JList with toggable group headers

Question

Is it possible to do something like the following image in Java?

I understand that I would need to be using a multi columned list, with a custom cell renderer, in order to show the images of each list element. But my question is regards to Grouping the list elements, and using group headers...

As you can see from the image above this comes from windows explorer and is exactly the type of grouped list view that I would be looking to do with a JList in Java.

Lugworm

Maybe org.netbeans.swing.outline.Outline? – Quinlan

@Quinlan Thats not really what I am looking for... Thats for trees/tables. – Lugworm

Answer 1

I don't think I would use a JTable in this situation.

First of all, I'd use a simple JPanel with DesignGridLayout, something like the example demonstrated in DesignGridLayout showdown application, section "Dynamic Layouts", example "Example 4 - Same with indented rows".

In that example you'd have to change the icons used for the outline effect (triangles instead of chevrons in the example).

Then, I would create a DrivePane deriving from JPanel, that would contain the drive icon as a JLabel (with no text), the drive name as a JLabel, the size as a JProgress bar, the size as a JLabel. I would probably use GridBagLayout as the LayoutManager for DrivePane. That component would be used for every drive to show.

Uniform

'I would use GridBagLayout', coming from you? Probably should remove DesignGrid from my list of highly recommended managers if it can't do this easily ... grinning :-) – Lubberly

@Lubberly hehe very good ;-) I am all for "use the right tool for the job" and I don't think DesignGrid would be able to handle the drive panel which is a bit specific. – Uniform