BoxLayout

    Container horizontalBox = Box.createHorizontalBox();
    Container verticalBox = Box.createVerticalBox();

Once the Box is created, you can add() components as usual:

    Container box = Box.createHorizontalBox();
    box.add(new JButton("In the"));

Box includes several other static methods that create special invisible components that can be used to guide the BoxLayout. The first of these is glue; glue is really space between components in the Box. When the Box is resized, glue expands or contracts as more or less space is available. The other special invisible component type is a strut. Like glue, a strut represents space between components, but it doesn’t resize.

    //file: Boxer.java
    import java.awt.*;
    import java.awt.event.*;
    import javax.swing.*;

    public class Boxer extends JPanel {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("Boxer");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation( JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE );
        frame.setSize(250, 250);
        frame.setLocation(200, 200);
        Container box = Box.createHorizontalBox();
        box.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
        box.add(new JButton("In the"));
        box.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
        box.add(new JButton("clearing"));
        box.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
        box.add(new JButton("stands"));
        box.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(10));
        box.add(new JButton("a"));
        box.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
        box.add(new JButton("boxer"));
        box.add(Box.createHorizontalGlue());
        frame.getContentPane().add(box, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
      }
    }