JText Area expands as text is entered

Question

Can anyone tell me why a scroll bar will not display in this piece of code ? Instead the text area just keeps expanding as i enter more and more text.

JFrame displayframe = new JFrame("All Details");
displayframe.setLayout(new FlowLayout());

JTextArea text = new JTextArea(allDetails);
text.setSize(350,200);
text.setEditable(false);

JScrollPane scroll = new JScrollPane(text);
scroll.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(ScrollPaneConstants.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED);

displayframe.getContentPane().add(text,scroll);
displayframe.setSize(400, 600);
displayframe.setVisible(true);

Thanks, Jessica

Answer 1

First, don't set the text in the constructor of JTextArea, instead, tell it how many rows and columns you want to show. That will restrict it size, which makes the setSize line uneeded. Then you can either use setText or append to add your text. This sample code will do, I think, what you're looking for. Using Reimeus answer to add the JScrollPane to the JFrame.

JFrame displayframe = new JFrame("All Details");
displayframe.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
displayframe.setLayout(new FlowLayout());

JTextArea text = new JTextArea(30,30);
text.setEditable(false);
text.append("22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs\n22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs\n22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs\n22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfasfs22323sfas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JScrollPane scroll = new JScrollPane(text);
scroll.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(ScrollPaneConstants.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_AS_NEEDED);

displayframe.getContentPane().add(scroll);
displayframe.setSize(400, 600);
displayframe.setVisible(true);

Answer 2

You're using the JScrollPane scroll as a constraint for the add method. Just add the component directly to the frame

displayframe.add(scroll);

Answer 3

By default, the line wrap property is set to false. You should set it to true. You should a

// JTextArea(allDetails, 20, 60); sets rows and columns. instead of setting 
// a size for the text area.
JTextArea text = new JTextArea(allDetails, 20, 60);
text.setEditable(false);

text.setLineWrap(true);
text.setWrapStyleWord(true);  // wrap style if by word instead of chararcter

... 

displayFrame.pack();

See Javadoc for JTextArea

You have already put the textArea in the ScrollPane. You only need to add the ScrollPane to the frame.

displayframe.add(scroll); 

See this running example

 import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;

public class TestTextArea {
    private JScrollPane jsp;
    private JFrame frame = new JFrame();
    public TestTextArea() {
        String hello = "hello hello hello hello hello hello hello "  
                     + "hello hello hello hello hello hello hello " 
                     + "hello hello hello hello hello hello hello "
                     + "hello hello hello hello hello hello hello "
                     + "hello hello hello hello hello hello hello "; 

        JTextArea text = new JTextArea(hello, 10, 50);
        text.setLineWrap(true);
        text.setWrapStyleWord(true);
        jsp = new JScrollPane(text);

        frame.add(jsp);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable(){
            public void run() {
                new TestTextArea();

            }
        });
    }  
}