This is a loaded question.
If it's purely about layouts, then I'd use a series of compound components with there own layouts to achieve the result you need...
If it's about approaches, then it gets more complicated...
Basically, you want to seperate the areas of responsibilities.
From the question, there are two distinct models, a elevator model and a building model.
The elevator model controls where the elevator for an individual shaft is where as the building model controls things like, the number of floors, the individual elevator models, the algorithm to determine how an elevator is called to a floor...
The following is REALLY basic example of an idea. It's missing (amongst other things) the logic needed to call an elevator to a floor or stateful information about the elevators (moving, waiting, open...)
public class Elevator {
public static void main(String[] args) {
new Elevator();
}
public Elevator() {
EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
try {
UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
} catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
} catch (InstantiationException ex) {
} catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
} catch (UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
}
JFrame frame = new JFrame();
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
frame.add(new BuildingPane());
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
}
});
}
public enum ElevatorShaft {
Left,
Right
}
public interface ElevatorModel {
public int getFloor();
public void setFloor(int floor);
public void addPropertyChangeListener(PropertyChangeListener listener);
public void removePropertyChangeListener(PropertyChangeListener listener);
}
public class DefaultElevatorModel implements ElevatorModel {
private int floor;
private PropertyChangeSupport propertyChangeSupport;
public DefaultElevatorModel(int floor) {
this.floor = floor;
propertyChangeSupport = new PropertyChangeSupport(this);
}
@Override
public void addPropertyChangeListener(PropertyChangeListener listener) {
propertyChangeSupport.addPropertyChangeListener(listener);
}
@Override
public void removePropertyChangeListener(PropertyChangeListener listener) {
propertyChangeSupport.removePropertyChangeListener(listener);
}
@Override
public int getFloor() {
return floor;
}
@Override
public void setFloor(int value) {
if (value != floor) {
int old = floor;
floor = value;
propertyChangeSupport.firePropertyChange("floor", old, floor);
}
}
}
public interface BuildingModel {
public int getFloorCount();
public int getFloor(ElevatorShaft shaft);
public ElevatorModel getElevatorModel(ElevatorShaft shaft);
public void call(int floor);
}
public class DefaultBuildingModel implements BuildingModel {
private int floorCount;
private Map<ElevatorShaft, ElevatorModel> shaftManager;
public DefaultBuildingModel(int floorCount) {
this.floorCount = floorCount;
shaftManager = new HashMap<ElevatorShaft, ElevatorModel>(2);
shaftManager.put(ElevatorShaft.Left, new DefaultElevatorModel((int)Math.round(Math.random() * (floorCount - 1))));
shaftManager.put(ElevatorShaft.Right, new DefaultElevatorModel((int)Math.round(Math.random() * (floorCount - 1))));
}
@Override
public ElevatorModel getElevatorModel(ElevatorShaft shaft) {
return shaftManager.get(shaft);
}
@Override
public int getFloorCount() {
return floorCount;
}
@Override
public int getFloor(ElevatorShaft shaft) {
return shaftManager.get(shaft).getFloor();
}
@Override
public void call(int floor) {
// This will need to determine which elevator should be called
// and call that elevators model "setFloor" method...
}
}
public class BuildingPane extends JPanel {
public BuildingPane() {
setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
BuildingModel model = new DefaultBuildingModel(3);
Shaft leftShaft = new Shaft(model, ElevatorShaft.Left);
Shaft rightShaft = new Shaft(model, ElevatorShaft.Right);
ButtonsPane buttonsPane = new ButtonsPane(model);
GridBagConstraints gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
gbc.gridx = 0;
gbc.gridy = 0;
gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.VERTICAL;
add(leftShaft, gbc);
gbc.gridx++;
add(buttonsPane, gbc);
gbc.gridx++;
add(rightShaft, gbc);
}
}
public class ButtonsPane extends JPanel {
private BuildingModel model;
public ButtonsPane(BuildingModel model) {
this.model = model;
setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
GridBagConstraints gbc = new GridBagConstraints();
gbc.gridx = 0;
gbc.gridy = 0;
gbc.weighty = 1;
gbc.anchor = GridBagConstraints.CENTER;
int floorCount = model.getFloorCount();
ActionHandler handler = new ActionHandler();
for (int floor = floorCount; floor > 0; floor--) {
JButton button = new JButton("Floor " + floor);
button.setActionCommand(Integer.toString(floor));
button.addActionListener(handler);
add(button, gbc);
gbc.gridy++;
}
}
public BuildingModel getModel() {
return model;
}
public class ActionHandler implements ActionListener {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
String cmd = e.getActionCommand();
try {
int floor = Integer.parseInt(cmd);
getModel().call(floor);
} catch (NumberFormatException exp) {
exp.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
public class Shaft extends JPanel {
private BufferedImage elevator;
private BuildingModel buildingModel;
private ElevatorShaft shaft;
public Shaft(BuildingModel model, ElevatorShaft shaft) {
this.buildingModel = model;
this.shaft = shaft;
buildingModel.getElevatorModel(shaft).addPropertyChangeListener(new PropertyChangeListener() {
@Override
public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent evt) {
if (evt.getPropertyName().equalsIgnoreCase("floor")) {
// Need to update our position, this could
// be done via animation or directly call something
// like repaint..
}
}
});
setBorder(new LineBorder(Color.DARK_GRAY));
setBackground(Color.GRAY);
try {
elevator = ImageIO.read(new File("elevator.png"));
} catch (IOException ex) {
Logger.getLogger(Elevator.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
}
}
public BuildingModel getBuildingModel() {
return buildingModel;
}
public ElevatorShaft getShaft() {
return shaft;
}
public int getFloorCount() {
return getBuildingModel().getFloorCount();
}
public int getFloor() {
return getBuildingModel().getFloor(getShaft());
}
@Override
public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
Dimension size = new Dimension(elevator.getWidth(), elevator.getHeight() * getFloorCount());
Insets insets = getInsets();
size.width += (insets.left + insets.right);
size.height += (insets.top + insets.bottom);
return size;
}
@Override
protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
super.paintComponent(g);
Insets insets = getInsets();
int x = insets.left;
int y = insets.top;
int height = getHeight() - (insets.top + insets.bottom);
int floor = getFloor();
y = height - (elevator.getHeight() * (floor + 1));
g.drawImage(elevator, x, y, this);
}
}
}
