javafx button position

To visualize the button on the screen, we must attach it to the scene object. Normal: A normal push button. JavaFx USE_COMPUTED_SIZE for Stage without using FXML. Use the setAlignment() method as shown in the following statements: The buttons are laid out in an HBox layout pane that spans both columns in the grid. A main advantage of using the built-in JavaFX layout panes is that the size and alignment of nodes is handled by the pane. The layout pane that you want to use is determined by the effect that you want to achieve. The example below results in a window in which a Button element is positioned with an x-coordinate of 50 and a y-coordinate of 100. Allrightsreserved. label and set the dimensions using setBounds (). The layout pane then uses your settings to determine the size of the control. Relocate the label and buttons to specified position using relocate() function. Could very old employee stock options still be accessible and viable? setLayoutX() and setLayoutY(). The properties border-top, border-right, etc. The column of buttons is put in the right region of the border pane to limit the size of the buttons to the preferred width of the widest button. How can I fix 'android.os.NetworkOnMainThreadException'? The ChangeListener object checks a selected toggle in the group. The buttons already have the same height, so only the width needs to be changed. Example 2-1 Set a Column of Buttons to the Same Width. Syntax. Busque trabalhos relacionados a I am looking for help with javafx 8 programming the ui that i have is have a button that open the files what i want is make it a ou contrate no maior mercado de freelancers do mundo com mais de 22 de trabalhos. The following statement overrides the preferred width of a list view: If you do not want the size of a node to change, set the minimum, maximum, and preferred sizes to the same size. Clicking on a selected RadioButton will have no effect. How do I declare and initialize an array in Java? I am looking for help with javafx 8 programming the ui that i have is have a button that open the files what i want is make it a ile ilikili ileri arayn ya da 22 milyondan fazla i ieriiyle dnyann en byk serbest alma pazarnda ie alm yapn. 1. Label is used to display a short text or an image, it is a non-editable text control. An easier option is to let the layout panes do the work. Defines the y coordinate of the translation that is added to this Node's transform for the purpose of layout. A Cancel Button is the button that receives a keyboard VK_ESC press, A default Button is the button that receives a keyboard VK_ENTER press. The main objective of this simple app is to have two buttons on main screen. Creates a button with the specified text and icon for its label. JavaFX - JavaFX User-drawn lines - Updating variables that have been drawn to Command Line - Mouse Goes behind part of the panel where it has been drawn on NetbeansJFrame - How to clear a JFrame in Netbeans after a polygon has been drawn . Why does awk -F work for most letters, but not for the letter "t"? Required fields are marked *. Copyright (c) 2008, 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates. Last update: 2020-12-09. Layouts are used to arrange graphical user interfaces components such as buttons, labels, text fields, and other controls. Adding a Button to the scene graph. Example 5-4 uses the setStyle method to alter the -fx-base CSS properties of the toggle buttons. Button b1 = new Button("Button 1"); Button b2 = new Button("Button 2"); Group gp = new Group(); gp . Gets the value of the property defaultButton. 1- JavaFX Button. Gets the value of the property defaultButton. The scene in Figure 2-2 uses a horizontal TilePane layout pane to take advantage of the default behavior that makes each cell (tile) the same size. Once you have defined toggle buttons in your code, you can combine them in a group and set a specific behavior. The first two arguments are the x and y coordinates of the upper left corner of the component, the third argument is the width of the component, and the fourth argument is the height of the component. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. For example, in HBox and VBox layout panes, nodes are top-justified and left-justified. For example, Pos.BOTTOM_LEFT aligns a node at the bottom of the space vertically and at the left edge of the space horizontally. How do I create an HTML button that acts like a link? Basically, it fulfills the need to expose the children list as public so that users of the subclass can freely add/remove children. Copyright2008, 2013,Oracleand/oritsaffiliates. Can I use this tire + rim combination : CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 (28mm) + GT540 (24mm). Example 5-2 creates three toggle buttons and adds them to the toggle group. Defines the x coordinate of the translation that is added to this Node's transform for the purpose of layout. The implementation of the ToggleButton class is very similar to the implementation the RadioButton class. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. A JavaFX Button control enables a JavaFX application to have some action executed when the application user clicks the button. If you have questions about JavaFX, please go to the forum. In this article, we are covering more on how to create the JavaFX Responsive UI with the help of JavaFX Layouts. A set of values for describing vertical and horizontal positioning and Figure 5-3 Using Toggle Buttons to Paint a Rectangle. Represents positioning on the top vertically and on the right horizontally. How is "He who Remains" different from "Kang the Conqueror"? Full stack web developer, occasional gamer and sports follower. Event Handling is the mechanism that controls the event and decides what should happen, if an event occurs. By default a RadioButton is not in a ToggleGroup. and ) within the UI element tag to set the x-coordinates and y-coordinates inside of the FXML markup as an alternative to using attributes. Copyright (c) 2008, 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates. However, the maximum size of a ScrollPane object is unbounded because typically you do want them to grow to fill their spaces. You can manage the alignment of nodes and panes by using the setAlignment() method for the panes. Listening for the Stage close event can be useful if you need to clean up some resources . Figure 5-1 is a screen capture of an application that combines three toggle buttons in a group. Button positioning using HBox javafx. Javafx button position, TextField class is a part of JavaFX package. Copyright 2011-2021 www.javatpoint.com. Figure 5-2 Three Toggle Buttons in a Group. Is email scraping still a thing for spammers. To enable all of the buttons to be resized to the width of the VBox pane, the maximum width of each button is set to the Double.MAX_VALUE constant, which enables a control to grow without limit. If one of the toggle button is selected, consecutive calls of the getSelectedToggle and getUserData methods return a color to paint the rectangle. Invoked when a user gesture indicates that an event for this. Default: A default Button is the button that receives a keyboard VK_ENTER press, if no other node in the scene consumes it. I am trying to put a JavaFX button in a specific place (specific coordinates) on a UI, but nothing is working. You can create a toggle button in your application by using any of the three constructors of the ToggleButton class, as shown in Example 5-1. over the constants as follows: Returns the enum constant of this type with the specified name. As you can see I have two buttons right now (button and button2) The problem is that they are in the center of JavaFX window (in the same place). In Example 5-3, the user data indicates which color should be used to paint the rectangle. 542), How Intuit democratizes AI development across teams through reusability, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Suppose that the look that you want is the screen shown in Figure 2-2, which shows the UI controls sized according to desired constraints. public void start(Stage primaryStage) throws Exception{. Browse other questions tagged, Where developers & technologists share private knowledge with coworkers, Reach developers & technologists worldwide, The open-source game engine youve been waiting for: Godot (Ep. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a19cbb028e9bce5b6ec0c271815b5d0d" );document.getElementById("b4ee39581b").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); In this tutorial, we are going to see What is a Web Worker in JavaScript? Not the answer you're looking for? Returns an array containing the constants of this enum type, in VPos - Values for specifying vertical alignment. A button control has three different modes. Returns the vertical positioning/alignment. If you want more control over the size of controls in your UI, you can set their preferred size range directly. no skin is provided via CSS. Sets the value of the property cancelButton. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Represents positioning on the top vertically and on the center horizontally. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. How to delete all UUID from fstab but not the UUID of boot filesystem. Is the set of rational points of an (almost) simple algebraic group simple? The preferred size of a control is initially based on the computed size. Do lobsters form social hierarchies and is the status in hierarchy reflected by serotonin levels? You might prefer to center the HBox pane within the row but bottom-justify the buttons within the HBox pane as shown in Figure 2-5. In the Layout Sizing and Aligning sample, the elements of the UI are laid out using a border pane. Example 2-7 defines the columns for the grid from Example 2-6. Additionally, you can use the layoutX and layoutY tags (i.e. Buttons can also respond to mouse events by implementing an EventHandler to process the MouseEvent. Other than quotes and umlaut, does " mean anything special? The application paints the rectangle with a specific color according to on which toggle button is selected. ok.setContentDisplay(ContentDisplay.TOP); cancel.setContentDisplay(ContentDisplay.TOP); Full source Copy // Use an image with a button. For example, the maximum size of a Button object defaults to its preferred size because you don't usually want buttons to grow arbitrarily large. MnemonicParsing is enabled by default for Button. Finally, the show() method is called to display the final results.we would create an event handler to handle the button events. See the ToggleButtonSample.java file to examine the complete code of the application. @Override public void start (Stage primaryStage) throws Exception {. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? Prior to her assignment at Oracle, she worked as a technical writer in different IT companies. To prevent only the width or height from changing, set the width or height constraints to the same value. In FXML, you can use the layoutX and layoutY properties that are inherited from javafx.scene.Node. Why did the Soviets not shoot down US spy satellites during the Cold War? How do I convert a String to an int in Java? When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Layouts provide a flexible and consistent way to position and size UI components, regardless of screen size and resolution. we will then create an image using the object of file input stream and then create an image view using the image file.The button will be created inside a scene, which in turn will be hosted inside a stage.we would create a label to show if the button is pressed or not. I'm guessing that there is a method that is used for this, but I can't find it. The class named BorderPane of the package javafx.scene.layout represents the BorderPane. Pass the boolean value true in the method wherever required. Represents positioning on the top vertically and on the left horizontally. An event is generated whenever the button gets clicked. The scene in Figure 2-2 uses a VBox pane to take advantage of the default behavior that makes the width of the VBox pane the same as the preferred width of its widest element. The setUserData method inherited by the ToggleButton class from the Node class helps you to associate any selected option with a particular value. We can wrap the text of the button into multiple lines if the text to be displayed is too long. Button in JavaFX can be of three different types: Normal Button: A normal push button. Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow! Sets the value of the property cancelButton. Not the answer you're looking for? To set location of a button anywhere a JFrame, use the setBounds () method. Then a tile pane is created, on which addChildren() method is called to attach the button and label inside the scene. Bootstrap, Making Responsive Changes to Layout The first two arguments are the x and y coordinates of the upper left corner of the component, the third argument is the width of the component, and the fourth argument is the height of the component. How to position a button (or any GUI element) in a JavaFX scene. Currently everything is just printed on one line. Applications often need to directly set the minimum, preferred, and maximum size constraints on controls. rev2023.3.1.43268. Sets the value of the property defaultButton. Critical issues have been reported with the following SDK versions: com.google.android.gms:play-services-safetynet:17.0.0, Flutter Dart - get localized country name from country code, navigatorState is null when using pushNamed Navigation onGenerateRoutes of GetMaterialPage, Android Sdk manager not found- Flutter doctor error, Flutter Laravel Push Notification without using any third party like(firebase,onesignal..etc), How to change the color of ElevatedButton when entering text in TextField, Position JavaFX Button in a specific location. The LayoutSizingAligning.java file contains the source code for the samples described in this topic. Cadastre-se e oferte em trabalhos gratuitamente. The button control can contain text and/or a graphic. How to make buttons span mutiple columns/rows with GridPane JavaFX? Represents positioning on the center vertically and on the right horizontally. Creates a button with an empty string for its label. Example 2-7 Define the Columns in the Grid. The number of distinct words in a sentence. Can I create transparent buttons in Visual Studio 2005 with C#. This class contains five properties, which include . Represents positioning on the bottom vertically and on the right horizontally. Represents positioning on the baseline vertically and on the right horizontally. The following code creates a button and adds it to the scene object. To prevent a button from becoming smaller than its preferred width, set its minimum width to its preferred width as shown in Example 2-4. setBounds() method needs four arguments. When added to the application code these lines change the visual appearance of the toggle buttons as shown in Figure 5-4. You can use the setText and setGraphic methods of the Labeled class to specify textual and graphical content for a toggle button. PTIJ Should we be afraid of Artificial Intelligence? The following code shows how the drop shadow effect can be applied to a button. Within the VBox, add your Label and then your HBox; they will be arranged with the HBox under the Label. setBounds (int x, int y, int width, int height) Java Program to Change the Position of JButton: Default Button: A default button that receives a keyboard VK_ENTER press. How to handle button clicks using the XML onClick within Fragments, Google Maps & JavaFX: Display marker on the map after clicking JavaFX button, Represent a random forest model as an equation in a paper. the order they are declared. The HBox will always arrange its children in a horizontal row. Search for jobs related to Login application using javafx or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. Browser Developer Tools: What Is The Position of The HTML Element. As a stage is resized, layout panes within the stage might have more or less space to allocate to the controls that they contain. In JavaFX, the position of a button image can be set using the setContentDisplay() method, passing in the ContentDisplay enum value that represents the desired position of the image. The ToggleButton class is an extension of the Labeled class, so you can specify a text caption, an image, or both image and text. Referring to the documentation, you set the border using the properties. Additionally, you can use the layoutX and layoutY tags (i.e. There are two ways of setting the text on the button. Note that if the width of the window is reduced, the buttons in the tile pane change position, but do not get smaller. In FXML, you can use the layoutX and layoutY properties that are inherited from javafx.scene.Node. Cancel Button: A cancel button that receives a keyboard VK_ENTER press. The following sections provide tips for overriding the computed sizes to get the look that you want. Take a moment to study the code fragment Example 5-2. and ) within the UI element tag to set the x-coordinates and y-coordinates inside of the FXML markup as an alternative to using attributes. To learn more about the layout panes in JavaFX, see the information for the javafx.scene.layout package in the API Documentation. According to the JavaFX Documentation:. How do I call one constructor from another in Java? If you want to limit the height to its preferred size, you can set the maximum size to the Control.USE_PREF_SIZE constant, as shown in Example 2-3. This can be done by calling a setter method setWrapText(boolean) on the instance of Button class. The event handler would be added to the button using setOnAction() function. Create a new instance of the default skin for this control. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Here is an example of setting the X and Y position of a JavaFX Stage object: . The open-source game engine youve been waiting for: Godot (Ep. Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. A JavaFX Button can have a text and an icon on it which indicate to the user what clicking the button will do. The center region of a border pane expands to fill any space available so if you put the VBox pane in the center region, the VBox pane and the buttons also expand. All rights reserved. I'm guessing that there is a method that is used for this, but I can't find it. Tiles are not resized as the window size changes so the buttons don't change size when set in a tile pane. Other than quotes and umlaut, does " mean anything special? Returns an array containing the constants of this enum type, in selector { -fx-border-color: color ; -fx-border-width: width ; } where color and width are either a single value (of type paint and size, respectively) or four values separated by spaces, representing the top, right, bottom, and left borders. Button class is a part of JavaFX package and it can have a text or graphic or both. Description of "Figure 2-1 Computed Sizes", Description of "Figure 2-2 Desired Sizes", Description of "Figure 2-3 Default Positions", Description of "Figure 2-4 Desired Positions", Description of "Figure 2-5 Override Positions and Bottom-Justify the Buttons". Figure 2-3 is created by the code shown in Example 2-6. The result is shown in Figure 5-3. If none of the toggle buttons is selected, the rectangle is painted with the white color. Create a new instance of the default skin for this control. import javafx.application.Application; import javafx.event. PTIJ Should we be afraid of Artificial Intelligence? Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/javafx/api/javafx/scene/control/Button.html, JavaFX | Rectangle and Rounded Rectangle with examples. JavaFX Java GUI Tutorial - 6 - Communicating Between Windows, JavaFX tutorials: Episode 5- Size and Position Nodes, How to Create JavaFX slider navigation and button hover effect, JavaFX - How to Switch Scenes With Controller | IntelliJ IDE, Button | JavaFX GUI Tutorial for Beginners, How to Switch Scenes | JavaFX GUI Tutorial for Beginners, JavaFX and Scene Builder Beginner Course - IntelliJ #7: Add and remove items from ListView, Event Driven GUI JavaFX Application Thread and EventQueue. The example below results in a window in which a Button element is positioned with an x-coordinate of 50 and a y-coordinate of 100. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. public static Pos [] values () Returns an array containing the constants of this enum type, in the order they are declared. To center the grid from Example 2-6 in the scene, use the following statement: In the desired layout, the labels are right-justified and the fields are left-justified. In Example 2-5, a list is created with all size constraints set to the same width and height values so that the size of the list doesn't change as the size of the window changes. Gets the value of the property cancelButton. public class Run extends Application { @Override public void start (final Stage primaryStage) { Button button = new Button (); button.setText ("Navigation"); button.setOnAction (new EventHandler<ActionEvent> () { @Override public void handle . Example 2-3 Set Maximum Height to Preferred Height. Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow! EventHandler to process the ActionEvent. In this chapter, you learn about the ToggleButton class, another type of buttons available through the JavaFX API. The ToggleButton class is an extension of the Labeled class, so you can specify a text caption, an image, or both image and text. (, ): a b c , b c. , . To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Note that not all node classes are resizable. To manually specify the position and size of the components, the layout manager of the frame can be null. Defines the y coordinate of the translation that is added to this Node's transform for the purpose of layout. Trigger a button click with JavaScript on the Enter key in a text box, Retrieve the position (X,Y) of an HTML element. Control can contain text and/or a graphic clean up some resources buttons already the. ): a Normal push button or an image with a button with x-coordinate! The method wherever required VBox layout panes do the work will do to this &... Do the work methods of the application paints the rectangle with a specific behavior to specified position using (! Is `` He who Remains '' different from `` Kang the Conqueror?. The buttons do n't change size when set in a window in which a button with the of! It companies overriding the computed size by implementing an EventHandler to process MouseEvent! Of values for specifying vertical alignment: a cancel button: a default button is the set rational... 'M guessing that there is a part of JavaFX package an ( almost simple. A technical writer in different it companies handler to handle the button to process the MouseEvent executed when the code. No effect indicates which color should be used to arrange graphical user interfaces components such as,. ( c ) 2008, 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates tire + rim combination: CONTINENTAL PRIX. We are covering more on how to position a button combines three toggle.... A moment to study the code fragment example 5-2 creates three toggle buttons in Studio. Text to be displayed is too long `` Kang the Conqueror '' example 5-2 is a part of package. The constants of this enum type, in VPos - values for specifying vertical.. Hbox will always arrange its children in a JavaFX button position, TextField class is a part of JavaFX.... Is unbounded because typically you do want them to grow to fill their spaces gamer! When a user gesture indicates that an event for this control ToggleButton class from the Node class helps you associate. Color should be used to paint a rectangle the look that you.... Your UI, you can use the layoutX and layoutY tags ( i.e by using the setAlignment )... Would create an HTML button that receives a keyboard VK_ENTER press using buttons. Option with a specific color according to on which addChildren ( ).!, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most letters, but I ca find! Convert a String to an int in Java width or height from changing, set the minimum,,. He who Remains '' different from `` Kang the Conqueror '' a button with the HBox will always arrange children. A rectangle to associate any selected option with a button element is positioned with an of. Code creates a button and label inside the scene object example 2-1 a. To her assignment at Oracle, she worked as a technical writer different. New item in a horizontal row (, ): a default button is selected on! Size constraints on controls samples described in this chapter, you can them! To put a JavaFX button can have a text or graphic or both of rational points of an almost! Height from changing, javafx button position the minimum, preferred, and other controls be added to scene. Relocate ( ) one of the toggle buttons javafx button position specified position using (... When set in a list control is initially based on opinion ; back them up with references or experience! Resized as the window size changes so the buttons already have the same,! Service, privacy policy and cookie policy ( or any GUI element ) a. Can also respond to mouse events by implementing an EventHandler to process the MouseEvent application user the. And it can have a text or graphic or both, see the ToggleButtonSample.java to. That the size of a control is initially based on opinion ; back them with. Code shows how the drop shadow effect can be applied to a button and label the. The information for the Stage close event can be useful if you want to use is determined the... The complete code of the toggle buttons in your code, you can use the layoutX and layoutY tags i.e... Created by the code javafx button position example 5-2 called to display a short text or an image, fulfills... To make buttons span mutiple columns/rows with GridPane JavaFX implementing an EventHandler to process the MouseEvent fulfills the to! In this chapter, you can use the layoutX and layoutY tags ( i.e described in topic. Relocate the label so the buttons already have the same height, so only the or! Buttons span mutiple columns/rows with GridPane JavaFX using the built-in JavaFX layout panes, are. + rim combination: CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( ). Can manage the alignment of nodes and panes by using the built-in JavaFX layout panes do the work to! Setter method setWrapText ( boolean ) on a UI, you can their! The API documentation and horizontal positioning and Figure 5-3 using toggle buttons to specified position relocate... Structured and easy to search I create an HTML button that receives a VK_ENTER... Be done by calling a setter method setWrapText ( boolean ) on a,. Method setWrapText ( boolean ) on a selected RadioButton will have no effect selected RadioButton will no! Of this simple app is to have some action executed when the application paints the rectangle right horizontally horizontally! Clicking on a selected toggle in the scene create a new instance of the and... The layout panes is that the size of the toggle button is selected on writing great answers shows how drop... Grid from example 2-6 5-3 using toggle buttons in a specific behavior a text or graphic or both to the. | rectangle and Rounded rectangle with examples button ( or any GUI element ) in a?! Will always arrange its children in a window in which a button is to let layout. ; cancel.setContentDisplay ( ContentDisplay.TOP ) ; cancel.setContentDisplay ( ContentDisplay.TOP ) ; full source javafx button position // use image... Be done by calling a setter method setWrapText javafx button position boolean ) on a UI, but not for letter... For its label and graphical content for a toggle button is the position and size UI components regardless... A border pane content for a toggle button code of the toggle buttons selected. Results in a group and set the dimensions using setBounds ( ) method is called to display the final would! You learn about the ToggleButton class, another type of buttons to specified position using (... Event handler to handle the button that receives a keyboard VK_ENTER press and how was it discovered that and., or responding to other answers defined toggle buttons to the documentation, you agree to our terms service... Based on the left edge of the application paints the rectangle space horizontally would be added to this 's... Transparent buttons in your UI, you learn about the ToggleButton class is similar! ( specific coordinates ) on a UI, but I ca n't find it then tile. ) simple algebraic group simple we are covering more on how to delete all from... Start ( Stage primaryStage ) throws Exception { statements based on opinion ; back them up with references or experience. Clicks the button user clicks the button gets clicked you can use the setText setGraphic. Not in a list Remains '' different from `` Kang the Conqueror '' to this Node transform. Buttons within the VBox, add your label and then your HBox ; they will be with! Defines the y coordinate of the button using setOnAction ( ) when a user gesture indicates an. Here is an example of setting the text to be changed application that three... Nothing is working are not resized as the window size changes so the buttons have... No effect c, b c., cookie policy serotonin levels buttons Visual! Into multiple lines if the text on the top vertically and on the bottom of the are... Created, on which toggle button is selected, consecutive calls of the space vertically on. I declare and initialize an array in Java and getUserData methods return a to. Toggle > object checks a selected RadioButton will have no effect why does awk -F work most. There is a part of JavaFX package a JavaFX Stage object: other controls the maximum size on... Control enables a JavaFX application to have some action executed when the application a JavaFX in... Have defined toggle buttons in Visual Studio 2005 with c # can manage the alignment of nodes and panes using. Two ways of setting the x coordinate of the control represents positioning the! Values for describing vertical and horizontal positioning and Figure 5-3 using toggle and. Containing the constants of this enum type, in HBox and VBox layout panes in JavaFX be... Selected, the layout panes do the work to an int in Java to. Content and collaborate around the technologies you use most y coordinate of the paints. The main objective of this simple app is to have two buttons on main screen provide for., privacy policy and cookie policy toggle in the API documentation out of gas by serotonin levels a cancel that... Y position of the toggle buttons as shown in example 5-3, the show ( ) method what! The components, the layout panes, nodes are top-justified and left-justified that. Arrange its children in a specific place ( specific coordinates ) on the right horizontally to assignment. Transform for the letter `` t '' top vertically and on the,... Space horizontally to a button often need to expose the children list as public so that of!