JavaFX StackPane Layout Tutorial

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StackPane Layout
StackPane example
Design StackPanel with Scene Builder

1- StackPane Layout

StackPane is a container which can contain different interface components, subcomponents stacked up to others, and at a certain moment, you can only see the subcomponent lying on the top of Stack.

These subcomponents which are newly added will lie on the top of Stack

// Add component to Stack.

stackPane.getChildren().add(newChild);

You can put a certain subcomponent in front of Stack via method named toFront(), or put the subcomponent in the bottom of Stack via method named toBack().

// All Child components of StackPane
ObservableList<Node> childs = stackPane.getChildren();

if (childs.size() > 1) {
   // Top Component
   Node topNode = childs.get(childs.size()-1);
   topNode.toBack();
}

2- StackPane example

StackPaneDemo.java

package org.o7planning.javafx.stackpane;

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.collections.ObservableList;
import javafx.event.ActionEvent;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.geometry.Pos;
import javafx.scene.Node;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.control.CheckBox;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.layout.StackPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.VBox;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class StackPaneDemo extends Application {

    private StackPane stackPane;

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) throws Exception {

        VBox root = new VBox();

        // StackPane
        stackPane = new StackPane();
       
        // Add Label to StackPane
        Label label = new Label("I'm a Label");
        label.setStyle("-fx-background-color:yellow");
        label.setPadding(new Insets(5,5,5,5));   
        stackPane.getChildren().add(label);
       
        // Add Button to StackPane   
        Button button = new Button("I'm a Button");       
        button.setStyle("-fx-background-color: cyan");
        button.setPadding(new Insets(5,5,5,5));
        stackPane.getChildren().add(button);
       
        // Add CheckBox to StackPane
        CheckBox checkBox = new CheckBox("I'm a CheckBox");
        checkBox.setOpacity(1);
        checkBox.setStyle("-fx-background-color:olive");
        checkBox.setPadding(new Insets(5,5,5,5));
       
        stackPane.getChildren().add(checkBox);
       
       
        //
        stackPane.setPrefSize(300, 150);
        stackPane.setStyle("-fx-background-color: Gainsboro;-fx-border-color: blue;");

        //
        root.getChildren().add(stackPane);

        Button controlButton = new Button("Change Top");

        root.getChildren().add(controlButton);
        root.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER);
        VBox.setMargin(stackPane, new Insets(10, 10, 10, 10));
        VBox.setMargin(controlButton, new Insets(10, 10, 10, 10));
        //

        Scene scene = new Scene(root, 550, 250);

        primaryStage.setTitle("StackPane Layout Demo");
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);

        controlButton.setOnAction(new EventHandler<ActionEvent>() {

            @Override
            public void handle(ActionEvent event) {
                changeTop();
            }

        });

        primaryStage.show();
    }

    private void changeTop() {
        ObservableList<Node> childs = this.stackPane.getChildren();

        if (childs.size() > 1) {
            //
            Node topNode = childs.get(childs.size()-1);
            topNode.toBack();
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        launch(args);
    }

}

Running the example:

Normally, you only display the subcomponent on the top of StackPane and hide other subcomponents. Using the Node.setVisible(visible) method. Let's see the illustrative example:

StackPaneDemo2.java

package org.o7planning.javafx.stackpane;

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.collections.ObservableList;
import javafx.event.ActionEvent;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.geometry.Insets;
import javafx.geometry.Pos;
import javafx.scene.Node;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.control.CheckBox;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.layout.StackPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.VBox;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class StackPaneDemo2 extends Application {

   private StackPane stackPane;

   @Override
   public void start(Stage primaryStage) throws Exception {

       VBox root = new VBox();

       // StackPane
       stackPane = new StackPane();
     
       // Add Label to StackPane
       Label label = new Label("I'm a Label");
       label.setStyle("-fx-background-color:yellow");
       label.setPadding(new Insets(5,5,5,5));
       // Hide this label.
       label.setVisible(false);
     
       stackPane.getChildren().add(label);
     
     
       // Add Button to StackPane  
       Button button = new Button("I'm a Button");      
       button.setStyle("-fx-background-color: cyan");
       button.setPadding(new Insets(5,5,5,5));
       // Hide this button.
       button.setVisible(false);
     
       stackPane.getChildren().add(button);
     
     
       // Add CheckBox to StackPane
       CheckBox checkBox = new CheckBox("I'm a CheckBox");
       checkBox.setOpacity(1);
       checkBox.setStyle("-fx-background-color:olive");
       checkBox.setPadding(new Insets(5,5,5,5));
       // Show this checkBox (default).
       checkBox.setVisible(true);
     
       stackPane.getChildren().add(checkBox);
     
     
       //
       stackPane.setPrefSize(300, 150);
       stackPane.setStyle("-fx-background-color: Gainsboro;-fx-border-color: blue;");

       //
       root.getChildren().add(stackPane);

       Button controlButton = new Button("Change Top");

       root.getChildren().add(controlButton);
       root.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER);
       VBox.setMargin(stackPane, new Insets(10, 10, 10, 10));
       VBox.setMargin(controlButton, new Insets(10, 10, 10, 10));
       //

       Scene scene = new Scene(root, 550, 250);

       primaryStage.setTitle("StackPane Layout Demo 2");
       primaryStage.setScene(scene);

       controlButton.setOnAction(new EventHandler<ActionEvent>() {

           @Override
           public void handle(ActionEvent event) {
               changeTop();
           }

       });

       primaryStage.show();
   }

   private void changeTop() {
       ObservableList<Node> childs = this.stackPane.getChildren();

       if (childs.size() > 1) {
           //
           Node topNode = childs.get(childs.size()-1);
         
           // This node will be brought to the front
           Node newTopNode = childs.get(childs.size()-2);
                 
           topNode.setVisible(false);
           topNode.toBack();
         
           newTopNode.setVisible(true);
       }
   }

   public static void main(String[] args) {
       launch(args);
   }

}

Running the example:

3- Design StackPanel with Scene Builder

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