation(jframe.exit_on_close);         frame.pack();         frame.setlocationrelativeto(null);         frame.setvisible(true);     }      public static void main(string[] args) {         swingutilities.invokelater(new runnable() {             public void run() {                 try {                     uimanager.setlookandfeel(uimanager.getsystemlookandfeelclassname());                 } catch (classnotfoundexception | instantiationexception | illegalaccessexception | unsupportedlookandfeelexception ex) {                     logger.getlogger(nestjpanels.class.getname()).log(level.severe, null, ex);                 }                 new nestjpanels();             }         });     } }