Basic Layouts

Vertical Layout
Horizontal Layout
Spacing
Padding
Margin
Expanding Items

Vaadin features two basic layout components: Vertical Layout and Horizontal Layout. As their names suggest, they render their contents vertically and horizontally, respectively. Components are shown in the order they are added to either layout.

Vertical Layout

Vertical Layout places components top-to-bottom in a column. By default, it has 100% width and undefined height, meaning its width is constrained by its parent component and its height is determined by the components it contains.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsVerticalLayout.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/vertical-layout")
public class BasicLayoutsVerticalLayout extends Div {
    public BasicLayoutsVerticalLayout() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 4"));
        // end::snippet[]

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");

        this.add(layout);
    }

}

Components in a Vertical Layout can be aligned both vertically and horizontally.

Vertical Alignment

You can position components at the top, middle, or bottom. Alternatively, you can position components by specifying how a layout’s excess space (if any) is distributed between them.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutVerticalAlignment.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

@Route("basic-layouts/vertical-layout-vertical-alignment")
public class BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutVerticalAlignment extends Div {

    private static class JustifyContentModeOption {
        private final String label;
        private final FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode mode;

        public JustifyContentModeOption(String label,
                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode mode) {
            this.label = label;
            this.mode = mode;
        }

        public FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode getMode() {
            return mode;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return label;
        }
    }

    public BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutVerticalAlignment() {
        // tag::layout[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        // Spacing can interfere with the alignment modes
        layout.setSpacing(false);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));
        // end::layout[]

        List<JustifyContentModeOption> options = Arrays
                .asList(new JustifyContentModeOption("Start (default)",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.START),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.CENTER),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("End",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.END),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Between",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.BETWEEN),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Around",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.AROUND),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Evenly",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.EVENLY));

        RadioButtonGroup<JustifyContentModeOption> radioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioGroup.setLabel("Vertical alignment");
        radioGroup.setItems(options);
        radioGroup.setValue(options.get(0));
        radioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode mode = e.getValue().getMode();
            layout.setJustifyContentMode(mode);
        });

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        layout.setClassName("height-5xl");

        this.add(layout, radioGroup);
    }

}

Value Description

Value	Description
`START` (default)	Positions items at the top.
`CENTER`	Vertically centers items.
`END`	Positions items at the bottom.
`BETWEEN`	Available space is distributed evenly between items. No space is added before the first item, or after the last.
`AROUND`	Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, and after the last, is half of that between items.
`EVENLY`	Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, between items and after the last item is the same.

START (default)

Positions items at the top.

CENTER

Vertically centers items.

END

Positions items at the bottom.

BETWEEN

Available space is distributed evenly between items. No space is added before the first item, or after the last.

AROUND

Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, and after the last, is half of that between items.

EVENLY

Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, between items and after the last item is the same.

Horizontal Alignment

Components in a Vertical Layout can be left-aligned (default), centered, right-aligned or stretched horizontally.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutHorizontalAlignment.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

@Route("basic-layouts/vertical-layout-horizontal-alignment")
public class BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutHorizontalAlignment extends Div {

    private static class AlignmentOption {
        private final String label;
        private final FlexComponent.Alignment alignment;

        public AlignmentOption(String label,
                FlexComponent.Alignment alignment) {
            this.label = label;
            this.alignment = alignment;
        }

        public FlexComponent.Alignment getAlignment() {
            return alignment;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return label;
        }
    }

    public BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutHorizontalAlignment() {
        // tag::layout[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));
        // end::layout[]

        List<AlignmentOption> options = Arrays
                .asList(new AlignmentOption("Start (default)",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.START),
                        new AlignmentOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.CENTER),
                        new AlignmentOption("End", FlexComponent.Alignment.END),
                        new AlignmentOption("Stretch",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH));

        RadioButtonGroup<AlignmentOption> radioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioGroup.setLabel("Horizontal alignment");
        radioGroup.setItems(options);
        radioGroup.setValue(options.get(0));
        radioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.Alignment alignment = e.getValue().getAlignment();
            layout.setAlignItems(alignment);
        });

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");

        this.add(layout, radioGroup);
    }

}

Value Description

Value	Description
`START` (default)	Left-aligns (LTR) or right-aligns (RTL) items
`CENTER`	Horizontally centers items
`END`	Right-aligns (LTR) or left-aligns (RTL) items
`STRETCH`	Stretches items with undefined width horizontally

START (default)

Left-aligns (LTR) or right-aligns (RTL) items

CENTER

Horizontally centers items

END

Right-aligns (LTR) or left-aligns (RTL) items

STRETCH

Stretches items with undefined width horizontally

It is also possible to horizontally align individual components, overriding the alignment set by the parent layout.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutIndividualAlignment.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

@Route("basic-layouts/vertical-layout-individual-alignment")
public class BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutIndividualAlignment extends Div {

    private static class AlignmentOption {
        private final String label;
        private final FlexComponent.Alignment alignment;

        public AlignmentOption(String label,
                FlexComponent.Alignment alignment) {
            this.label = label;
            this.alignment = alignment;
        }

        public FlexComponent.Alignment getAlignment() {
            return alignment;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return label;
        }
    }

    public BasicLayoutsVerticalLayoutIndividualAlignment() {
        // tag::layout[]
        LayoutItem item1 = new LayoutItem("Item 1");
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.add(item1);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2", true));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3", true));
        // end::layout[]

        List<AlignmentOption> layoutOptions = Arrays
                .asList(new AlignmentOption("Start (default)",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.START),
                        new AlignmentOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.CENTER),
                        new AlignmentOption("End", FlexComponent.Alignment.END),
                        new AlignmentOption("Stretch",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH));

        List<AlignmentOption> itemOptions = Arrays
                .asList(new AlignmentOption("Auto (default)",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.AUTO),
                        new AlignmentOption("Start",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.START),
                        new AlignmentOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.CENTER),
                        new AlignmentOption("End", FlexComponent.Alignment.END),
                        new AlignmentOption("Stretch",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH));

        RadioButtonGroup<AlignmentOption> layoutRadioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        layoutRadioGroup.setLabel("Layout alignment");
        layoutRadioGroup.setItems(layoutOptions);
        layoutRadioGroup.setValue(layoutOptions.get(0));
        layoutRadioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.Alignment alignment = e.getValue().getAlignment();
            layout.setAlignItems(alignment);
        });

        RadioButtonGroup<AlignmentOption> itemRadioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        itemRadioGroup.setLabel("Item 1: alignment");
        itemRadioGroup.setItems(itemOptions);
        itemRadioGroup.setValue(itemOptions.get(0));
        itemRadioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.Alignment alignment = e.getValue().getAlignment();
            layout.setAlignSelf(alignment, item1);
        });

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");

        this.add(layout, layoutRadioGroup, itemRadioGroup);
    }

}

Horizontal Layout

Horizontal Layout places components side-by-side in a row. By default, it has undefined width and height, meaning its size is determined by the components it contains.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayout.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.HorizontalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/horizontal-layout")
public class BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayout extends Div {
    public BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayout() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        HorizontalLayout layout = new HorizontalLayout();
        layout.setPadding(true);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 4"));
        // end::snippet[]

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");

        this.add(layout);
    }

}

Like Vertical Layout, Horizontal Layout enables both vertical and horizontal alignment of components.

Vertical Alignment

You can position components at the top, middle, or bottom. Items can alternatively be made to stretch vertically or positioned along the layout’s text baseline.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutVerticalAlignment.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.HorizontalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

@Route("basic-layouts/horizontal-layout-vertical-alignment")
public class BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutVerticalAlignment extends Div {

    private static class AlignmentOption {
        private final String label;
        private final FlexComponent.Alignment alignment;

        public AlignmentOption(String label,
                FlexComponent.Alignment alignment) {
            this.label = label;
            this.alignment = alignment;
        }

        public FlexComponent.Alignment getAlignment() {
            return alignment;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return label;
        }
    }

    public BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutVerticalAlignment() {
        // tag::layout[]
        HorizontalLayout layout = new HorizontalLayout();
        layout.setPadding(true);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));
        // end::layout[]

        List<AlignmentOption> options = Arrays
                .asList(new AlignmentOption("Stretch (default)",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH),
                        new AlignmentOption("Start",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.START),
                        new AlignmentOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.CENTER),
                        new AlignmentOption("End", FlexComponent.Alignment.END),
                        new AlignmentOption("Baseline",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.BASELINE));

        RadioButtonGroup<AlignmentOption> radioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioGroup.setLabel("Vertical alignment");
        radioGroup.setItems(options);
        radioGroup.setValue(options.get(0));
        radioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.Alignment alignment = e.getValue().getAlignment();
            layout.setAlignItems(alignment);
        });

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        layout.setClassName("height-5xl");

        this.add(layout, radioGroup);
    }

}

Value Description

Value	Description
`STRETCH` (default)	Stretches items with undefined height horizontally
`START`	Positions items at the top of the layout
`CENTER`	Vertically centers items
`END`	Positions items at the bottom of the layout
`BASELINE`	Position items along the layout’s (text) baseline.

STRETCH (default)

Stretches items with undefined height horizontally

START

Positions items at the top of the layout

CENTER

Vertically centers items

END

Positions items at the bottom of the layout

BASELINE

Position items along the layout’s (text) baseline.

It is also possible to vertically align individual components, overriding the alignment set by the parent layout.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutIndividualAlignment.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.HorizontalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

@Route("basic-layouts/horizontal-layout-individual-alignment")
public class BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutIndividualAlignment extends Div {

    private static class AlignmentOption {
        private final String label;
        private final FlexComponent.Alignment alignment;

        public AlignmentOption(String label,
                FlexComponent.Alignment alignment) {
            this.label = label;
            this.alignment = alignment;
        }

        public FlexComponent.Alignment getAlignment() {
            return alignment;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return label;
        }
    }

    public BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutIndividualAlignment() {
        // tag::layout[]
        LayoutItem item1 = new LayoutItem("Item 1");
        HorizontalLayout layout = new HorizontalLayout();
        layout.setPadding(true);
        layout.add(item1);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2", true));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3", true));
        // end::layout[]

        List<AlignmentOption> layoutOptions = Arrays
                .asList(new AlignmentOption("Stretch (default)",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH),
                        new AlignmentOption("Start",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.START),
                        new AlignmentOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.CENTER),
                        new AlignmentOption("End", FlexComponent.Alignment.END),
                        new AlignmentOption("Baseline",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.BASELINE));

        List<AlignmentOption> itemOptions = Arrays
                .asList(new AlignmentOption("Auto (default)",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.AUTO),
                        new AlignmentOption("Stretch",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH),
                        new AlignmentOption("Start",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.START),
                        new AlignmentOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.CENTER),
                        new AlignmentOption("End", FlexComponent.Alignment.END),
                        new AlignmentOption("Baseline",
                                FlexComponent.Alignment.BASELINE));

        RadioButtonGroup<AlignmentOption> layoutRadioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        layoutRadioGroup.setLabel("Vertical alignment");
        layoutRadioGroup.setItems(layoutOptions);
        layoutRadioGroup.setValue(layoutOptions.get(0));
        layoutRadioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.Alignment alignment = e.getValue().getAlignment();
            layout.setAlignItems(alignment);
        });

        RadioButtonGroup<AlignmentOption> itemRadioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        itemRadioGroup.setLabel("Item 1: alignment");
        itemRadioGroup.setItems(itemOptions);
        itemRadioGroup.setValue(itemOptions.get(0));
        itemRadioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.Alignment alignment = e.getValue().getAlignment();
            layout.setAlignSelf(alignment, item1);
        });

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        layout.setClassName("height-5xl");

        this.add(layout, layoutRadioGroup, itemRadioGroup);
    }

}

Horizontal Alignment

Components in a Horizontal Layout can be left-aligned, centered or right-aligned. Alternatively, you can position components by specifying how a layout’s excess space is distributed between them.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutHorizontalAlignment.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.HorizontalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

@Route("basic-layouts/horizontal-layout-horizontal-alignment")
public class BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutHorizontalAlignment extends Div {

    private static class JustifyContentModeOption {
        private final String label;
        private final FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode mode;

        public JustifyContentModeOption(String label,
                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode mode) {
            this.label = label;
            this.mode = mode;
        }

        public FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode getMode() {
            return mode;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return label;
        }
    }

    public BasicLayoutsHorizontalLayoutHorizontalAlignment() {
        // tag::layout[]
        HorizontalLayout layout = new HorizontalLayout();
        layout.setPadding(true);
        // Spacing can interfere with the alignment modes
        layout.setSpacing(false);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));
        // end::layout[]

        List<JustifyContentModeOption> options = Arrays
                .asList(new JustifyContentModeOption("Start (default)",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.START),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Center",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.CENTER),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("End",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.END),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Between",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.BETWEEN),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Around",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.AROUND),
                        new JustifyContentModeOption("Evenly",
                                FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode.EVENLY));

        RadioButtonGroup<JustifyContentModeOption> radioGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioGroup.setLabel("Vertical alignment");
        radioGroup.setItems(options);
        radioGroup.setValue(options.get(0));
        radioGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            FlexComponent.JustifyContentMode mode = e.getValue().getMode();
            layout.setJustifyContentMode(mode);
        });

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");

        this.add(layout, radioGroup);
    }

}

Value Description

Value	Description
`START` (default)	Left-aligns (LTR) or right-aligns (RTL) items
`END`	Right-aligns (LTR) or left-aligns (RTL) items
`CENTER`	Horizontally centers items
`BETWEEN`	Available space is distributed evenly between items. No space is added before the first item, or after the last.
`AROUND`	Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, and after the last, is half of that between items.
`EVENLY`	Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, between items and after the last item is the same.

START (default)

Left-aligns (LTR) or right-aligns (RTL) items

END

Right-aligns (LTR) or left-aligns (RTL) items

CENTER

Horizontally centers items

BETWEEN

Available space is distributed evenly between items. No space is added before the first item, or after the last.

AROUND

Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, and after the last, is half of that between items.

EVENLY

Available space is distributed evenly between items. The space before the first item, between items and after the last item is the same.

Spacing

Spacing is used to create space between components in the same layout. Spacing can help prevent misclicks and distinguish content areas.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsSpacing.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/spacing")
public class BasicLayoutsSpacing extends Div {

    private static final String ENABLED_OPTION = "Enabled";
    private static final String DISABLED_OPTION = "Disabled";

    public BasicLayoutsSpacing() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.setAlignItems(FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));

        RadioButtonGroup<String> radioButtonGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioButtonGroup.setLabel("Spacing");
        radioButtonGroup.setItems(ENABLED_OPTION, DISABLED_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.setValue(ENABLED_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.addValueChangeListener(
                e -> layout.setSpacing(ENABLED_OPTION.equals(e.getValue())));
        // end::snippet[]

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        layout.setClassName("height-4xl");

        this.add(layout, radioButtonGroup);
    }

}

Warning

CAUTION: Combining spacing and alignment

Vertical Layout’s vertical alignment and Horizontal Layout’s horizontal alignment might not work properly when spacing is enabled. If your layout requires both, consider disabling spacing and handling the alignment using CSS.

Five different spacing theme variants are available:

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Source code

BasicLayoutsSpacingVariants.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/spacing-variants")
public class BasicLayoutsSpacingVariants extends Div {

    private static final String SPACING_XS_THEME = "spacing-xs";
    private static final String SPACING_S_THEME = "spacing-s";
    private static final String SPACING_THEME = "spacing";
    private static final String SPACING_L_THEME = "spacing-l";
    private static final String SPACING_XL_THEME = "spacing-xl";

    public BasicLayoutsSpacingVariants() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.setSpacing(false);
        layout.getThemeList().add(SPACING_XL_THEME);
        layout.setAlignItems(FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));

        RadioButtonGroup<String> radioButtonGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioButtonGroup.setLabel("Spacing variant");
        radioButtonGroup
                .setItems(SPACING_XS_THEME, SPACING_S_THEME, SPACING_THEME,
                        SPACING_L_THEME, SPACING_XL_THEME);
        radioButtonGroup.setValue(SPACING_XL_THEME);
        radioButtonGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> {
            layout.getThemeList().remove(e.getOldValue());
            layout.getThemeList().add(e.getValue());
        });
        // end::snippet[]

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        layout.setClassName("height-5xl");

        this.add(layout, radioButtonGroup);
    }

}

Theme variant Usage recommendations

Theme variant	Usage recommendations
`spacing-xs`	Extra small space between items
`spacing-s`	Small space between items
`spacing`	Medium space between items
`spacing-l`	Large space between items
`spacing-xl`	Extra large space between items

spacing-xs

Extra small space between items

spacing-s

Small space between items

spacing

Medium space between items

spacing-l

Large space between items

spacing-xl

Extra large space between items

Padding

Padding is the space between a layout’s outer border and its content. Padding can help distinguish a layout’s content from its surroundings. Padding is applied using the padding theme variant.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsPadding.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/padding")
public class BasicLayoutsPadding extends Div {

    private static final String ENABLED_OPTION = "Enabled";
    private static final String DISABLED_OPTION = "Disabled";

    public BasicLayoutsPadding() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.setAlignItems(FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));

        RadioButtonGroup<String> radioButtonGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioButtonGroup.setLabel("Padding");
        radioButtonGroup.setItems(ENABLED_OPTION, DISABLED_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.setValue(ENABLED_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.addValueChangeListener(
                e -> layout.setPadding(ENABLED_OPTION.equals(e.getValue())));
        // end::snippet[]

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        layout.setClassName("height-4xl");

        this.add(layout, radioButtonGroup);
    }

}

Margin

Use margin to create space around a layout.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsMargin.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.FlexComponent;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.VerticalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/margin")
public class BasicLayoutsMargin extends Div {

    private static final String ENABLED_OPTION = "Enabled";
    private static final String DISABLED_OPTION = "Disabled";

    public BasicLayoutsMargin() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        VerticalLayout layout = new VerticalLayout();
        layout.setWidth("auto");
        layout.setMargin(true);
        layout.setAlignItems(FlexComponent.Alignment.STRETCH);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 1"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));

        RadioButtonGroup<String> radioButtonGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioButtonGroup.setLabel("Margin");
        radioButtonGroup.setItems(ENABLED_OPTION, DISABLED_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.setValue(ENABLED_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.addValueChangeListener(
                e -> layout.setMargin(ENABLED_OPTION.equals(e.getValue())));
        // end::snippet[]

        Div container = new Div();
        container.add(layout);

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");
        container.setClassName("container");

        this.add(container, radioButtonGroup);
    }

}

Expanding Items

Components can be made to expand and take up any excess space a layout may have.

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Source code

BasicLayoutsExpandingItems.javapackage com.vaadin.demo.component.basiclayouts;

import com.vaadin.flow.component.html.Div;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.orderedlayout.HorizontalLayout;
import com.vaadin.flow.component.radiobutton.RadioButtonGroup;
import com.vaadin.flow.router.Route;

@Route("basic-layouts/expanding-items")
public class BasicLayoutsExpandingItems extends Div {

    private static final String DEFAULT_SIZE_OPTION = "Default size";
    private static final String EXPANDED_SIZE_OPTION = "Expand";

    public BasicLayoutsExpandingItems() {
        // tag::snippet[]
        LayoutItem item1 = new LayoutItem("Item 1");
        HorizontalLayout layout = new HorizontalLayout();
        layout.setPadding(true);
        layout.add(item1);
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 2"));
        layout.add(new LayoutItem("Item 3"));

        RadioButtonGroup<String> radioButtonGroup = new RadioButtonGroup<>();
        radioButtonGroup.setLabel("Item sizing");
        radioButtonGroup.setItems(DEFAULT_SIZE_OPTION, EXPANDED_SIZE_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.setValue(DEFAULT_SIZE_OPTION);
        radioButtonGroup.addValueChangeListener(e -> layout
                .setFlexGrow(DEFAULT_SIZE_OPTION.equals(e.getValue()) ? 0 : 1,
                        item1));
        // end::snippet[]

        this.setClassName("basic-layouts-example");

        this.add(layout, radioButtonGroup);
    }

}

When multiple components expand, they do so relative to each other. For example, two items with expand ratios of 2 and 1, will result in the first item taking up twice as much of the available space as the second item.

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Docs

Docs

Basic Layouts

Vertical Layout

Vertical Alignment

Horizontal Alignment

Horizontal Layout

Vertical Alignment

Horizontal Alignment

Spacing

Padding

Margin

Expanding Items